CLIMATE REGIONS

Found near low latitudes—tropical rain forests and tropical savanna Hot and wet year round with an average temperature of 80° Yearly rainfall of 80 inches Very Lush vegetation grows thick and tall—forms a canopy Wildlife is also abundant in rain forest Tropical Savanna climates have dry winters and wet summers. Few trees and found in Africa, Central and South America, Asia, and Australia

Dry Climates  Desert  Sparse plant life and yearly rainfall seldom exceeds 10 inches  Desert climates occur in just under 1/3 of earth’s total land area—Sahara covers 1/3 of Africa  Vegetation is scattered scrub and cactus  Steppe  Largely treeless area bordering deserts  Rainfall is about inches  Steppe found in eastern Europe and western and central Asia, also found in North America, South America, Africa, and Australia

Steppe climate region in Mongolia

Mid-Latitude Climates  Variable weather patterns and seasonal changes— variety of natural vegetation  Marine west coast climate  Pacific coast of North America, much of Europe, parts of South America, Africa, Australia  Cool summers and damp winters  Abundant rainfall—coniferous and deciduous trees  Mediterranean—lands surrounding Med. Sea, parts of Southern California, and southern Australia  Mild, rainy winters and hot, sunny summers  Vegetation includes chaparral—thickets of woody bushes and short trees

Marine West Coast Mediterranean Climate

Mid-Latitude Continued…  Humid subtropical  Found in southeastern U.S. and southeastern parts of South America and Asia  Short, mild winters and nearly year-round rainfall  High humidity due to proximity to ocean  Vegetation is prairies, grassland, and forests of evergreen and deciduous trees  Humid continental climate  Severe snowy winters and shorter cooler summers  Lots of evergreens  Northern Hemisphere—inland locations—not affected by ocean winds

High Latitude Climates  Freezing temperature—lack of direct sunlight  Subarctic—winters are bitterly cold, summers are short and cool  Permafrost—frozen soil can only support some needled evergreens  Tundra—darkness and bitterly cold last half the year, and have constant summer light, but little heat  Lie in the far north of Northern hemisphere  Tundra vegetation is limited to bushes, grass, mosses and liechen

Subarctic

Highlands Climate Region  Climate determined by elevation  The atmosphere is thin due to rise in elevation  The higher, the cooler it gets  Natural vegetation varies with elevation, but usually has mixed forests at bases of mountains, with small trees or bushes and wildflowers line the mountainside