WORLD CLIMATE NOTES

A. Tropical Rain Forest

- hot/wet throughout the year rains almost daily
- vegetation/tall trees/dense layers
- low latitude long the equator of South America, Africa, and SE Asia
- monkey, exotic birds, and reptiles

B. Tropical Savanna
- dry winters/wet summers/high temperatures
- usually borders tropical rain forests
- vegetation thick forest/tall grasses
- low latitudes South America, Africa
- giraffe, antelope, big game animals

C. Desert
- dry extremely hot days/very
cool nights
- sparse vegetation cactus/
scrub bushes
 - near boundary of low and middle latitudes

D. Steppe
- usually borders deserts
- Bushes/short grasses
- Rainfall 20 inches or less
- Transition zone between humid
and arid climates
- great Plain of the United
States/ grasslands of the USSR
- supports livestock

E. Marine West Coast

- located on the west coasts of continents
- middle and high latitudes
poleward of Mediterranean
climates
- cool summers/mild winters
- NW coast of North America,
NW Europe, S. Chile

F. Mediterranean
- mild rainy winters/hot dryer summers
- coastal climate
- Chaparral vegetation low bushes/trees
- on the west side of continents
in lower and middle latitudes
- Central Chile, Southern
Europe, and S. Carolina
G. Humid Subtropical
- South and eastern parts of continents in the northern hemisphere
- Lower/middle latitude SE United States, NE Argentina, E China, SE Australia
- High humidity due to ocean
factors
- Vegetation mixed
forest/grassland/prairie

H. Humid Continental
- Inland climate and east side of continents
- Upper middle latitudes
- NE United States and Canada,
west USSR, NE China, and
Korea
- Greatest temperature range
hot summers/cool winters to
cool summers/severe winters
- Vegetation grassland/prairie
and evergreen forest

I. Subarctic
- Severe winters/cool summers
(no direct rays of the sun)
- Evergreen forest
- High latitudes
- South of the Arctic circle in
Alaska, Canada,
Scandinavia, and USSR

J. Tundra
- Severe winters/cool to cold summers
- High latitudes
- Little vegetation short grasses, shallow rooting plants
 - Permafrost frozen subsoil melts abut a food in summer/slushy
- North of the Arctic Circle in
Alaska, Canada,
Scandinavia, and USSR

K. Ice Cap
- Average temperature below 0
- High latitude poles
- Vegetation only what
can grow on rocks
- Supports little life