sswg1a-student notes.docx

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HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE A PLACING USING ITS PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS?

SSWG1A: Describe the concept of place by explaining how physical characteristics such as landforms, bodies of water, climate, soils, natural vegetation, and animal life are used to describe a place.

CATEGORY Information

Which landforms are used to describe places and regions

Plains

- Types of Plains 1)Savanna- Africa

2) Prairie- North America 3) Steppe- Europe/Asia 4) Pampas- South America Plateau

Mountains & Hills Valleys

Islands

Peninsula- land surrounded on 3 sides by water How are bodies of water

used to describe places and regions?

Oceans Gulfs and Bays Rivers

Lakes Seas

Ground Water

- Aquifer- underground layer of rock that stores water - Freshwater which lies beneath the earth’s surface - from rain, melted snow, lake and river water - Water that filtered through the soil into the ground What is the relationship

between climate and vegetation?

See Diagram A

See Table B – Characteristics, Geographic Distribution of Climate & Vegetation

Tropical Ecosystems  Tropical Humid

• Weather Patterns

 Warm and rainy year round  Annual precipitation 60-450 inches  Day 900 _{– 95}0_{F, Night 65}0_{– 70}0_F

• Vegetation type

 tropical rain forest • Geographic Distribution

 Along equator, South America, Congo Basin, Africa, Southeast Asia  Tropical Wet and Dry

• Weather Patterns  Warm all year

 Rainy and dry seasons  Summer 700_{– 90}0 _F

 Winter 650_{– 80}0_F

• Vegetation Type

 tropical grassland with scattered trees • Geographic Distribution

 Between humid tropics and deserts, regions of Africa, South and Central America, South and Southeast Asia, Australia

Dry Ecosystems  Semi-Arid

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 Hot summers, cool winters  Wide temperature variation • Geographic Distribution

 Bordering deserts, interiors of continents, northern and southern Africa, central and interior Asia, Australia, and South America • Vegetation Type

 Grassland; few trees  Arid

 Annual precipitation less than 10 inches  Sunny and hot in tropics

 Sunny with great temperature ranges in middle latitudes  600_{– 115}0_F

• Geographic Distribution

 Along 300, interior of large continents, along western coasts, Saharan Africa, SW Asia, central and western Australia, SW USA • Vegetation Type

 Sparse drought resistant plants; barren, rocky, or sandy areas Mid-Latitude

Ecosystems

 Mediterranean

 Dry sunny warm summers  Mild wet winters

 Annual precipitation 14-35 inches  500_{– 80}0_F

 West coast in middle latitudes, near cool ocean currents, southern Europe, part of SW Asia, NW Africa, California, SW Australia, central Chile, southern South Africa

• Vegetation Type

• Scrub woodland and grassland  Humid Sub-Tropical

• Weather Pattern

 Hot humid summers  Mild humid winters

 Year round precipitation, 40 inches

 Coastal areas in paths of hurricanes and typhoons  450_{– 90}0_F

 East coasts in middle latitudes, SE USA, eastern Asia, central

southern Europe, southeastern parts of South America, South Africa and Australia

• Vegetation Type  Mixed forest  Marine West Coast

 Cloudy mild summers  Cool rainy winters  Strong ocean influence  20-98 inches

 Westerlies bring storms, rain

 Hottest month 600_{– 70}0_{F, coldest month over 32}0_F

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SW South America, central southern South Africa, SE Australia, New Zealand

• Vegetation Type

 Temperate evergreen forest  Humid Continental

 4 seasons, long cold winters, warm short summers  20 – 50 inches

 Summer 750_{F, winter below freezing}

 East coasts and interiors of upper middle latitude continents, NE North America, northern and eastern Europe, NE Asia

• Vegetation Type  Mixed forest High Latitude

Ecosystems

 Sub-Arctic

 Extreme temperatures, long cold winters, short mild summers  Low precipitation 5 – 15 inches

 600_{– 77}0_{F summer, winter below 0}0_F

 Higher latitudes of interior and east coasts of continents, northern North America, Europe, and Asia

• Vegetation Type

 Northern evergreen forest  Tundra

 Cold all year, long winters, short cool summers  Low precipitation 5 15 inches

 Warmest less than 500_{F, coolest below 0}0_F

 High latitude coasts, far northern North America, Europe, Asia, Antarctic Peninsula, sub-antarctic islands

• Vegetation Type

 Moss, lichens, low shrubs, permafrost bogs in summer  Ice Cap

• Weather Pattern

 Freezing cold, snow & ice year round  Precipitation less than 10 inches

 Warmest temperature not higher than freezing • Geographic Distribution

 Polar regions, Antarctica, Greenland, Arctic basin islands • Vegetation Type

 No vegetation  Highland

• Weather Pattern

 Varied temperatures and precipitation over elevation changes  Prevailing wind patterns can affect rainfall on windward & leeward

sides

 High mountain regions, western parts of North and South America, eastern Asia and Africa, southern and central Europe

• Vegetation Type

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How are soils,

vegetation and animal habitat related?

See Table C – Characteristics of World Biome Regions

Tropical Rainforest Biome

 Climate

• Warm and rainy year round • Soil

• Thin; poor in nutrients as a result of leaching  Vegetation

• Variety of trees and vines  Animal Habitat

• Monkeys, lemurs, parrots, snakes, tree frogs, bats, pigs, small antelopes, tigers, jaguars, and leopards

Savanna Biome  Climate

• Warm year round; distinct rainy and dry seasons  Soil

• Generally poor nutrients  Vegetation

• Tall grasses, some trees, and thorny shrubs  Animal Habitat

• Gazelles, rhinoceroses, giraffes, lions, hyenas, ostriches, crocodiles, and elephants

Semi-Arid and Arid Biome

 Climate

• Dry, sunny and hot in tropical regions, wide temperature variations in middle latitudes

 Soil

• Poor organic matter but may have plentiful minerals  Vegetation

• Moisture retaining plants such as cacti; shrubs and thorny tree  Animal Habitat

• kangaroo rats, lizards, scorpions, snakes, birds, bats and toads

Grassland Biome  Climate

• Low rainfall; warm summers, cold winters  Soil

• Most fertile soils of all biomes  Vegetation

• Grasses; trees near water sources  Animal Habitat

• Lions, large grazing animals, including buffaloes, kangaroos and antelopes Temperate Forest Biome  Climate

• Plentiful rainfall, warm summers; cold winters  Soil

• Very fertile, rich in organic nutrients  Vegetation

• Deciduous and evergreen trees; shrubs; herbs  Animal Habitat

• Deer, bears, badgers, squirrels, wolves, wild cats, red foxes, owls Mediterranean Biome  Climate

• Hot dry summers; cool wet winters  Soil

• Rocky; nutrient-poor soils  Vegetation

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 Animal Habitat

Ground squirrels, deer, elk, mountain lions, coyotes, and wolves Boreal Forest Biome  Climate

• Short warm summers; long cold winters  Soil

• Acidic soil  Vegetation

• Mosses, lichens, and coniferous trees  Animal Habitat

• Birds, rabbits, moose, elk, wolves, lynxes, and bears

Tundra Biome  Climate

• Short cool summers; long cold winters  Soil

• permafrost  Vegetation

• Mosses, lichens, sedges, and dwarf trees  Animal Habitat

• Rabbits, lemmings, reindeer, caribou, musk oxen, wolves, foxes, birds and polar bears

Barren Biome  Climate

• Cold year round  Soil

• Thin, poor soil  Vegetation

• Few mosses and lichens in coastal areas  Animal Habitat

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