I. Climate and vegetation

• Most of the region lies between Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn

A. Tropical Regions

• This climate and vegetation dominate southern Mexico, eastern Central America, Caribbean Islands, and parts of South America

• Hot temp. and lots of rain year round

B. The Rainforests

• Wet tropical areas – dense cover of rainforests

• Includes tropical hardwoods, palms, tree ferns, and bamboos

• broad leafed and needle leafed evergreen trees

• Creates a canopy – a continuous layer of leaves

• Amazon Basin covers largest rainforest, 1/3 of South America

• Months of heavy rains during June and July leads to severe flooding of the Amazon R.

• Normally 1 to 6 mi. across,

-reaches up to 30 mi. during flooding

•Habitat for many reptiles…

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Buberel_cayman_3.jpg

• Anaconda

  

C. Tropical Savanna

• Located in SW Mexico and Caribbean Is., and north central South America

• Hot temp. and lots of rain but also has dry seasons

• Vast grasslands like the Llanos in Columbia and Venezuela

D. Humid Subtropics

• Much of SE South America – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to the pampas of Argentina and Uruguay

• Winters: short, mild• Summers: long, hot, humid

• Mainly short grasses and few trees.

• Europeans grazed cattle on ranches. Overgrazing left short clumps of grass and dust storms sweep the nation.

E. Desert and Steppe Areas

• Northern Mexico, coastal Peru and Chile

• Rain Shadow Effect of the Andes produced the Atamaca Desert – no rainfall ever recorded

• Northern Mexico, NE Brazil, and south central South America – receive little rainfall, but are steppe climates with hot summers, cool winters and light rainfall.

II. Elevation and Climate

• Climate varies due to elevation

• Tierra caliente – hot land between sea level and 2500 ft. Temp. 68 to 91 and rainforests

• Crops: bananas, sugar, rice, cacao

• Tierra templada – temperate between 2500 ft and 6500 ft. Temp. 60 to 72

• Broad-leafed evergreen trees lower level• Needle-leafed cone bearing trees at

upper level• Most densely populated of all 3 zones

and has coffee and corn as main crops

• Tierra fria – cold land, 6500 to 10000 ft. Temp. frost common during winter

• Crops: potatoes and barley grow well.