2. Chapter 9: From the Andes to the Amazon
Section 2: Climate and Vegetation

3. Today’s preview Chapter 9, Section 2
Lecture
Climate comparisons
Rain Forest vegetation
Post-test
Closure

4. Objectives By the end of class today, you should be able to:
Describe the climate and vegetation of Latin America
Identify the characteristics of a tropical climate zone
Identify the characteristics of a dry climate zone
Identify the characteristics of a mid-latitude climate zone

5. A. Dry B. Savanna C. Semiarid D. Climate E. Rain Forest
Pretest Questions: MATCHING!
A. Dry B. Savanna C. Semiarid D. Climate E. Rain Forest
Latin America’s _________ ranges from hot and humid to dry and desert-like.
The hot and rainy weather of the tropical wet climate provides perfect growing conditions for a __________.
Grass-covered plains are often found in a _________ climate.
Tropical and subtropical regions have grasslands called a ___________.
Central America and the Caribbean do not have _______ climate zones.
1. D
2. E
3. C
4. B
5. A

6. Climate & Vegetation Climate varies greatly Vegetation differences
Hot and humid
Dry deserts
Rain forest, desert, savannas too!
Vegetation differences
Rain forests, grasslands, desert scrub, tundra
What might some causes be for the variations of climate or vegetation? Causes: Latin America covers a lot of latitudes. Dramatic changes in elevation (high level of RELIEF). Warm currents of the Atlantic and cold currents of the Pacific blow across the continent.
HAVE EVERYONE GET AN ATLAS!
Variation is a result of several causes

7. 3 Climate Zones Tropical Dry Mid-Latitude
Hand out accompanying graphic organizer.

8. World Climates
Also see Atlas page 22

9. Tropical Climate Types
Two basic types
Tropical wet climate
Tropical wet & dry climate
MARK THESE ITEMS ON YOUR GRAPHIC ORGANIZER IN THE Tropical  Climate Types SECTION.
See map on page A6 of the textbook for a world climate map. IF ATLASES ARE AVAILABLE, use p22! See the dotted latitude lines marked “Tropic of Cancer” and “Tropic of Capricorn”? The area between those two lines is generally referred to as “the Tropics”. The climate there is a Tropical climate.

10. Tropical Wet Area is also called the Rain Forest Dense trees
Hot and rainy year around
LIST 4 COUNTRIES
Rain forests are abundant in Central America, the Caribbean and South America. Rain forests are not homogenous, there is large diversity of plants and trees. Largest rain forest in the world is the Amazon rain forest, covering more than 2,000,000 square miles of South America– mostly in Brazil. Scientists have counted more than 2,500 varieties of trees.
What countries have Tropical Wet/Rain Forests? Using Atlas or textbook, list countries.
Central America: PANAMA, COSTA RICA, NICARAGUA, HONDURAS, BELIZE;
South America: COLUMBIA, ECUADOR, PERU, BRAZIL, VENEZUELA, GUYANA, SURINAME, FRENCH GUYANA
I can come up with 11 countries, you have to list 5 of them
Have a unique ecosystem

11. Tropical Wet & Dry Region is also called the Savanna Hot climates
Seasonal rain
LIST 4 COUNTRIES
Seasonal rain is usually in the winter.
Savannas are found in South America. What are Savannas? Grasslands dotted with trees. Found in Brazil, Columbia and Argentina.
Common in tropical and sub-tropical areas
I counted 15 countries, you list 5 of them
What countries have Tropical Wet & Dry/Savannas?
North/Central America: MEXICO, GUATAMALA, EL SALVADOR, NICARAGUA, COSTA RICA;
Caribbean: CUBA, HAITI, DOMENICAN REPUBLIC, JAMAICA;
South America: COLUMBIA, VENEZUELA, GUYANA, PERU, BRAZIL, BOLIVIA

12. Dry Climate Zones Found in Mexico and some of South America
Two kinds of dry climate:
Semi-Arid
Desert
See climate map on A6 of the textbook or 22 in the Atlas!
Neither Central America nor the Caribbean have dry climate zones.

13. Semi-arid type climate
Generally dry with some rain
Grassy plains, maybe some desert shrubs
LIST 2 COUNTRIES
What does “arid” mean? A place is arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water.
Area is also called semi-desert or the steppe. Western Kansas is semi-arid; once referred to as the great Kansas desert until the discovery of the Ogallala Aquifer; it was very hard to grow crops in this region.
Sometimes called “semi-desert”
I counted 4 countries with semi-arid climates, you should list 2
Regions found in Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.

14. Desert type climate Very dry Very little rain
Shrubs growing in gravel or sand
LIST 2 COUNTRIES
Desert areas include northern Mexico and much of the Peruvian coast. Atcama Desert is in northern Chile. Patagonia has a desert as well.
We think of Latin America as desolate country, but there’s actually more desert in the United States than in Latin America.
Various places in Latin America
I counted 4 places in Latin America with desert, you need to list 2.

15. Dry Climate Zones
See how the desert area and semi-arid (or semi-desert) region travels clear up the United States. Semi-arid travels clear up to America’s hat.
Kansas is both semi-arid and (curiously) sub-tropical!

16. Mid-Latitude Climates
Four zones in the Mid-Latitudes:
Humid Subtropical
Mediterranean
Marine West Coast
Highlands
Parse the name: “Mid-Latitudes”. Midway between the equator and and 90 degrees.
Generally south of Rio de Janeiro
Moderate zones

17. Mid-Latitude Climates

18. Humid Subtropical Rainy winters and hot humid summers
Vegetation is varied
LIST 2 COUNTRIES
On the climate map on A6, that is the light green section of Moderate (Rainy Weather)
Parse this name: “Sub-tropical”. What does that tell us about where this zone is mostly located?
Includes parts of Paraguay, Uruguay, southern Brazil, southern Bolivia and northern Argentina
I counted 4 countries with Humid Subtropical, you list 2 of them

19. Mediterranean Hot dry summers and cool moist winters.
Similar to climates in middle or southern California
Vegetation: chaparral and scrub brush
LIST 1 COUNTRY
It is the brown section on A6.
Parse this name: “Mediterranean”. Where is the Mediterranean? It’s nowhere near Latin America. Why do they call that climate a Mediterranean climate then? See the Mediterranean region on the A7– see how it’s all coded brown up there? It is the same kind of climate around the Mediterranean as it is in California and western Chile.
Part of Chile’s west coast is in this zone
Only one country in Latin America in the Mediterranean climate.

20. Chaparral
When this Chaparral shrub reaches maturity, it dries up and the stem cracks. It then blows away and becomes a tumbleweed.

21. Marine West Coast Cool rain winters and mild rainy summers
Similar to Oregon or Washington state
Vegetation: mostly forests
LIST 1 COUNTRY
Parts of southern Chile and Argentina. It is the dark-green section on the tip of South America.
Parse the name: “Marine West Coast”. West coast is a little misleading IMHO, because this climate area shows up on the Eastern tip of Africa and on the eastern edge of Austrailia. But it’s in western Europe and in the western United States, so maybe the term is an American term or a European term? But what does “Marine” mean?
Atlas drops the term “West Coast” and just calls it a Marine climate.
Runs along the coast of southwestern South America in Chile & Argentina
There are 2 countries with a Marine climate, you list 1 of them

22. Marine West Coast
Your desk atlas just uses the term “Marine” and drops the “West Coast” tag.

23. Marine West Coast
See the coastal Northwest– Seattle, Vancouver, Portland– all those cities have the same general climate as parts of Argentina and Chile.

24. Highlands
Highland climate zones vary from moderate to cold, depending on elevation
Other factors: wind, sunlight and landscape
LIST 2 COUNTRIES
The Atlas calls this the Savanna
See the Vertical Climate Zones graph on page See the elevation chart on the left side and corresponding agriculture?
Which zones are most productive for growing crops? The lower zones like Tierra Caliente and Tierra Templada.
What impact might vertical climate zones have on migration and settlement? People would probably settle in lower zones rather than Tierra Fria or Tierra Helada.
What is the tree line at 12,000 feet? What is the Snow Line at 15,000 feet?
Found in the mountains of Mexico and South America. I counted 11 countries, but you only need to list 2 countries.

25. Highlands
REVIEW
Using your desk atlas, where are the mid-latitude climate zones located in Latin America? South of the Equator, from approximately Rio de Janerio in Brazil southward.
Where is the Latin American climate similar to Oregon or Washington State? Southwestern coast of South America, the Marine West Coast.
What is typical vegetation in the Marine West Coast and why so? Forests are predominant in the zone. Plenty of rain with mild temperatures.

26. World Climates Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Tijuana, Mexico
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Montevideo, Uruguay
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Cape Horn, Argentina
Brasilia, Brazil
Georgetown, Guyana
Seattle, WA
Houston, TX
El Paso, TX
Miami, FL
Atlanta, GA
CLIMATE TYPES
Tropical Wet/Rainforest
Tropical Wet & Dry/Savanna
Semi-arid/Steppe
Desert
Mediterranean
Humid Subtropical
Marine
Take out a piece of paper, number 1 thorough 15 for this matching activity. Using the desk atlas, you’re going to look up these 15 cities and see what climate zone in which they fall. You’ll need the climate map on Page 22 and political maps on page 46 & 75, 100 & 104 and 112 & 115, and be flipping back and forth between them. On one page, you’ll find the city. On the other page, you’ll have to approximate that city on the map and determine what climate area in which it falls.
1. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic TROPICAL WET&DRY/SAVANNA
2. Tijuana, Mexico DESERT
3. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico TROPICAL WET&DRY/SAVANNA
4. Port-au-Prince, Haiti TROPICAL WET/RAIN FOREST
5. Buenos Aires, Argentina HUMID SUBTROPICAL
6. Montevideo, Uruguay HUMID SUBTROPICAL
7. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil TROPICAL RAINFOREST
8. Cape Horn, Argentina MARINE
9. Brasilia, Brazil TROPICAL WET&DRY/SAVANNA
10. Georgetown, Guyana TROPICAL WET/RAIN FOREST
11. Seattle, WA MARINE
12. Houston, TX HUMID SUBTROPICAL
13. El Paso, TX DESERT
14. Miami, FL TROPICAL WET&DRY/SAVANNA
15. Atlanta, GA HUMID SUBTROPICAL

27. A. Dry B. Savanna C. Semiarid D. Climate E. Rain Forest
Post-test Questions: MATCHING!
A. Dry B. Savanna C. Semiarid D. Climate E. Rain Forest
Latin America’s __________ ranges from hot and humid to dry and desert-like.
The hot and rainy weather of the tropical wet climate provides perfect growing conditions for a __________.
Grass-covered plains are often found in a _________ climate.
Tropical and subtropical regions have grasslands called a ___________.
Central America and the Caribbean do not have _______ climate zones.
1. D
2. E
3. C
4. B
5. A

28. A. Dry B. Savanna C. Semiarid D. Climate E. Rain Forest
Post-test Questions: MATCHING!
A. Dry B. Savanna C. Semiarid D. Climate E. Rain Forest
Latin America’s _________ ranges from hot and humid to dry and desert-like.
The hot and rainy weather of the tropical wet climate provides perfect growing conditions for a __________.
Grass-covered plains are often found in a _________ climate.
Tropical and subtropical regions have grasslands called a ___________.
Central America and the Caribbean do not have _______ climate zones. D E C
1. D
2. E
3. C
4. B
5. A B A

29. Closure Describe the climate and vegetation of Latin America.
What are the tropical climate zones of Latin America?
What are the dry climate zones of Latin America?
What are the mid-latitude zones of Latin America?
NEXT TIME: Climate worksheet is due
NEXT TIME: Human-Environment Interaction
NEXT TIME: Please read Chap 9, Section 3
NEXT TIME: Please bring your books to class again
Climates: Tropical, Dry and Mid-Latitudes. Vegetation differs based on climate zones, use graphic organizer.
Tropical climate zones: Tropical Wet/Rain Forests, Tropical Wet & Dry/Savannas
Dry climate zones: Semi-Arid, Desert
Mid-Latitudes: Humid Sub-tropical, Mediterranean, Marine, Highlands