2000 Exam 1 data

All 100 points on the upcoming exam will relate to the following data and observations. You are free to discuss these data and observations among yourselves and with the TA. Be familiar with what these data indicate regarding the plant community, species adaptations, and climate relationships we have been discussing in class.

My uncle Winthrop was a plant ecologist who was fascinated with the travels of Alexander von Humboldt (you know the one that the current is named after) and with that terrific novel "Travels with Charlie" by Steinbeck. So back in the 1980's, shortly after taking an early retirement, Winthrop and Spot (his pet dalmatian) set out in their Woodie station wagon to combine the adventures of both von Humboldt and Steinbeck. For over a decade Winthrop traveled extensively, collecting plant distribution, climatic, and ecophysiological data. Winthrop's goal was to write a scholarly publication linking climate and vegetation patterns, since he had always been fascinated by the pioneering publication by Livingstone and Shreve in the early 1900's. Unfortunately, after Spot died Winthrop got sidetracked and never finished his book, leaving it for us to figure out where he had been. We know a few details that help indicate where these data might have come from. First, Winthrop started his journey in Two Dot, Montana and traveled only by car. Like John Madden, he was afraid of flying. Since Winthrop's parents (Winona and Winston) had died on the Titanic, he was also afraid of traveling by ship. We did receive one postcard mailed from Santiago, Chile in which Winthrop raved about the fine wines there. So we know he traveled along the Pan American Highway during part of this journey.

The materials available in Winthrop's notebook consist of (a) a series of brief notes and comments about a location, (b) Raunkiaer life-form data, (c) climate diagrams, (d) microclimatic data, and (e) a few ecophysiological measurements on plants from selected locations. In some parts of his notebook, Winston did not fully label the data or climate diagrams to indicate their exact location.

Your task is to be prepared to indicate which ecosystem(s) and geographical region(s) could be associated with a particular data set or climate diagram, and then to be prepared to justify your reasoning. You should be prepared to interpet any climatic or ecophysiological data presented in the notebook pages. For the climate diagrams, you should be prepared to indicate what kinds of ecosystems or plant distributions should be found in that area. You should also be prepared to indicate where in his travels Winthrop might have been to experience a particular climate.