CLIMATE and

VEGETATION
 Weather
 Is a moment’s view of the lower atmosphere
 Elements: temperature, wind and
precipitation are recorded at
specified moments in time
 By finding trends in data that have been
gathered over an extended period of time
we can speak about typical conditions
 These characteristic circumstances
describe the climate of a region.
 CLIMATE
is the description of
typical weather conditions
in an area or at a place
over a period of time.
Natural Vegetation
The plants that would exist
in an area if people did not
modify or interfere with
the growth process.
Tropical Climate Region

•HUMID TROPICAL (TROPICAL RAIN

FOREST) CLIMATE

•TROPICAL SAVANNA
 HUMID TROPICAL
(TROPICAL RAIN FOREST)
CLIMATE
Location: Parts of South America (largest part
located in the Amazon River Basin), Caribbean Area,
Asia, and Africa

Characteristics: Low Latitude, Average temperature

is 80°F, Warm and Humid Air saturated w/ moisture
causing a daily rain (80 in. yr.)

Vegetation: Lush, Growing in thick layers with vines

and other shade like plants at bottom, then bushes,
shorter trees, and finally tall teak and mahogany
trees at the top.
HUMID TROPICAL
(TROPICAL RAIN FOREST)
CLIMATE
 Tropical Savanna
CLIMATE
Location: Parts of Africa, Central and South
America, Asia, and Australia

Characteristics: Low Latitude, Dry Winters

and Wet Summers (accompanied w/ high year-
round temps.

Vegetation: dry season – ground covered w/

clumps of thick grass and you will find fewer
trees than in the humid tropical climate
region.
TROPICAL SAVANNA
CLIMATE
Dry Climate Region
•DESERT

•STEPPE
 Desert CLIMATE
Location: Worldwide, largest Sahara, extending
over almost the entire northern 1/3rd of the
African Continent.

Characteristics: Yearly rainfall is not usually going

to be more than 10in. Temps. vary widely from
daytime heat and nighttime cool and also from
season to season. Desert climates make up close
to a 1/3rd of the Earth’s total land area.

Vegetation: very little – scrub and cactus, in areas

w/ an underground spring (oasis) you also will find
this area to have lush vegetation.
DESERT
CLIMATE
 Steppe
CLIMATE
Location: Largest stretches across Eastern
Europe and western and central Asia. Steppes
are also found in N. America, South America,
Africa, and Australia (anywhere that a desert
could be found)

Characteristics: Border desert areas and are

also dry areas, Yearly Rainfall 10 – 20 inches

Vegetation: treeless grasslands

STEPPE
CLIMATE
Mid-Latitude Climates
•MARINE WEST COAST

•MEDITERRANEAN

•HUMID SUBTROPICAL

•HUMID CONTINENTAL
 Marine West Coast
CLIMATE
Location: Along western coastlines, btwn. the
lat. Of 30° and 60° north and south, are
regions w/ a marine west coast climate. The
Pacific coast of N. America, much of Europe,
and parts of S. America, Africa, Australia,
and N. Zealand.

Characteristics: Ocean winds bring cool

summers and damp winters.

Vegetation: Coniferous and deciduous trees

found in this region (mixed forests).
MARINE WEST COAST CLIMATE
 Mediterranean
CLIMATE
Location: Lands surrounding the Med. Sea
and any coastal mid-lat. areas w/ similar
climate and vegetation including S.
California and parts of S. Australia

Characteristics: Mild, rainy winters and

hot, sunny summers

Vegetation: Chaparral
MEDITERRANEAN
CLIMATE
 Humid Subtropical
CLIMATE
Location: SE US and in SE of SA and Asia

Characteristics: Short, mild winters and

nearly year around rain. Wind patterns and
high pressure related to nearby oceans are
responsible for high humidity levels.

Vegetation: Prairies (inland grasslands)

and forests of deciduous trees
HUMID SUBTROPICAL CLIMATE
Prairies
 Humid Continental
CLIMATE
Location: N. Hemisphere such as S. Canada, W.
Russia, and NE China

Characteristics: Climate influenced more by

landforms than winds, precipitation, or ocean
temp. The farther NORTH you are, the Winters
will be longer and more severe and Summers will
be shorter and cooler.

Vegetation: Similar to Marine West Coast,

mixed forests, more coniferous than deciduous.
HUMID CONTINENTAL CLIMATE
High -Latitude Climates

•ICE CAP

•TUNDRA

•SUBARCTIC
 Ice Cap
CLIMATE
Location: almost all of Antarctica, and
Greenland’s interior

Characteristics: Snow and ice, usually

more than 2 miles thick constantly cover
the surface. Ave. temps. – below freezing

Vegetation: lichen
Lichen
ICE CAP CLIMATE
 Tundra
CLIMATE
Location: Closer to the Polar Regions

Characteristics: Very COLD … winter

darkness and bitter cold last 6 months and
the sun’s indirect rays bring constant
summer light but little heat.

Vegetation: shrubs and lichen

TUNDRA CLIMATE
 Subarctic
CLIMATE
Location: Just south of the Arctic Circle

Characteristics: Winters are bitterly cold

and summers very short and cool. Only a
thin layer of surface soil thaws each
summer and below this is permafrost.

Vegetation: Coniferous
SUBARCTIC CLIMATE