Download - Climates and landscapes
THE EARTH’S CLIMATES
HOT CLIMATES EquatorialTropical
TEMPERATE CLIMATES
OceanicMediterraneanContinental
COLD CLIMATES PolarAlpine or Mountain
DESERT CLIMATES Hot desert (hot zone)Cold desert (temperate zone)
Climate Biome Area Temperature
Precipitat ions Rivers VegetationAnimals
Inhabitants
Equatorial
Tropical
Oceanic
Mediterra-nean
Continental
Polar
Alpine or Mountain
Desert
Hot climatesEQUATORIAL
It covers the narrow strip to the north and south of the equator
Temperature: it’s constantly high (25ºC all year round)Annual precipitation levels exceed 2000 mm and the
amount of precipitations is distributed regularly over the year one hot and humid season
Rivers are regular and have a high volume of waterVegetation The biome is TROPICAL RAINFOREST
OR JUNGLE. It consists of dense woodland (green all year round): very different vegetation species which are distributed at different heights and therefore compete for light and space
Inhabitants:Rainforests in South America and Africa are sparsely
populated and inhabitants live from fruit, hunting animals and basic farming
Asian jungles are more densely populated with plantations of rice, sugar cane, tea and latex to make rubber
TROPICAL It extends from the equatorial zone to the edges of
the tropicsTemperatures don’t fall below 18ºPrecipitation levels are high but the amount of
precipitation is irregular: it is divided into a summer rainy season and a winter dry season
You can find two subtypes: humid tropical zone (which dry season lasts three months) and the dry tropical zone (which dry season lasts more than three months). As a result, the water levels in rivers vary greatly across the seasons
Vegetation depends on precipitation levels:Humid zones: The biome is TROPICAL WOODLAND
(similar to equatorial zones, but less dense and taller)Dry zones: The biome is SAVANNA tall grasses, scrub
plants and trees with a horizontally spreading crown (acacia, baobab)
Inhabitants of the savanna:People in some indigenous villages keep animals and raise
l ivestockOther villages depend on agriculture and practice crop
rotationThere are also foreign-owned plantations of cacao,
coffee, sugar and tea
Temperate climatesMEDITERRANEAN
It is located around the Mediterranean Sea and in areas of Western America, Africa and Australia
Temperature: there is little contrast, since it close to the sea winters are mild and summers are warm/hot (over 22ºC)
Precipitation levels are moderate, between 300-800 mm per year. They are also irregular and there is a summer dry season
Rivers: they have a low volume of water level in the summer
Vegetation: MEDITERRANEAN FOREST small, perennial trees with coarse bark and small leaves (oak, cork and pine). There are numerous shrubs (kermes oak, rock rose, thyme, rosemary...)
Humans and the environmentAreas with a steep relief, poor soil and little water have been
converted into dryland farming areas for cereals, grapes and olives
The construction of canals and dams has allowed for irrigated farming to grow fruits and vegetables
Vegetables like peppers, fruits like strawberries and flowers are grown in greenhouses
OCEANIC It is located along the western borders of the continentsTemperatures are fairly constant and moderate, given the
influence of the sea winters are not very cold (never falling below -3ºC) and summers are cool (not going above an average of 22ºC)
Precipitation levels are high, at over 800 mm per year. They are also regular and there is no dry season or month
Rivers: they have a constantly high volume of waterVegetation: the characteristic biome is DECIDUOUS
WOODLAND. It is made up of tall trees (oak, beech) with straight trunks and large leaves that fall in autumn. In colder areas where woodland has been destroyed, vegetation consists of scrubland and grass meadows: HEATHLAND
Humans and the environmentWestern Europe: forests have been cut down to make
pastures for livestock or fields for crops, such as corn and potatoes
North America, Southern Chile and Argentina , there are still many forests
Australia and New Zealand: there is a lot of grassland, allowing for extensive livestock
CONTINENTAL It is located in inland continental regionsTemperature: there is a contrast in the climatic temperatures
owing to the distance from the sea winters are very cold (below -3ºC) and summers are warm or hot
Precipitation levels are moderate (300-800 mm per year) and tend to fall in summer and appear as snow in winter
Rivers freeze in winter and their levels rise in spring, when the water melts . They have a high volume of water in summer
Vegetation varies according to latitude and precipitation levels . From north to south, this biome includes TAIGA (coniferous woodland with trees that have needle-shaped leaves as pine and fir trees), along with GRASSLAND, consisting of high grasses. This kind of vegetation diminishes when precipitation levels fall, creating STEPPES
Humans and the environmentThe trees of the taiga are used to make cellulose, which is
then made into paperThe steppes are used for raising livestock and growing
cereals
Cold climatesPOLAR CLIMATE
It is located between the Arctic and Antarctic Circles and their corresponding North and South PolesGLACIAL ENVIRONMENT covers the polar ice caps.PERIGLACIAL ENVIRONMENT, or edges of the polar
regions.Temperatures are very low all year round and the average
never reaches 10ºC. However, in the glacial environment temperatures are always below 0ºC and in the periglacial environment they reach above 0ºC.
Precipitation generally falls as snow, although it is scarce (below 250-300mm). There is almost no precipitation on the polar ice caps the intense cold favours the formation of anticyclones
Liquid water is only present in the periglacial environment when temperatures rive above 0ºC. Then, large areas of surface water form on the permanently frozen subsoil, also known as permafrost
Vegetation:Glacial environment there is no vegetation as all the
surface is permanently covered by icePeriglacial environment vegetation has to adapt to very
hash conditions: long periods with little light, very low winter temperatures, strong winds... These characteristics prevent tree growth. TUNDRA is the predominant vegetation and it’s composed of very low-lying plants (mosses and lichens) which take advantage of the short summer in order to germinate in the flooded soil and produce roots and leaves
Humans and the environmentEskimos live in the tundra of North America, where they form
villages dedicated to hunting and fishingThe Sami people raise herds of reindeer in Northern Scandinavia
MOUNTAIN / ALPINE The mountain biome can be
found at any latitude. Mountainous areas have a different climate to those that surround them (altitude modifies a number of climate elements)Temperature drops 0.6ºC each
100 meters above the sea levelPrecipitation increases
Vegetation has to adapt to harsh conditions. This results in altitudinal zones that change at intervals from the base of mountains to their peaks
Humans and the environmentThe inhabitants of this area raise livestock, log forests,
generate hydroelectric power and farm the landTourists also come to the mountains to go skiing, mountain
climbing and hiking
Desert climatesHOT DESERT
In the hot zone, it is located near the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. The dry conditions found there result from permanent high pressure Sahara
Marked contrast in temperature: it is high al l year long and the sharpest contrasts are between daytime and night-time temperatures
Precipitation level are low and irregular in all deserts: less than 150 mm per year
There are no rivers in the desert but there are wadis, or dry riverbeds that contain water only at certain times of the year
Vegetation is scarce and has to adapt to aridity . In hot deserts, vegetation is low-lying and spread out (cacti and thorny scrubs). In oases we can find palm groves
Humans and the environmentDeserts are sparsely populated. Group of pastoral nomads
live there with herds of sheep and camelsSettlements can be found near oases, which receive water
from underground sources or from mountains
COLD DESERTSThey are located in temperate zones, in the inland areas
of the continents. This type of desert is arid, owing to continental conditions such as an excessive distance from the sea (Gobi Desert) and mountainous terrain, which prevent the movement of oceanic humidity
Temperatures vary throughout the year: summers are very hot and winters are very cold
Precipitation are low and irregular in all desertsVegetation on the STEPPES: low-lying grasses and isolated
shrubs predominate
Human impact on the environmentPROBLEMS WHICH AFFECT VEGETATION AND SOIL
Deforestation: removing plants and trees and burning or felling forest in order to gain land for agricultural and livestock farming, residential use... soil erosion increases since the fertile layer of the soil is lost and undergoes desertification
PROBLEMS AFFECTING WATER ON EARTH Overexploitation: the excessive consumption of fresh water as a result
of agrarian, urban and industrial use volume of water in rivers/aquifers drops
Pollution: chemical product on water
ATMOSPHERIC PROBLEMS Global warming: it is caused by the increasing greenhouse effect,
produce by excessive CO2 or other gasses emissions the average temperature of Earth is rising
Atmospheric pollution is the result of harmful emissions from power stations, central heating systems... acid rain and the hole in the ozone layer