Question

a. explain the various types of rainfall.

b. list three factors that influences the energy conversion and intake or not of the agroecosystem ?

c. why should the temperature vary across latitude? is it called latitudinal variation? if so why?

Answer 1

a) types of rainfall

There are three main types of rainfall based on the sources for uplifting of air, they are

1) Convectional rainfall

2) Cyclonic/Frontal rainfall

3) Orograhic/Relief rainfall

Convectional rainfall:

It is typical of warm moist air by heating from the ground surface. As a result of heating of the surface air, the air expands and forced to rise to great height. As the air rises, it cools and becomes saturated and dew point temperature is attained and then clouds will form. By further cooling, precipitation takes place and rainfall occurs.

Cyclonic/Frontal rainfall:

This type of precipitation associated with a cyclonic activity and occurs along the frontal zone of convergence particularly at the ITCZ (inter tropical convergent zone) and at the polar fronts.

Orograhic/Relief rainfall:

It occurs when large mass of air is forced to rise across landform barriers, such as high mountain ranges, plateau, escarpment, or over high hills. the leeward side of such mountain barrier where the air is ascending and warming are characteristically drier are called rain shadow region.

b) three factors that influence the energy conversion and intake or not of the agroecosystem are water management, soil fertility and net nutrient balance.

c) Temperature is found to be varying in different latitudes, this is because as if some place is closer to the equator, it will receive more direct rays of sunlight so the temperature will be high whereas in the polar regions such as arctic Arctic and Antarctic which are farther from the equator receives less rays of sunlight and therefore the temperature will be low. This is also called latitudinal variation as the temperature varies with different latitudes.