Material created by IZASKUN IBAÑEZTeacher at Ander Deuna Ikastola

Climate encompasses the statistics of: TemperatureHumidityAtmospheric pressureWindPrecipitationin a given region over long periods, and is affected by LatitudeTerrain Altitudenearby water bodies and their currents.

Weather is the mix of events that happens each day in our atmosphere regarding temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind and precipitation.

Climate vs. Weather

- FAUNA- VEGETATION- SOIL TYPE- Circumstances of human population

Is divided into different climatic regions. And each of those CLIMATES affects each region’s

Our planet…

That is…In the Basque Country we don’t have coconut trees or iguanas because our climate is not tropical!

The relationship between climate and fauna and vegetation is not a coincidence!

However, we have oak trees, squirrels etcin our forests. And the leaves’ color is different In Autumn, unlike in the evergreen tropical trees.

( or NATURAL HABITAT TYPE)

The sum of animals and vegetation which develop under the same climatic condictions.

What is a Biome?

TROPICAL CLIMATES

DRY CLIMATES TEMPERATE CLIMATES CONTINENTAL CLIMATES POLAR CLIMATES

Tropical WET

Dry ARID HOT DESERT Temperate MEDITERRANEAN

HUMID Continental Polar TUNDRA

Tropical MONSOON

Dry ARID COLD DESERT Temperate HUMID SUBTROPICAL

COLD Continental Polar ICE CAP

Tropical WET & DRY

Dry semi-arid hot desert Temperate OCEANIC

Continental SUBARTIC (Boreal or Taiga)

Dry semi-arid cold desert

Each of the climates determines a biome

For example:In a territory with a tropical wet climate,we will find a tropical forest biome.And as follows:

CLIMATE The BIOME we will find in a place with that climate

Tropical WET TROPICAL FOREST

Tropical MONSOON TROPICAL FOREST

Tropical WET & DRY GRASSLAND (SAVANNA)

Dry ARID HOT DESERT DESERT (HOT DESERT)

Dry ARID COLD DESERT DESERT (COLD DESERT)

Dry SEMI-ARID HOT GRASSLAND

Dry SEMI-ARID COLD GRASSLAND (STEPPE)

Temperate MEDITERRANEAN GRASSLAND (CHAPARRAL)

Temperate HUMID SUBTROPICAL DECIDUOUS FOREST or GRASSLAND

Temperate OCEANIC DECIDUOUS FOREST

HUMID Continental DECIDUOUS FOREST or GRASSLAND

COLD Continental GRASSLND (STEPPE)

Continental SUBARTIC TAIGA

Polar TUNDRA TUNDRA

Polar ICE CAP ICE CAP

BIOME CLASSIFICATION

DESERTSGRASSLANDSFORESTSTUNDRAAQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS

CLIMATE BIOME

TROPICAL WET TROPICAL FOREST

AMAZONAS

GHANA

PHILIPPINES

AFRICA

CLIMATE BIOME

TROPICAL MONSOON TROPICAL FOREST

INDIA

CLIMATE BIOME

TROPICAL WET & DRY GRASSLAND (SAVANNA)

Australian Savanna

African Savanna

CLIMATE BIOME

DRY ARID HOT DESERT DESERT (HOT DESERT)

ARABIA CHIHUAHUA

SAHARA KALAHARI

CLIMATE BIOME

DRY ARID COLD DESERT DESERT (COLD DESERT)

ATACAMA GOBI

GREAT BASIN IRANIAN DESERT

CLIMATE BIOME

DRY SEMI-ARID HOT GRASSLAND

SAHEL (AFRICA)

The Sahel is a clear example of asemi-arid hot zone:a transition zone between a deser and a savanna

SAHEL

CLIMATE BIOME

DRY SEMI-ARID COLD GRASSLAND (STEPPE)

KAZAKHSTAN RUSSIA

MONGOLIA PATAGONIA

CLIMATE BIOME

TEMPERATE MEDITERRANEAN GRASSLAND (CHAPARRAL)

CLIMATE BIOME

TEMPERATE HUMID SUBTROPICAL DECIDUOUS FOREST or GRASSLAND

USA

USA

ARGENTINA

ARGENTINA

CLIMATE BIOME

TEMPERATE OCEANIC DECIDUOUS FOREST

CLIMATE BIOME

HUMID CONTINENTAL DECIDUOUS FOREST or GRASSLAND

Grassland in the driest part

IOWA WISCONSIN

CLIMATE BIOME

COLD CONTINENTAL GRASSLAND

CANADA

CLIMATE BIOME

CONTINENTAL SUBARTIC (BOREAL or TAIGA) TAIGA

CLIMATE BIOMEPOLAR TUNDRA TUNDRA

CLIMATE BIOME

POLAR ICE CAP ICE CAP

ICELAND

PATAGONIA

GREENLAND

THEN… IS “SAVANNA” A BIOME?SAVANNA is a type of GRASSLAND.Some consider GRASSLANDS as a MAJOR BIOME and its varieties as SUB-BIOMES and others consider each of the varieties a different BIOME.But WHY?Because each of the VARIETIES of GRASSLANDS occurs under DIFFERENT CLIMATIC CONDITIONS and we said that Biomes where “The sum of animals and vegetation which develop under the same climatic conditions”.

GRASSLANDSSAVANNA

AfricaAustraliaIndia

PRAIRIE

USA

CHAPARRAL

Mediterraneanareas

STEPPE

Mid Asia

PAMPA

Argentina

Tropical wet & dry - Continental- Dry semiarid

- Temperate Mediterranean

- Cold Continental

- Humid subtropical- Dry Semiarid

TROPICAL FOREST

CLIMATETROPICAL (WET)TROPICAL (Monsoon)• It rains all the year.• There are no seasons.

LOCATION

• NEAR THE EQUATOR• South America, western Africa & Southeast

Asia

SOIL• POOR• The rain takes all

the soil’s nutrients. Low fertility for agriculture

FAUNA MOST SPECIES IN THE PLANETJaguars, pumas, monkeys, toucans, frogs, iguanas, butterflies, snakes, exotic birds…

VEGETATION• MOST SPECIES IN THE PLANET• Lianas, epiphytes, bromeliads,

mangroves, coconut tree…

SAVANNA

SAVANNA is a variety of GRASSLANDS

GRASSLAND VARIETIES: PRAIRIES, STEPPES, PAMPAS, CHAPARRAL and SAVANNA

SAVANNA

CHAPARRAL

PRAIRIES in North America, PAMPA in Argentimaand STEPPE in mid Asia.

CLIMATE OF THE SAVANNATropical wet & dryOnly 2 seasons: A rainy and hot oneA dry and warm one(the fire’s season)

LOCATIONNorth and south of the Equator, between trop. Forest and desert.

SOIL

Only a thin layer of humus, which provides vegetation with nutrients. FERRUGINOUS (it has iron – red colour)

FAUNABIG ANNIMALS

VEGETATION

Acacia

Baobab

Baobab

Grass

DESERTHOT (main precipitation: rain)

COLD (main precipitations: snow and fog)

CLIMATE

DRY CLIMATE ARIDHOT DESERT

DRY CLIMATEARIDCOLD DESERT

LOCATIONNear the tropics

SOILHARD and DRY. SANDY or ROCKY. INFERTILE.

FAUNANocturnal and many underground animals(Insects, reptiles, arachnids, birds, mammals

VEGETATIONPrecipitation is too low to substain vegetation

DECIDUOUS FOREST(temperate forest)

CLIMATE TEMPERATE/MODERATE (The mid latitudes) Oceanic and humid subtropical.. (4 seasons. Temperatures are not extreme)

LOCATIONEurope / Eastern USA , Australia, China / Japan

SOILRICH and good for agriculture

FAUNA

Eagles, squirrels, bears, elks, deers, coyotes

American buffalos, beavers, raccoons, skunks, birds, foxes, wolves

VEGETATIONBROAD LEAF TREES: Oak, Beech, Maple, Elm, Willow…

OAK

BEECH

MAPLE

TAIGA(Boreal forests)

CLIMATECOLD / CONTINENTAL (Boreal-Taiga)

LOCATION North America, Eurasia

SOILPERMAFROST (with a light ice layer visible or underneath)PODZOL (with a layer of ash and reddish due to oxid and iron)

FAUNAElks, deers, beavers, woodpeckers, hawks, bears, lynx, foxes, wolves, bats…

VEGETATIONCold-tolerant evergreen conifers with needle-like leaves: PINE, FIR and SPRUCE

TUNDRA

CLIMATEPOLAR (Tundra)

LOCATION Near the North Pole

SOIL PERMAFROST

FAUNAMigratory birds, mammals (caribou, squirrels, artic foxes, wolves, polar bears)

VEGETATIONLichens (plantlike organisms made up of an alga and a fungus)