Earth’s Natural Vegetation

Kinds of vegetation SHAPE Trees Shrubs Herbaceous Mosses Lichens Aquatic plants Forbs, herbs Grasses Ferns Epiphytes Emergent Floating Submerged Algae 自然科学の英語-ENS-L3

World Vegetation Zones In general, you can break the world’s Vegetation zones into 6 major types Desert Tundra Grasslands Shrubland Savanna - woodland Forests We are going to define these 6

Iceage Greenhouse 自然科学の英語-ENS-L3

1. Deserts Rainfall: < 250 mm Temperature: -5 to >30 oC Vegetation type: grasses, forbs, shrubs Types: cold (mountain); hot Area: 20.5% of earth’s surface

2. Tundra Rainfall: < 1000 mm Temperature: -15 to -5 oC Vegetation type: mosses, lichens, grasses, shrubs Types: arctic (N pole); alpine (mountains) Area: 17% of earth’s surface

3. Grassland Rainfall: 250-600 mm Temperature: 2.5 to 15 oC Vegetation type: grasses + forbs = pasture Types: steppe (short); prairie; tropical (tall) Area: 8.2% of earth’s surface

4. Shrubland Rainfall: 250-600 mm Temperature: 2.5 to 30 oC Vegetation type: shrubs, grasses, forbs Types: Mediterranean; temperate; montane; tropical; scrubland (short) Area: 3% of earth’s surface 2006 自然科学の英語-ENS-L3

5. Savanna Rainfall: 600-1500 mm Temperature: 5 to 30 oC Vegetation type: trees, shrubs, grasses, forbs Types: woodland (temperate); tropical Area: 17% of earth’s surface 2006 自然科学の英語-ENS-L3

6. Forest Rainfall: 600-4500 mm Temperature: > -5 oC Vegetation: all types Types: taiga; temperate; subtropical; tropical evergreen (perennial); deciduous; mangroves Area: 21% of earth’s surface 2006 自然科学の英語-ENS-L3

Agro-ecosystems Ecosystems that produce for human consumption Area: 11% of earth’s total land area Two types: cropland (40%); grazing land (rangeland, 60%)

Vegetation zone transition cold warm Polar icecap Tundra Boreal forest (conifers, mixed) Temperate forest (deciduous) Mediterranean forest (evergreen) Shrubland Desert Savanna/grassland Tropical forest

Answer these questions based on pages 24-25 in the Atlas Define ‘natural vegetation’ What causes large changes in vegetation around the world? What is the difference between deciduous & coniferous trees? How is vegetation connected to human life? What examples does the atlas list of humans activities affecting natural vegetation? How is vegetation connected to climate? Provide examples

Planet Earth- The Great Plains Season 1, episode 7 (48:52)