● Temperature is the most `color{violet}("ecologically relevant environmental factor")`.
● The `color{violet}("average temperature")` on land varies seasonally, decreases progressively from the `color{violet}("equator towards the poles")` and `color{violet}("from plains to the mountain tops")`.
● It ranges from subzero levels in `color{violet}("polar areas")` and high altitudes to `> 50^0C` in `color{violet}("tropical deserts")` in summer.
● There are, however, unique habitats such as `color{violet}("thermal springs")` and `color{violet}("deep-sea hydrothermal vents")` where `color{violet}("average temperatures exceed")` `100^0 C`.
● It is general knowledge that mango trees do not and cannot `color{violet}("grow in temperate")` countries like Canada and Germany, `color{violet}("snow leopards")` are not found in Kerala forests and `color{violet}("tuna fish")` are rarely caught beyond `color{violet}("tropical latitudes in the ocean.")`
● The `color{violet}("significance of temperature")` to `color{violet}("living organisms")` can be readily appreciated when it is realised that it affects the `color{violet}("kinetics of enzymes")` and through it the `color{violet}("basal metabolism")`, activity and other `color{violet}("physiological functions")` of the `color{violet}("organism.")`
● A few organisms can `color{violet}("tolerate and thrive")` in a wide range of temperatures (they are called `color{violet}("eurythermal")`), but, a vast majority of them are restricted to a narrow range of temperatures (such organisms are called `color{violet}("stenothermal")` ).
● The levels of `color{violet}("thermal tolerance")` of different species determine to a large extent their `color{violet}("geographical distribution")`.
● In `color{violet}("recent years")`, there has been a growing concern about the gradually `color{violet}("increasing average global temperatures")`.
● If this trend continues, the `color{violet}("distributional range")` of some species would be `color{violet}("greatly affected.")`
● Temperature is the most `color{violet}("ecologically relevant environmental factor")`.
● The `color{violet}("average temperature")` on land varies seasonally, decreases progressively from the `color{violet}("equator towards the poles")` and `color{violet}("from plains to the mountain tops")`.
● It ranges from subzero levels in `color{violet}("polar areas")` and high altitudes to `> 50^0C` in `color{violet}("tropical deserts")` in summer.
● There are, however, unique habitats such as `color{violet}("thermal springs")` and `color{violet}("deep-sea hydrothermal vents")` where `color{violet}("average temperatures exceed")` `100^0 C`.
● It is general knowledge that mango trees do not and cannot `color{violet}("grow in temperate")` countries like Canada and Germany, `color{violet}("snow leopards")` are not found in Kerala forests and `color{violet}("tuna fish")` are rarely caught beyond `color{violet}("tropical latitudes in the ocean.")`
● The `color{violet}("significance of temperature")` to `color{violet}("living organisms")` can be readily appreciated when it is realised that it affects the `color{violet}("kinetics of enzymes")` and through it the `color{violet}("basal metabolism")`, activity and other `color{violet}("physiological functions")` of the `color{violet}("organism.")`
● A few organisms can `color{violet}("tolerate and thrive")` in a wide range of temperatures (they are called `color{violet}("eurythermal")`), but, a vast majority of them are restricted to a narrow range of temperatures (such organisms are called `color{violet}("stenothermal")` ).
● The levels of `color{violet}("thermal tolerance")` of different species determine to a large extent their `color{violet}("geographical distribution")`.
● In `color{violet}("recent years")`, there has been a growing concern about the gradually `color{violet}("increasing average global temperatures")`.
● If this trend continues, the `color{violet}("distributional range")` of some species would be `color{violet}("greatly affected.")`