Europe and Russia: Physical Geography Section 2: Climate and Vegetation

Europe and Russia: Climate and Vegetation Weather What the weather is like over a long period of time in a specific part of the world The condition of the air, or the atmosphere on our planet Has to do with how hot or cold it is outside 1 of 5

A Wide Range of Climates

A Wide Range of Climates https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuGrBhK2c7U file:///E:/media/eur_rus_geo_02/mm_eur_rus_geo_02/mm_eur_rus_geo_02a.html

The Rain Shadow Effect http://study.com/academy/lesson/the-rain-shadow-effect-definition-lesson-quiz.html#lesson

Europe and Russia: Physical Geography: Section 2 Chart: Two Cities, Two Climates 4 of 5

Europe and Russia: Physical Geography Section 2: Climate and Vegetation A Wide Range of Climates Different regions of Europe have varying climates and levels of precipitation. Areas near oceans or seas experience milder weather. Northern regions far from the ocean can have long, harsh winters. Northwestern Europe benefits from ocean currents, such as the North Atlantic Current, that carry warm water to the region. Winds blowing over the ocean also bring abundant rain. Mountains also have an effect on levels of rainfall, as regions west of mountains receive heavy precipitation, and areas east of mountains experience much less rainfall. Chart: Two Cities, Two Climates MapMaster: The Gulf Stream and the North Atlantic Current 1 of 5

Europe and Russia: Physical Geography Section 2: Climate and Vegetation Major Climate Regions There are four major climate regions common to Europe and Russia. The humid continental climate region has harsh winters and hot summers, while the artic climate is cold year-round. Spreading across Russia and into northern Europe, the subarctic region experiences short summers and long winters. The semiarid climate region has hot temperatures and little rainfall. Europe has several other moderate climate regions that Russia does not have. The marine west coast climate has mild and rainy weather, and the Mediterranean region is hot and dry in the summer with mild winters. The humid subtropical climate region in southern Europe experiences year-round rainfall and warm temperatures. 2 of 5

Main Idea A Four Examples of European or Russian climates regions and their locations are: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Main Idea B Four Examples of vegetation found in Europe or Russia and their locations are: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Europe and Russia: Physical Geography Section 2: Climate and Vegetation Natural Vegetation Regions While Europe and Russia are home to a wide variety of natural vegetation, there are four main vegetation regions. Large coniferous forests are located in northern Europe, while deciduous forests spread across most of Western and Central Europe; the largest forest in the world, called the taiga, covers 4 million square miles in Siberia. Another type of vegetation are grasslands, called steppes in Russia, which provide fertile farm land. Mediterranean vegetation includes a mix of short trees, scrub, and smaller plants. Some areas of northern Europe and Russia have tundra vegetation where the climate is cold and dry and the treeless land is covered with snow for most of the year. MapMaster: Europe: Natural Vegetation MapMaster: Russia: Natural Vegetation Section Reading Support Transparency 3 of 5

Europe and Russia: Physical Geography: Section 2 Section Reading Support Transparency 5 of 5