Climates By Robin Close

Temperature and weather change every day. It is warmer in the summer and colder in the winter. Sometimes it is wet, and sometimes it is dry.

Climate is the average temperature and weather of an area. Climate changes with latitude, or how close an area is to the middle of the earth. The middle of the earth is called the equator. Areas close to the middle are warmer. Areas far from it are cold.

Currents are areas of warm or cold water moving in the ocean. Currents make the climate of nearby land warmer or colder.

Deserts are areas that have less than 10 inches of rain each year. Most of them are in tropical climates near the Equator. Deserts are usually covered in rock and sand. The largest desert is the Sahara in Africa.

Desert plants have small leaves, or no leaves at all. This keeps them from losing too much water. Desert plants also have long roots to find water deep underground. A cactus is a plant that grows in the desert.

Most desert animals look for food at night. They stay in holes or rest in the shade during the day to stay cool. Camels are desert animals that store fat in their humps. They use the fat for energy when there is no food or water.

Forests are places with many trees. Most of the forests in Maryland are called deciduous forests.

Trees in deciduous forests have leaves that change color in the autumn and fall off in the winter. Many maple trees have bright red leaves in autumn.

Many animals in deciduous forests hibernate, or sleep for a long time during the winter. Chipmunks gather nuts and store them in their homes to eat during the winter.

Tropical rainforests often get more than 100 inches of rain each year. They are close to the equator, so they are very warm. Tropical rainforests have more kinds of plants and animals than anywhere else on Earth.

Trees in the tropical rainforest are very tall and stay green all year long. Some plants, such as orchids, grow in the branches of the trees.

Many animals live in the branches of tropical rainforest trees. Birds like macaws have brightly colored feathers.

Grasslands are found in both warm and cold areas. They usually get between 10 and 20 inches of rain each year. This is wetter than deserts, but still too dry to let many trees grow.

Many plants in grasslands are grains, which grow well in the rich soil there. Wheat is a type of grain that lives in grasslands. People grow wheat to make bread and other food.

Some animals in grasslands live in large groups called herds. Bison, sometimes called Buffalo, are large animals that live in herds in the grasslands of the United States.

Tundra is found in very cold areas, such as far north in the United States, or on tall mountains. Tundra is so cold that only a shallow layer of soil is good for growing plants. The rest is always frozen.

Tundra areas do not have any big trees, and the plants that grow there are very small. Most of the plants are moss, lichen, grass, and tiny flowers.

Caribou eat the tiny tundra plants during the summer. They leave the tundra during the winter to find other food.

Mountains are places where the land is much higher than the land around it. The tops of mountains are colder than the bottoms, so one mountain can have many climate zones.

Pine trees grow high up on many mountains. They stay green all year long. The top of some mountains is tundra, with no trees at all.

Deer live high up on mountains during the summer. In winter, they go to the bottom of the mountain where it is warmer.

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