CLIMATES, VEGETATION AND BIOCLIMATES.

The climate and climatic zone.

The combination of the temperature, precipitation, amospheric pressure and wind creates the different climatic zones. A climatic zone is a division of the climate of the Earth according to average temperatures and average rainfall (precipitation level). We can distinguish the following climatic zones:

• Torrid zone, which includes the equatorial and tropical climates.
• The northern and southern temperate zones, which includes the mediterranean, oceanic and continental climates.
• The northern and southern frigid zones which includes the polar climates.

Also appear azonal climates that can be found in different regions: deserts and mountains.

Vegetation and biosphere.

Vegetation: is the entire range of plant life in an área. It is a part of the biosphere.

Biosphere: is the combination of all living beings on the planet and the enviroment they live in. It is formed by the troposphere, the Hydrosphere and the litosphere.
The main characteristic of the biosphere is its enormous diversity of plant and animal species (biodiversity). Plants are organised in vegetal formations.
A vegetal formation is the combination of plants in a región that are similar in size of characteristics. We can distinguish three types of vegetal formations:

• Forest areas are formed by trees. A tree is a plant which has a clearly defined trunk and is tall (usually more than 8 metres of height).
• Scrubland consist of bushes. Bushes are smaller than trees and have not trunk. Its branches divide at ground level.
• Grasslands consists of grasses.

Black Forest, Germany.

Scrubland. Death Valley, California.

Grasslands, Inner Mongolia.

The distribution of the vegetation is conditioned by numerous factors:

• the relief
• the soil
• the climate (humidity, light, temperatura and wind).

The Earth's bioclimates.

Earth is divided in several bioclimatic enviorments or bioclimates. A bioclimate is a extensive región characterised by its own climatic features and vegetation. We can distinguish three major bioclimates:

• the torrid bioclimate.
• the temperate bioclimate.
• the frigid bioclimate.

ACTIVITES:

You can find the solutions here.

3. Identify the following elements in this weather map: anticyclones, depressions, isobars, fronts.

4. Identify the elements highlighted in the map and answer these questions:

a). How is going to be the weather in the zone surrounded by a circle: sunny, cloudy? Is going to rain? Explain why.

b) What does mean the numbers that appear in the lines of the map?

5. Review game.

With an A	A device use to measure the speed of the wind.
With a B	a extensive región characterised by its own climatic features and vegetation.
With a C	science which study the various types of climate.
With a D	An area of low atmospheric pressure
With an E	vegetation (trees and shrubs) that retain their leaves all the year around.
With an F	areas o contact between two air massess with different characteristics
With a G	A vegetal fomartion composed of grass.
With a H	Area of contact between two air masses in which a depression advances upon a anticyclone. It is represented with a red line with semicircles.
With an I	lines that connect all the points with the same temperature
With  a I	A factor that explain why the average temperature in the Alps is lower than in the Great European plain.
With an L	Factor that explain why the average annual temperature in Madrid is higher than in London.
With a M	The coldest layer of the atmosphere.
With an M	A seasonal wind typical of the South East of Asia.
Contains a N	One of the layers of the atmosphere. It is the hottest part of it.
With an O	A gas that protects Earth against the ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.
With a P	Fall of water from the clouds onto the Earth’s surface.
With an R	Precipitation in solid state.
Contains an S	Factor that explains why the average precipitation level in the interior of the Peninsula Iberica is lower than in the coast.
With a T	The layer of the atmosphere located next to the Earth Surface. Is a part of the biosphere
With a T	A climatic zone characterized by high precipitation levels and high average temperatures.
Contains an X	The most exterior layer of the atmosphere.
With a Y	Imaginary lines that connect all the poinst with the same atmospheric pressure.
With a W	Device use to determine the direction of the wind.