Transcript Climate Zones and Vegetation

Climate Zones and
Vegetation
Ch. 2, Sec. 3
Pp. 61-68
Tropical Climates
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Area along equator
from 23½° N to 23½°
S
2 types – rainforest
and savannah
Rainforest receives
100 inches of rain per
year
Savannah has wet
season and dry
season
Tropical Rain Forest Climate
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Year-round rain in some parts
Millions of kinds of plants and animals
Thick forest canopy means little sunlight reaches
the forest floor
Largest rain forest is in the Amazon River basin
Tropical Savanna Climate
Southern India
and eastern Africa
 Rain only falls a
few months each
year (wet season)
 Savannas are
broad grasslands
with few trees
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Mid-Latitude Climates
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Most of the world’s people live here
Variety of climates because of a mix of air
masses (warm from the Tropics and cool from the
polar region)
Temperatures change with the seasons
Marine West Coast Climate
Winters are rainy
and mild,
summers are cool
 Deciduous (lose
leaves in fall) and
coniferous
(evergreen with
cones and
needles) thrive
here
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Mediterranean Climate
 Mild,
rainy winter and hot, dry
summers
 Chaparral (scrubs) and short trees
grow here
Humid Continental Climate
Inland North
America, Europe,
or Asia
 Long, cold, and
snowy winters
 Short, very hot
summers
 Deciduous trees
and vast
grasslands
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Humid Subtropical Climate
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Rainfall throughout the year, but heaviest during
hot, humid summer
Winters are short and mild
Oaks, magnolias, and palms grow here
High Latitude Climates
 Mostly
in high
latitudes of each
hemisphere
 Generally cold,
but some are
more severely
cold than others.
Subarctic Climates
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Very few people live
here
Very cold and bitter
winters
Temperatures do rise
above freezing during
summer
Taiga (huge evergreen
forests) grow here
Tundra Climates
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Closer to the poles
Vast, treeless plains
Harsh and dry
Permafrost –
permanently frozen
ground
No trees, only
sturdy grasses and
low bushes
Ice Cap Climate
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Antarctica and Greenland
Monthly temperatures average below freezing
No vegetation, but lichens (fungus-like plants and
mosses) can live on rocks
Dry Climates
 Receive
little or
no rainfall
 Extremely hot
during the day
and very cold at
night
 Can be found at
any latitude
Desert Climate
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Receive less than 10 inches of rain per year
Scattered plants, like scrub and cacti
Steppe Climate
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Dry grassland and
prairies
Can surround
deserts
Russian word
meaning “treeless
plain”
10-20 inches of rain
per year
Bushes and short
grasses
Highland Climate
 Cool
to very
cold, even on
the equator
 Timberline – last
elevation where
trees can grow