8.2 Ecoregions and Bioclimate Profiles There are other ways to classify climate around the world:   Ecoregions are new climate zones that classify climate based on the ecosystems in different parts of the world. ecoregions are based on temperature, precipitation, plants, as well as landforms, soil, and animals A bioclimate profile is a series of graphs that shows temperature and moisture conditions at a given location. bioclimate profiles describe only temperature and precipitation bioclimate profiles display the location’s projected climate 40 to 80 years into the future bioclimate profiles

8.2 Factors Affecting Regional Climate The climate in a region is caused by a variety of factors. Factor Affecting Climate Description distance from the equator (latitude) Climate is warmer towards the equator and colder towards the poles. presence of large bodies of water Large bodies of water may moderate local climate so it is warmer in winter and cooler in summer. presence of ocean currents Cold ocean currents make local climate cooler and dryer, and warm ocean currents make climate warmer and wetter. presence of air currents (prevailing winds) Air currents that pass over water before reaching land may cause increased precipitation. Cold, dry air currents from the poles will make local climate cooler and dryer. land formations Land formations such as mountains can create rain shadows where one side of mountain receives most of the precipitation and the other side very little. height above sea level (altitude) Air temperature is cooler at higher altitudes.