Climate, Vegetation, and Landforms

Definitions

Climate is the average weather of a place over many years Geographers discuss five broad types of climates

ú Moderate, dry, tropical, continental, polar

Vegetation: plants that grow naturally within a climate region

Landform: an area of the Earth’s surface with a definite shape

Michigan Vegetation

Climate Regions

Moderate Climate

Found in the middle latitudes, this climate has moderate rainfall, temperatures that rarely fall below freezing, and varied vegetation.

Moderate Climate

Forests include deciduous trees (trees that lose their leaves in fall), shrubs, low bushes, wildflowers, and a variety of grasses.

Dry Climate

A dry, hot climate with little rain and sandy, gravelly soil.

Dry Climate

Vegetation is sparse and plant roots are shallow to absorb water before it evaporates.

Dry Climate

Some plants have small leaves, which lose little moisture.

Tropical Climate

Found in the low latitudes, this climate is hot, wet, and sunny.

Tropical Climate

The vegetation is tropical rain forest with thousands of kinds of plants.

Tropical Climate

Trees grow to 130 feet (40 meters). Other trees, vines, and ferns grow in their shade.

Continental Climate

Summer temperatures are moderate to hot; winters are cold.

Continental Climate

Vegetation includes grasslands and forests.

Continental Climate

Large deciduous forests occur where temperatures are moderate, while colder regions have coniferous trees (trees with needles and cones). Deciduous means the dropping of a part that is no longer needed. For example, deciduous trees or shrubs lose their leaves seasonally. They may also shed petals after flowering or fruit when ripe.

Polar Climate

This climate is found in the high latitudes and is cold all year

Polar Climate

Vegetation includes low shrubs, mosses, and lichens (plants that grow on rocks). There are no trees and few flowering plants.

Landforms Created by Water

Landforms Created by Water

River: A large natural stream of water emptying into an ocean, lake, or other body of water Ecosystem: aquatic plants, fish, birds, beavers

ú An ecosystem is a collection of living things (plants, animals, and their environment) and the environment in which they live

Landforms Created by Water

River delta: deposit of clay, silt, and sand formed at the mouth of a river

Landforms Created by Water

Lakes: an inland/enclosed body of water Ecosystem: aquatic plants, fish, frogs, ducks

Landforms Created by Water

Waterfall: a steep drop of the water of a river

Landforms Created by Water

Beach: the shore of a body of water Ecosystem : microscopic algae, insects

ú Algae is a flowerless plant with an extremely simple structure. It is usually green, but in the seaweeds it is often beautifully colored

Landforms Created by Water

Bay: a body of water partly enclosed by land but having a wide outlet to the sea Ecosystem: varies based on location

Landforms Created by Water

Peninsula: a piece of land connected to a larger landmass and surrounded on three sides by water Ecosystem: varies based on location

Landforms Created by Water

Island: a piece of land surrounded entirely by water Ecosystem: varies based on location

Landforms Created by Wind

Landforms Created by Wind

Desert: a dry, often sandy region of little rainfall, extreme temperatures, and sparse vegetation Ecosystem: shrubs, Prickly Pears, cacti, kangaroo coyote, lizards

Landforms Created by Wind

Sand Dunes: a hill or ridge of sand deposited by wind

Plains and Tundra

Plains and Tundra

Plain: a large area of flat or gently rolling land

Plains and Tundra

Tundra: a vast treeless plain in the arctic regions between the ice cap and the tree line

Volcanic Landforms

Volcanic Landforms

Volcanoes: an opening in the earth's crust through which molten lava, ash, and gases are ejected

Volcanic Landforms

Caldera: a large crater formed by volcanic explosion or by collapse of a volcanic cone Crater Lake: a lake of southwest Oregon in a volcanic crater

Volcanic Landforms

Geyser: hot spring from which water and steam are ejected periodically

Mountainous Landforms

Mountainous Landforms

Mountain: a landform with steep sides that rises more than 2,000 feet above sea level

Mountainous Landforms

Mountain range: a single line of connected mountains

Mountainous Landforms

Plateau: a large, mostly flat area that rises above the surrounding land

Mountainous Landforms

Valley: a long depression in the land between ranges of mountains, hills, or other uplands

Mountain Ecosystems

If you climb from base to peak of a big mountain, you will pass through a number of different types of plant community.

Mountain Ecosystems

The foothills may be covered in broadleaved forests

Mountain Ecosystems

Higher up, coniferous trees like spruce and pines appear.

Mountain Ecosystems

As you climb higher it gets colder and colder and the trees eventually thin out and disappear. The highest parts of the mountain support only sparse grasses and low­growing alpine flowers. ú If the mountain is high enough even this vegetation disappears and the peak is bare and rocky and perhaps covered in snow and ice.

Glacial Landforms

Glacial Landforms

Arête: a sharp, narrow mountain ridge or spur

Glacial Landforms

Cirque: a steep­walled semicircular basin in a mountain; may contain a lake

Glacial Landforms

Horn: formed when several glaciers cut into a mountain peak

Time to Work on Your Booklets

Label the Booklet Pages

Label the booklet pages as follows, starting with the smallest (blue) page Landforms Created by Water Landforms Created by Wind Plains and Tundra Volcanic Landforms Mountainous Landforms Glacial Landforms

What to Include on Each Page

Front Side of Each Page Sketch and label the following items:

ú 2 types of landforms ú 2 types of plants living in that ecosystem ú 2 animals living in that ecosystem

Back Side of Each Page Write the name and definition of a climate type that corresponds with that landform