1. CHAPTER 2: FORESTS AND THE ASIAN CLIMATE

2. The Climates of Asia
The width and span of Asia means that it experiences a variety of climates at the same time. This chapter will be discussing the following climates:
Tropical climate
Temperate climate
Desert climate
Alpine climate
Mediterranean
Tundra

3. Tropical Climate
The tropical climate consists of two main types: equatorial climate and monsoon climate. Areas experiencing the equatorial climate are situated closer to the equator (e.g. Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, southern Thailand, Indonesia) while countries slightly north of the equator experience a monsoon climate (e.g. Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Bangladesh).

4. Equatorial Climate Is primarily hot and humid (damp) all year round.
Nights and days are of equal length and there is not a great deal of variance in night and day temperature either.
Constant precipitation (rainfall) all year round with no distinct drought. Rainfall is heaviest at times of the year, e.g Oct-Apr for Kuala Lumpur.

5. Monsoon Climate
Has two distinct seasons: a wet season and a dry season (drought).
Dry season (Oct – May)
Hot and dry. The northeast monsoon winds blowing from land to sea bring only the slightest amount of rain.

6. Monsoon Climate b) Wet season (June – Sept)
The southwest monsoon winds blowing from sea to land bring about the wet season. During the monsoon season, countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, the Philippines and China experience around mm of rainfall from June to September.

7. Temperate Climate
China, South Korea, southern Japan, northern China, northern Turkey, and Taiwan experience a temperate climate.
Summer (April – November)
Summers are hot and humid. The southeast monsoon winds blowing from the Pacific Ocean to land mean that there is some rainfall.

8. Temperate Climate
Rainfall is heaviest from June to September and the average rainfall is around 250 – 1500mm a year. The coastal regions experience the most rainfall compared to the inland regions.

9. Temperate Climate b) Winter (December – February)
Winters are cold and dry. Temperatures can sometimes drop below zero.
The winter droughts are caused by the northwest monsoon winds blowing from the land.

10. Desert Climate
Saudi Arabia, southern Iran, western Pakistan, Yemen, Iraq, and Afghanistan experience this climate. Its primary feature is drought. This occurs because of the monsoon winds blowing from land, which are dry.

11. Hot Desert Climate
Experienced by Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan. There is a wide variance between summer and winter temperatures and night and day temperatures.

12. Temperate Desert Climate
Experienced by Mongolia, northern China, and Kazakhstan. Great variance between winter and summer temperatures.

13. Alpine Climate
Experienced by the Tibetan Plateau and is experienced by areas at a height between 4000m and 8000m.
The temperatures at these areas are a lot lower than those at sea level as temperatures drop at a rate of 6.4 degrees Celcius for every 1000m in elevation.

14. Alpine Climate
Not all mountain tops are tipped with snow. Mountainous areas at sea level do not experience an alpine climate but experience a temperate climate.
Alpine regions only experience minimal rainfall as the mountains block the monsoon winds bringing rain.

15. Temperate Desert Climate
Experienced by Mongolia, northern China, and Kazakhstan. Great variance between winter and summer temperatures.

16. Mediterranean Climate
The Mediterranean Climate is experienced by Lebanon, Israel, Syria, and Turkey.
Summer (April – November)
Summers are hot and dry. Receives only 150mm of rain in summer
b) Winter (December – February)
Winters are only moderately cold. Not a great variance between winter and summer temperatures. Does not receive a lot of rain.

17. Tundra Climate
North Korea, northern China, northern Iran, and northern Mongolia experience the tundra climate. Winters last for at least 8 months and are extremely cold.
Its summers rarely exceed 10 degrees Celcius
Receives about 250mm-300mm of rain each year
Rain will sometimes fall as snow

18. Asian Forests Asia has the following types of forests:
Tropical forests
Temperate forests
Grasslands
Desert forests
Mediterranean forests
Alpine forests

19. Tropical Forests There are two types of tropical forests:
Equatorial forests
Monsoon forests
Equatorial forests may be found at Malaysia, Indonesia, southern Philippines, Sri Lanka, and East Timor. Equatorial forests are evergreen, meaning that leaves do not turn brown and fall off as the temperature drops.

20. Equatorial Forests
Its trees are tall and large and have buttress roots. One of the main features of equatorial forests is the leaf canopy which is formed by the continuous treetops. This means that not much sunlight can get to the forest floor.

22. Monsoon Forests
Monsoon forests may be found in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, northern Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka. They are not as dense as equatorial forests.
During droughts, the trees will shed leaves to save water. Monsoon forests are home to approximately 200 animal species.

23. Temperate Forests
Temperate forests may be found in Taiwan, eastern China, South Korea, southern Japan, and the Deccan Plateau in India. It consists of two main types of forest:
Coniferous forests
Deciduous forests

24. Deciduous Forests
“Deciduous” means that the leaves of the trees turn brown and shed during certain seasons, usually as the temperature gets colder. This occurs so that the trees can save water due to the lack of rain in winter. This process also allows trees to withstand the cold winters. Deciduous trees include the oak, maple, elm, and birch.

25. Coniferous Forests
Coniferous forests may be found in areas that experience more than 6 months of winter. The trees are conical in shape to prevent snow from collecting in the branches and breaking them. The conical shape also allows the trees to withstand strong winds. Their leaves are small and needle-shaped to prevent moisture loss.

26. Grasslands There are two main types of grassland in Asia: Savannah
Steppe
Trees do not usually grow in this area due to the lack of rain and due to the high condensation rate in summer. This means that the area is only able to sustain grass or grass-like plants.

27. Desert Forests
Desert forests may be found in Western Asia, the inlands of China and Mongolia and the Gobi Desert. Due to the extreme temperatures, only plants that able to withstand extended periods of drought are able to survive, e.g. cacti, date palms, etc. Desert plants are usually hollow and have coated leaves to allow them to stock water for extended periods of time. They also have extensive root systems that can search out water sources. Their leaves are small, firm, and needle-shaped to prevent moisture loss.

28. Mediterranean Forests
Mediterranean forests may be found in Lebanon, southern Turkey, western Syria, and northern Iraq. Mediterranean forests are generally sparse and its trees are comparatively short due to the cold and dry climate. Its trees have thick, stubbly trunks and waxy leaves to prevent moisture loss during the dry summers.

29. Alpine Forests
Alpine forests form a natural water catchment area, control river flows, and prevent soil erosion. They may be found in areas higher than 1200m above sea level. Generally speaking, the higher it is, the sparser the forests and the shorter the trees.