1. Climate Zones and Vegetation
Chapter 2 Section 3

2. 5 Types of Climate Zones
Tropical
Mid Latitude
High Latitude
Dry
Highland

4. Tropical Climates

5. The tropics

6. Tropical Climates
Tropical Climates range from ______ to ______? (low latitude)
If you like _________ weather you would love to live in a tropical climate.
There are two types of tropical climates
Tropical Rain Forest Climate
Tropical Savanna Climate

7. Tropical Rain Forest Climate
Year round rainfall – produce lush vegetation which is home to millions of plants and animals.
The trees form a canopy over the land allowing very little sunlight to actually reach the forest floor. (Mahogany, teak, ebony)
The Amazon Basin in ________ ______________ is the largest rain forest region.

8. Canopy Trees
Ebony
Mahogany
Teak

9. Tropical Rain Forest

10. Tropical Savanna Climate
Savannas – broad grasslands with few trees
Rainfall occurs only a few months out of a year.
Wet Season – Few months out of the year when it does rain on the tropical savanna.
The rest of the year is hot and dry

11. Savannas

12. What’s the Difference
Rainforest climates – remain wet most of the year.
Have a lot of vegetation
Savanna Climates – have a distinct wet and dry season.
Have minimal vegetation with very few trees.

13. Tropical Climate Zones Location
Tropical Rain Forest:
South America
Africa
Asia
Tropical Savanna:
South America
Africa
Asia

14. Tropical Climates
Tropical Climates especially the rain forests are home to more than half of our world’s plant and animal species.
Rain forests in the tropical climates are very important to our water cycle because they? ____________________________________________________________________

15. Various other plants and animals species of Tropical Climates
toucan
Sloth
Venus Fly Trap
Poison
Arrow Frog
Bromeliads

16. Where are the tropical climate zones found?
Note-Taking Check
Where are the tropical climate zones found?

17. Mid – Latitude Climates

18. Mid-Latitude Climates
Also known as a moderate climate
Found in the “middle” between ___________degrees N or S latitude, and ___________ degrees N or S Latitude from the equator
The majority of the world’s people live within this climate region.

19. Mid-Latitude Climate
This region has the most climate zones and regions within it than any other.
Why? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

20. The Breakdown of the Mid-latitude Climate Zone
1. Marine West Coast Climate
2. Mediterranean Climate
3. Humid Continental Climate
4. Humid Subtropical Climate

21. Marine West Coast Climate
Found on:
The western coast of the United States
Europe – England
Australia – South East
What it is:
An area that receives winds from the ocean

22. Marine West Coast Climate
What is it like:
Winters: rainy and mild
Summers: Cool
You would probably see a lot of _____________ which supports the growth of deciduous trees (those that lose their leaves in the fall) or Coniferous forests (cones and needles)

23. Marine West Coast Climate
Deciduous
Coniferous

24. Marine West Coast Climate

25. Mediterranean Climate
Another mid-latitude climate zone
Has mild, rainy winters (much like the marine west coast climate)
It has hot, dry summers
Vegetation include:
Chaparral
Shrubs
Short trees

26. Vegetation: Mediterranean Climate
chaparral

27. Humid Continental Climate
Another Mid-Latitude Climate
If you live in the inland areas of North America, Europe, or Asia this is the type of climate you may have.
Winters can be __________, ___________, ________________(think of Chicago)
Summers are normally _____________ and very _____________.

28. Humid Continental Climate: Vegetation
You will probably find deciduous trees ( just like where?)
Also vast grasslands may flourish
Where in the United States might you find this type of area?

29. Humid Continental Climate

30. Humid Subtropical Climate
Yet another type of mid-latitude climate
These regions are close to the _________________
Rain falls throughout the year, but the heaviest rain will come during this season? ___________________
The winters here are generally mild and short

31. Humid Subtropical Climate: Vegetation
Oaks
Magnolias
Palms

32. Humid Subtropical Climate

33. High Latitude Climates

34. High Latitude Climate
These climates usually are mainly in the high latitudes of each hemisphere ( the circles) ranging from ______ degrees to __________ degrees
Generally these climates are very cold but some are more severe than others.
There are three types of high latitude climates
Subarctic
Tundra
Ice cap

35. Subarctic Climate
This is the section closest to the mid latitude zones ( closest to 60 degrees)
There are very few people who live here
The climate is very cold and bitter in the winter
The summer can see temperatures rising above freezing

36. Subarctic vegetation
Taiga – Huge evergreen forests

37. Taiga

38. Tundra Closer to the Poles than the subarctic
Tundra – cold and dry weather
The Tundra is so cold that parts of the soil stay frozen permanently – Permafrost
Only the few top layers of the soil thaw during the summer months.
This thawed soil turns marshy in the summer giving the plants the nutrients they need to live.

39. Tundra Vegetation
There are no trees that grow in the tundra because it is too cold for their roots to set up in the ground
There are however sturdy grasses and low bushes that grow

40. Tundra

41. Ice Cap Climate Antarctica and Greenland
Monthly temperatures average in Antarctica is -128 degrees
No vegetation grows here however some mosses and fungi can grow.

42. Ice Cap Climate

43. Ice Cap

44. Ice Cap

45. What are the three types of high latitude climates?
Note-taking Check
What are the three types of high latitude climates?

46. Dry Climates

47. Dry Climates Dry or partially dry areas that receive little or no rain
Temperatures can be really hot during the day and extremely cold in the night.
Dry climates can be found at any latitude.
There are two types of dry climates
Desert Climate
Steppe Climate

48. Desert Climate Receive less than 10 inches of rainfall per year
Only scattered plants such as shrubs and ____________ can grow here.
____________ can collect any rain that falls because their roots are close to the surface.
If irrigation is available some types of crops can also be grown.

49. Desert Vegetation

50. Desert

51. Steppe Climate Surrounding a desert Partly dry grasslands and prairies
Means “treeless plain”
Rain averages inches per year
Vegetation include bushes and short grasses
An Example in the U.S. is ________________________

52. Where are steppe climate zones often located?
Note-taking Check
Where are steppe climate zones often located?

53. Highland Climate

54. Highland Climate Cool or cold temperatures year round.
TIMBERLINE – the elevation when above it trees can grow only small shrubs and bushes.

55. Timberline

56. Note-taking Check
What is the timberline?