Climate Zones and Vegetation

Ch. 2, Sec. 3Pp. 61-68

Tropical Climates 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

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

Mid-Latitude Climates 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

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

Humid Subtropical Climate 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 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

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

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 Receive less than 10 inches of rain per year Scattered plants, like scrub and cacti

Steppe Climate 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