World climates and the corresponding vegetation types:

We look at two climate types and the corresponding vegetation types:

CLIMATE TYPE VEGETATION TYPE
1) Equatorial climate 1)Tropical Rainforest Vegetation

2) Hot Desert Climate 2) Hot Desert Vegetation

Equatorial climate

Where found: found in the lowland areas alongside the equator

between 100 N and 100S of the equator.

A simple climate graph can be used to show the climate of an Equatorial

Climate.
A climate graph is a special graph to show the average temperature in
each month of the year in a certain location, as well as the total amount of
rainfall in each month in that location. The bars represent rainfall and the
line represents temperature.
A climate graph for an Equatorial region in Brazil
Describe and give reasons for/account for the climate characteristics
of the equatorial zone/ Why do equatorial regions have these climatic
conditions?

From this climate graph, you can take the following characteristics of
Equatorial climate.

1. There is a high temperature all year round (280C) … the reason for
this is shown below. Why is it hot??

2. The temperature range is small only varying between 25-28 degrees

Celsius- due to heavy cloud cover that traps heat and prevents
 nights from being too cold, neither does it get too hot in the day
as clouds reflect back the sun's rays.

3. Rainfall is high every month, with highest monthly rainfall reaching

300mm – Because of the heat, air is heated and rises in
convection currents to cause heavy convectional rains in the
afternoon.

4. There are no seasons in an equatorial region, it is hot all year round-

Due to the fact that the sun is almost overhead at the equator
throughout the year.

5. There is usually high cloud cover and high humidity. - Due to high
temps that cause lots of evaporation
TROPICAL RAINFOREST VEGETATION

This is the vegetation type that is found in the equatorial climate zone.

Specific examples:

Amazon rainforest - South America and mainly in Brazil

The Congo Rainforest - Central Africa

South Eastern Asia – In Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand e.g. Borneo.

LOCATION:

They are located near the equator, between the tropic of

cancer(231/20N) and the tropic of Capricorn (23 1/20S.
What is the tropical rainforest like inside?
Each layer has its own characteristics and wildlife
 How is the vegetation adapted to live in the tropical rainforest?
/characteristics of TRFs?

Characteristic/adaptation Why/Reason

When it rains in the rainforest it really

rains! Drip tip leaves help to get rid of
water quickly since leaves would get
damaged.
1) Drip tip leaves

have buttress roots like these above the

ground. They are wide and go for many
meters on the surface to support the tall,
heavy trees.
2) Buttress Roots
These are climbing plants that grow
on other trees. This liana is a
snake-like plant which uses the large
trees as a support to reach the
3) Lianas sunlight.

4) Tall straight trunks which are coz the trees are so closely packed
branchless at the lower levels that each has to grow fast in
competition for sunlight.

5) Trees are evergreen because of the warm wet climate

throughout the year which brings a
continuous growing season

6) The tropical rainforest is This is coz the hot, wet climate is

very bio-diverse- the trees occur suitable for most species the grow
in mixed stands - meaning it has
a lot of different species of
plants.
7) Little or no undergrowth Since they form a continuous canopy
that hinders sunlight from reaching
the floor of the forest

8) Very wide leaves/broad leaved -To maximize photosynthesis due to

frequent cloud cover and competition
from trees of other plants

9. Thin, smooth bark. Since lack of water is not a concern in

the high humidity of tropical
rainforests.

The smoothness of the bark may also

make it difficult for other plants to
grow on their surface.

10. Have shallow, widespread They help to get nutrients from the top
roots. layer of soil as it is only here that the
soil is fertile.

7) Little or no undergrowth on the floor of the forest- coz its dark as the
canopies prevent sunlight from reaching here.

Global Deforestation of the rainforests

Deforestation means the removal of trees. It is happening at an alarming

rate. It is estimated that an area of rainforest about the size of a football
pitch is destroyed each second.

Causes of deforestation globally

Logging- Commercial logging companies cut down trees for timber.

Farming Land is cleared (e.g. by slash and burn) and planted with cash
crops such as palm oil or for grazing by cattle ranchers.

Mining -Of minerals like gold, diamond

Road building Loggers and miners build roads to get their materials out.
The Trans-Amazonian Highway in South America is 5,300 km.

Settlement Land is being cleared for new homes and settlements. There is
more need for these in countries with increasing populations.

Dam building Hydro-electric dams built to provide energy also result in

deforestation.

Fuelwood Many people rely on wood for their main source of fuel,
particularly in developing countries.

Problems caused by deforestation globally

● Less plant and animal species - biodiversity.

● Loss of habitats - places for animals to live.
● Loss of sources of medicine.
● Soil erosion- No more tree roots to hold soil particles together
● Loss of soil nutrients so soil becomes infertile as there is no more
leaf litter for manure.
● Increased flooding risk of rivers and coasts.
● Global warming and rising sea levels - burning trees releases
greenhouse gases which add to global warming. Trees take in
carbon dioxide and reduce the effects of global warming.

What can be done to protect tropical forests?

● Selective logging - only some trees cut down.

● Using horses or helicopters to drag or fly selected logs out.
● Replanting trees.
● Environmental laws which make logging illegal, though this is hard to
police.
 ● Setting up national parks and nature reserves.
● Encouraging ecotourism.
● Encourage people to stop buying tropical hardwood.
● Helping poorer countries develop - so they don't have to use
rainforest resources unsustainably.

A case study: Deforestation in Borneo’s Rainforests- Causes, effects

and management

Borneo’s rainforests have been cut down for various reasons and over the
last 20 years the forest cover across Borneo has been reduced from 73.7%
to 44.4%
The causes of the destruction in Borneo (why have they been cut
down)

1. Source for tropical timber - trees are cut down and often used for
furniture production
2. Growth of oil palm plantations in response to global demand for
palm oil, the most important tropical vegetable oil in the global oils
industry. . About half of all presently oil palm plantations (over 6
million ha) were established in areas in Malaysia and Indonesia.
3. Agriculture- Forest areas are cleared for agriculture and then later
left to rejuvenate, although this will only regrow as secondary
rainforest
4. Road construction to open up areas of the forest for communication
or timber and palm oil industries.

The effects this destruction has had (on people, animals etc) in
Borneo
1) Large mammals such as Orang-utans and elephants are affected as
they need vast areas as their migration routes.

2) Road construction has opened up the forest to poachers who illegally

take wildlife such as Orang-utans

3) When left undisturbed, Borneo’s natural forests are not usually prone to
fires. But as forests are opened up by humans, they dry out and are
increasingly susceptible to fires, which among other problems cause
dangerous atmospheric haze.

4) Fire and haze produce many adverse effects ranging from impacts on
human health, short and long-term medical treatment costs and losses in
tourism.
5) Deforestation and forest degradation account for up to 20 per cent of
global man-made CO2 emissions.

What is being done about the problem in Borneo?- Management

Legislation In February 2007, the governments of Brunei, Malaysia, and

Indonesia agreed to protect roughly 220,000 square kilometres of tropical
forest in the so-called “Heart of Borneo”.

Environmental group WWF helped establish this protected area.

 HOT TROPICAL DESERT CLIMATE
A desert is an area that is very dry. An area must have less than 250mm of
precipitation in one year to be called a desert climate

Deserts are dry or arid areas that receive less than 250 mm of rain each year.
Deserts can be hot or cold. They contain plants and animals that are specially
adapted to these extremely dry conditions.

Where do you find hot tropical deserts?

We are focusing on Hot Tropical Deserts only in this topic
Most hot deserts are found between 15-30° north and south of the equator.

What causes deserts to form? /Reasons why deserts have very low
rainfall
1. They occur in zones of high atmospheric pressure where the air sinks. Air at the
equator rises and cools - then forms rain. This air then moves north and south until it
gets to about 30° north and south of the equator, where it sinks. This air is dry and
sinking, so cannot form rain.
2. Cold ocean currents Some deserts are found on the western coasts of continents,
which have cold ocean currents. Here, the moist wind blowing towards the land is cooled
by the cold air over the ocean, so most rain falls in the ocean before it reaches the land,
e.g. the Namib Desert in Africa.
3. Some deserts form in the rain shadow of mountains, e.g. the Atacama Desert is located
in the rain shadow of the Andes. Air is forced to rise over mountains, air cools and
condensation occurs, rain falls on the windward side, dry air sinks down the other side of
the mountain.
4. Some deserts form in areas that lie at great distances from the sea. The air here is
much drier than on the coast.

What are the characteristics of hot desert climates and why

 1. Hot deserts have very low rainfall-less than 250mm of rainfall a year-
due to the 4 reasons above.
2. Rainfall falls in quick , short bursts irregularly and leads to flash
floods.
3. They have very hot days due to the lack of clouds which would
reflect some of the rays and very cold nights due to the lack of
clouds to keep heat in. They therefore have a high daily range and
high annual range of temperature.
4. Warm, dry wind can causes sandstorms
5. There is very low humidity as there is hardly any rain

HOT DESERT VEGETATION

How is plant life adapted to live in the hot desert climate?

What are the characteristics of desert vegetation that help plants to
survive in extreme conditions?
The vegetation in the hot desert is adapted to survive in dry, hot conditions.
So most of these adaptations help the plants to conserve the little water
that it has.
Look at the adaptations of a Saguaro cactus. Consider why each
adaptation is needed in a hot desert.

Saguaro Cactus

Summary of desert vegetation adaptations/characteristics

 ● thick, waxy skin- to reduce loss of water and to reflect heat
● large, fleshy stems -to store water
● thorns and thin, spiky or glossy leaves -to reduce water loss
● spikes protect cacti from animals wishing to use stored water
● deep roots-to tap groundwater
● long shallow roots which spread over a wide area
● plants lie dormant for years until rain falls

N/B When explaining these adaptations in the exam, you must explain
them and link them to the desert environment to get A* grades!

For example…

A cactus has a shallow, far spreading root system because when rainfall
does come to a hot desert, it is often evaporated before it has a chance to
soak deep into the ground. So plants need to get as much water as
possible from the top of the soil surface.

CASE STUDY: Weather hazards- Drought and desertification in the

Sahel
A drought is a longer than usual period of dry weather. Droughts occur
when rain doesn’t fall when it is expected.
The Sahel Region of Africa has suffered with drought for several years, and
this is leading to another problem called desertification.
Desertification is the process of land turning to desert
Where is the Sahel?