Chapter 5 section 3 Europe: Climate and vegetation

• Geography

Climates in Europe

• sea climate
• continental climate
• mediterranean climate
• dry climate
• tundra climate

sea climate

Characteristics: 

• precipitation  all the year round
• moderate temperatures all year round.

Continental climate

► Decreasing influence from the sea =                      decreasing precipitation + bigger                            differences between  summer and winter 

      temperatures. 

      Main characteristic of a continental                        climate: winter temperature between -3              and -10°C.

●   The change from a sea climate to a                           continental climate is gradual.

sea climate

continental climate

The same latitude

Mediterranean climate

• sea climate with warm, dry summers. 
• Occurs in lower latitudes in the south of Europe.

Dry climate

• Regions in Spain and Russiahave a dry climate
• there is hardly any precipitation.

Tundra climate

► Tundra: landscape zone in the polar regions. 

Winter temperature below -10°C. Summer temperature of 10°C is the tree line and the boundary between the continental climate and the tundra climate.

tundra climate

continental climate

Climate and vegetation

There is a relationship

G100 

Landscape zones: from hot to cold

► The Earth 

• large areas of original vegetation (landscape zones). 
• differences between these zones are caused by the climate. 
• G101 - G104 are about the differences caused by temperature.

The deciduous forest belt

Temperate zone:

• clear difference in temperature between summer and winter
• The temperature in summer is essential for trees. 
• They need an average of more than 10°C in the summer 
• Wintertemperature: not colder than −3°C.
• Subtopics - Meditarrenean vegetation. They can withstand extreme heat and drought.

The coniferous forest belt (taiga)

• nearly only conifers grow.
• They can withstand average temperature in winter is lower than −3°C.
• The average summer temperature be  higher than 10°C. 
• No sharp boundary between the taiga and deciduous forest belt. 
• Where deciduous and coniferous trees grow together - heterogeneous forest belt.

The tundra

• Trees can't grow if the average summer temperature is less than 10°C.
• tree line, in the treeless tundra. 
• Winters are long. 
• Short summer with grasses, moss and low bushes.
  
• Marshy  in summer - meltwater hardly evaporates and it cannot sink through the permafrost (frozen ground). 
• No sharp boundary between the tundra and taiga. 

Temperature in winter on average no colder than -3 degrees.

1. Deciduous Forest
2. Coniferous Forest

1. The tundra biome is found at a very high latitude
2. The tundra biome is found at a very high altitude
3. The tundra biome is found at a very low latitude
4. The tundra biome is found at a very low altitude

1. Coniferous forest
2. Deciduous forest
3. Tropical rainforest
4. Steppe

Taiga is found at ...

1. a lower altitude than tundra
2. a higher altitude than tundra
3. a lower latitude than tundra
4. a higher latitude than tundra

1. Steppe
2. Cold desert
3. Temperate forest
4. Tundra

Cold climates can be found at...

1. High altitude
2. High latitude
3. Low altitude
4. Low latitude