As weather impacts Life on Earth, it operates as an event, while climate functions as a process. The key distinction lies in the time frame: weather unfolds day by day, whereas climate unveils a long-term weather pattern.
Life’s response to weather mirrors its complexity, influenced by numerous factors to varying degrees.
The Earth is surrounded by a mixture of gases known as the “atmosphere,” which is divided into five distinct layers distinguished by their unique gas compositions. Weather phenomena originate in the troposphere, the layer closest to the Earth’s surface.
Geographically, weather patterns vary as the Earth tilts slightly while revolving around the Sun.
These patterns exhibit unique characteristics and identities at specific latitudes north and south of the equator, known as “zones.”
The tropical zone spans the equator, bordered by the subtropical zones. Beyond these lie the temperate zone, followed by the subarctic zone towards the North Pole and the subantarctic zone towards the South Pole. Lastly, there are the arctic and antarctic zones.
Certain wildlife species can thrive in multiple zones, while others are highly specialized to inhabit a single zone.
Different species employ various strategies to cope with seasonal weather changes. Some animals migrate, others hibernate, a few brumate, and some estivate.
While hibernation and migration are well-known responses to seasonal weather, brumation and estivation are less common terms.
Brumation involves becoming inactive in response to winter cold without genetic physiological changes, while estivation entails becoming inactive in response to summer heat and dryness, also without genetic body changes.
Frogs and snakes brumate, while chipmunks and bears hibernate.
In winter, some plants shed their leaves, while others retain them. Some plants die back to the ground, with only underground parts surviving the season.
Birds molt feathers, and mammals shed hair. For certain birds, molting provides additional down for insulation, while for some mammals, molting results in more hair for insulation.
Many animals, such as grouse among birds and moose among mammals, accumulate significant fat reserves that generate heat when metabolized, helping to maintain body temperature at survival levels.
Just as weather brings variations in precipitation, temperature, and wind, Life employs a range of strategies to endure these changes. These strategies serve as a tool to comprehend the distribution of wildlife and their adaptation to different environments.
Nature Discussion
The monthly nature programs at Loveland Public Library, located at 300 N. Adams Ave., will continue in the Gertrude Scott Room. The ongoing series “How Life Lives” explores the diverse connections among living creatures and their interactions with the environment. The upcoming program, “Dry and Wet, Cold and Hot,” is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 6. This free event, sponsored by Friends of the Loveland Library, will elucidate how various wildlife species adapt to different weather conditions and climates.