Transcript Climate Zones and Vegetation

Climate Zones
and Vegetation
Chapter 2 Section 3
5 Types of Climate Zones
►Tropical
►Mid
Latitude
►High Latitude
►Dry
►Highland
Tropical Climates
The tropics
Tropical Climates
► Tropical
Climates range from ______
to ______? (low latitude)
► If you like _________ weather you
would love to live in a tropical climate.
► There are two types of tropical
climates
Tropical Rain Forest Climate
Tropical Savanna Climate
Tropical Rain Forest Climate
► Year
round rainfall – produce lush
vegetation which is home to millions of
plants and animals.
► The trees form a canopy over the land
allowing very little sunlight to actually
reach the forest floor. (Mahogany, teak,
ebony)
► The Amazon Basin in ________
______________ is the largest rain forest
region.
Canopy Trees
Mahogany
Teak
Ebony
Tropical Rain Forest
Tropical Savanna Climate
►Savannas – broad grasslands with
few trees
► Rainfall occurs only a few months out
of a year.
►Wet Season – Few months out of
the year when it does rain on the
tropical savanna.
► The rest of the year is hot and dry
Savannas
What’s the Difference
► Rainforest
climates – remain
wet most of the
year.
► Have a lot of
vegetation
► Savanna
Climates
– have a distinct
wet and dry
season.
► Have minimal
vegetation with
very few trees.
Tropical Climate Zones
Location
► Tropical
Rain Forest:
► South America
► Africa
► Asia
► Tropical
Savanna:
► South America
► Africa
► Asia
Tropical Climates
► Tropical
Climates especially the rain
forests are home to more than half of
our world’s plant and animal species.
► Rain forests in the tropical climates
are very important to our water cycle
because they?
______________________________
______________________________
________
Various other plants and
animals species of Tropical
Climates
►
toucan
Venus Fly Trap
Poison
Arrow Frog
Bromeliads
Sloth
Note-Taking Check
►Where
are the tropical climate
zones found?
Mid – Latitude
Climates
Mid-Latitude Climates
► Also
known as a moderate climate
► Found in the “middle” between
___________degrees N or S latitude,
and ___________ degrees N or S
Latitude from the equator
► The majority of the world’s people live
within this climate region.
Mid-Latitude Climate
► This
region has the most climate zones
and regions within it than any other.
► Why?
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
____________
The Breakdown of the Midlatitude Climate Zone
 1. Marine West Coast Climate
 2. Mediterranean Climate
 3. Humid Continental Climate
 4. Humid Subtropical Climate
Marine West Coast Climate
► Found
on:
 The western coast of the United
States
 Europe – England
 Australia – South East
What it is:
An area that receives winds from the
ocean
Marine West Coast Climate
► What
is it like:
 Winters: rainy and mild
 Summers: Cool
You would probably see a lot of
_____________ which supports the
growth of deciduous trees (those that lose
their leaves in the fall) or Coniferous
forests (cones and needles)
Marine West Coast Climate
Coniferous
Deciduous
Marine West Coast Climate
Mediterranean Climate
► Another
mid-latitude climate zone
► Has mild, rainy winters (much like the
marine west coast climate)
► It has hot, dry summers
► Vegetation include:
 Chaparral
 Shrubs
 Short trees
Vegetation: Mediterranean
Climate
chaparral
Humid Continental Climate
► Another
Mid-Latitude Climate
► If you live in the inland areas of North
America, Europe, or Asia this is the type of
climate you may have.
► Winters can be __________, ___________,
________________(think of Chicago)
► Summers are normally _____________ and
very _____________.
Humid Continental Climate:
Vegetation
► You
will probably find deciduous trees
( just like where?)
► Also vast grasslands may flourish
► Where in the United States might you
find this type of area?
Humid Continental Climate
Humid Subtropical Climate
► Yet
another type of mid-latitude
climate
► These regions are close to the
_________________
► Rain falls throughout the year, but the
heaviest rain will come during this
season? ___________________
► The winters here are generally mild
and short
Humid Subtropical Climate:
Vegetation
► Oaks
► Magnolias
► Palms
Humid Subtropical Climate
High Latitude
Climates
High Latitude Climate
► These
climates usually are mainly in the
high latitudes of each hemisphere ( the
circles) ranging from ______ degrees to
__________ degrees
► Generally these climates are very cold but
some are more severe than others.
► There are three types of high latitude
climates
 Subarctic
 Tundra
 Ice cap
Subarctic Climate
► This
is the section closest to the mid
latitude zones ( closest to 60 degrees)
► There are very few people who live
here
► The climate is very cold and bitter in
the winter
► The summer can see temperatures
rising above freezing
Subarctic vegetation
►Taiga
– Huge evergreen forests
Taiga
Tundra
► Closer
to the Poles than the subarctic
► Tundra – cold and dry weather
► The Tundra is so cold that parts of the soil
stay frozen permanently – Permafrost
► Only
the few top layers of the soil thaw
during the summer months.
► This thawed soil turns marshy in the
summer giving the plants the nutrients they
need to live.
Tundra Vegetation
► There
are no trees that grow in the
tundra because it is too cold for their
roots to set up in the ground
► There are however sturdy grasses and
low bushes that grow
Tundra
Ice Cap Climate
► Antarctica
and Greenland
► Monthly temperatures average in
Antarctica is -128 degrees
► No vegetation grows here however
some mosses and fungi can grow.
Ice Cap Climate
Ice Cap
Ice Cap
Note-taking Check
►What
are the three types of high
latitude climates?
Dry Climates
Dry Climates
► Dry
or partially dry areas that receive little
or no rain
► Temperatures can be really hot during the
day and extremely cold in the night.
► Dry climates can be found at any latitude.
► There are two types of dry climates
 Desert Climate
 Steppe Climate
Desert Climate
► Receive
less than 10 inches of rainfall
per year
► Only scattered plants such as shrubs
and ____________ can grow here.
► ____________ can collect any rain
that falls because their roots are close
to the surface.
► If irrigation is available some types of
crops can also be grown.
Desert Vegetation
Desert
Steppe Climate
► Surrounding
a desert
► Partly dry grasslands and prairies
► Means “treeless plain”
► Rain averages 10-20 inches per year
► Vegetation include bushes and short
grasses
► An Example in the U.S. is
________________________
Note-taking Check
►Where
are steppe climate zones
often located?
Highland Climate
Highland Climate
► Cool
or cold temperatures year round.
► TIMBERLINE – the elevation when
above it trees can grow only small
shrubs and bushes.
Timberline
Note-taking Check
►What
is the timberline?