Mesothermal Climates & Biomes Flashcards
What is the symbol for Mesothermal climates?
(C)
How much seasonal variability does the Mesothermal climate have?
- greater seasonal variations than Tropical
- Summers can get just as hot as Tropical but the winters get colder
- seasonal variations are greater than daily (diurnal) variation
- This climate lends itself to human life, agriculture
- Half of the human population lives in Mesothermal climates
What is the seasonality of precipitation in Mesothermal climates?
Cf: no dry season
Cw: dry winter
Cs: dry summer
What is the (Csa)?
Mediterranean
What is the (Cfa)?
Humid Subtropical Hot-Summer
What is the (Cfb)?
Marine West Coast
Humid Subtropical Hot-Summer
(Cfa)
- moist all year long (no dry season)
- humid!
- seasonal temperature variation with rain all year
Describe Midlatitude Broadleaf & Mixed Forests
“Bambi”
- forests in North America, evergreen
- squirrels, deer, bears, wolves, bobcats - mostly hunted off
- likely to be heavily disrupted by humans
- ranges in fertility of soil
Describe Midlatitude Grasslands
- highest fertility soils in the world
- support life on earth
- North America = Prairies
- most modified biomes (ie- humans are here)
- large grazing animals
Humid Sub-tropical Winter-Dry
(Cwa, Cwb)
- dryer winter
- wetter summer
Marine West Coast Climate
(Cfb, Cfc)
- warm ocean currents make for milder winters
- cooler summertime, milder winters due to coastal currents
Describe Temperate Rain Forest
- lush forests at mid and high latitudes
- big tree forests (world’s tallest trees)
- thicker undergrowth
- leached soils
- In North America, only in Pacific NW
Mediterranean
(Csa, Csb)
Csa = Sacramento
-cousin to the Tropical Savanna
-dry summer
-opposite of most of the world (wet winter, dry summer)
-mild winters, warm to hot summers
-naturally occurring, annual summer water shortages
Mediterranean Biome
- seasonal moisture deficits
- summer fires
- adaptable species (short, shrubby plants)
- fertile soils but need irrigation
