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Solutions for Geography, Class 9, ICSE
Assertion (A): The climatic regions are also named after the vegetation type prevalent there.
Reason (R): The climate influences soil, flora and fauna and the vegetation of the region.
Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
Explanation — The climate influences soil, flora and fauna and the vegetation of the region. That's why the climatic regions are also named after the vegetation type prevalent there.
Assertion (A): The relation between climate and human activities is striking in regions where the primary activities like agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry are dominant.
Reason (R): These activities are governed directly by the climatic conditions.
Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
Explanation — Activities like agriculture, animal husbandry, and forestry are directly influenced by climate (temperature, rainfall, humidity, etc.). Therefore, in regions where these activities dominate, the impact of climate on human activity is most visible.
| Climate Type | Location | Climate | Vegetation | Human Adaptation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equatorial Region | 0-10° north and south of Equator. | heavy rainfall and constant high temperatures throughout the year | Tropical Rainforest or Selvas | Hunting and gathering, Shifting cultivation |
| Tropical Grasslands | 7° to 20° north and south of the Equator | hot, wet summers and cool dry winters | deciduous trees, tall grasses with scattered short trees and low bushes | Cattle ranching, plantation agriculture |
| Tropical Deserts | Between 15° to 30° North and South Latitudes | hot summers and cool winters | Xerophytic plants | nomadic hunting and food gathering, irrigation through rivers, dams, oasis and canals, crops grown include barley, cane, cotton, wheat, sugar, fruits and vegetables |
| Tropical Monsoon Type Climate | Southern Asia | hot summers and cool winters with a distinct rainy season | Tropical Evergreen Rainforests in coastal areas and Tropical Monsoon Deciduous Forests in low rainfall areas | Intensive agriculture and Terrace farming |
| Mediterranean Region | between 30° to 45° North and South latitudes | Subtropical Winter Rain Zone / Warm Temperate West Margin Climate, | deciduous trees, evergreen trees, redwood trees | Orchard farming |
| Temperate Grasslands | 40° to 55° North and South | moderate rainfall, hot summers, cold winters | Temperate grasslands with coarse and tall grass, short and soft grass | Extensive wheat cultivation, other crops- cotton, maize |
| Taiga Region | between 55° and 70° in the Northern Hemisphere | Siberian climate- long cold winters, short brief summers with well-distributed, moderate rainfall | Evergreen Coniferous Forests | sparsely populated, crops grown- barley, oats, rye, potatoes and beetroots |
A natural region refers to a part of the Earth's surface which has a comparatively high degree of uniformity of structure, surface form and climate within it.
Every natural region is a homogeneous unit in which the climatic conditions, soil, natural vegetation and human activities are uniform.
Human response shows broad relationship with climatic conditions. The relation between climate and human activities is striking in regions where the primary activities like agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry are dominant. These activities are governed directly by the climatic conditions.
For example, each climatic type is suitable for the cultivation of certain crops, as the crops can tolerate some range of temperature and need a certain minimum water supply.
Plants which are adapted to arid conditions are known as xerophytic plants. They are almost leafless and store water in their stems. Some plants have leathery leaves, others have thorns and still some have a repugnant smell as a means of protection against animal grazing. For example, thorny cactus.
As the Mediterranean region lies between the Tropical Deserts on the equatorward side and Cool Temperate West Margin region on the poleward side, it shares the summer drought conditions of the deserts at lower latitudes and rain in winter.
Many local variations are produced in the Mediterranean region-
The rainfall in the Mediterranean region is experienced mostly in winter. The annual average rainfall varies between 35 cm to 75 cm. Rainfall is more on the Poleward sides of the region. The effect of this moderate rainfall is marked.
The vegetation in the Mediterranean region is of deciduous type. It is adapted to withstand a long period of summer drought. So the trees in this region have long roots and thick barks to retain moisture in the dry summer months. Short stature, moisture retentive trees grow here specially citrus fruits.
The dominant trees of Mediterranean region of Europe include oak, laurel, cork, oleander, beech and ash. Olive is the most common tree.
The North American Mediterranean region has dominant species of chestnut, maple and hemlock. Redwood trees of California forests are famous.
Towards the Polar regions and in highlands, coniferous evergreen trees are found. Cedar, pine, fir and cypress are the common varieties.
The climate in the Mediterranean region is so called because the largest stretch of area having such climate lies along the margins of the Mediterranean Sea. The regions having similarities with the Mediterranean region are located on the western margins of continents in the latitudinal belt between 30° to 45° North and South latitudes.
Two common characteristics on which different climate zones are based are-
Give a reason for each of the following:
(i) There is a uniformly high temperature in the Equatorial region.
(ii) Though Mt. Kilimanjaro is located close to the Equator, yet its peaks remain covered with snow throughout the year.
(iii) The Equatorial region is also called the 'Lungs of the World'.
(i) There is a uniformly high temperature in the Equatorial region because this region lies in the Torrid belt. At and near the equator, the sun's rays are almost vertical and have a high angle of incidence which varies between 66½° and 90° during the year.
(ii) Though Mt. Kilimanjaro is located close to the Equator, yet its peaks remain covered with snow throughout the year because of its high elevation. It is located at the height of 5,895 meters and we know that the temperature decreases with an increase in height. Hence, its peak has considerably lower mean temperature and rainfall.
(iii) The Equatorial region is also called the 'Lungs of the World' because the rainforests function as a giant machine that absorb a large amount of carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.
The vegetation found in the tropical rainforests shows four distinct layers-
The main trees of rainforests include ebony, mahogany, cinchona, green heart, rosewood and rubber.
(i) Deciduous trees shed their leaves in the dry season to prevent excessive loss of water.
(ii) The Savannas are called the 'natural cattle country' as many of the native people are herdsmen or pastoralists. They keep large number of cattle which are fed on the tall grass or the bushes and provide them with meat and milk.
(iii) Tropical grasslands have great potential for the cultivation of plantation crops like cotton, cane sugar, coffee, oil palm, groundnuts and tropical fruits because of 30 inches of annual rainfall and lack of severe cold.
The Equatorial region has a dense forest cover known as Tropical Rainforest. These forests are thick and luxuriant. The trees have broad leaves and are evergreen.
Location of rainforests — Rainforests are usually found in the equatorial region which extends between 0-10° north and south of Equator. The rainforests occupy low altitude areas near the Equator in South America especially in the Amazon Lowlands, Central and West Africa, in the Indo-Malay peninsula, and the New Guinea region.
Types of trees — The vegetation found in the tropical rainforests shows four distinct layers-
The main trees of rainforests include ebony, mahogany, cinchona, green heart, rosewood and rubber.
Location — Between 15° to 30° North and South latitudes are the Tropical deserts. They are called so because this latitude zone mostly falls in the tropical zone. They lie to the west of the landmass.
The two primitive tribes which inhabit the Tropical Deserts are-
The Tropical Monsoon type of climate is found in Southern Asia with onshore wet monsoons in the summer and offshore dry monsoons in the winter. This type of climate has hot summers and cool winters with a distinct rainy season.
Temperature — The summer temperature varies between 27°C to 30°C in the coastal areas and 35°C to 38°C in the interior. The winter temperature is between 5°C and 18°C in the interior and between 22°C and 25°C in the coastal areas.
Rainfall — Summer rain provides a refreshing contrast from the dry conditions in winter. The Trade Winds in winter blow from land to sea. In India, due to the Himalayan barrier, they move in the North-East direction. They pick up moisture over the Bay of Bengal and cause winter rainfall over much of the Coromandel coast. The rainfall is not uniform in this region. The annual amount of rainfall varies from 75 to 200 cms. Cherrapunji in Meghalaya receives over 1200 cm rainfall.
(i) In the Tropical Desert climate region, Trade Winds are dry because the Trade Winds that blow in this region shed their moisture in the eastern margins of continents. They become dry by the time they reach the western side.
(ii) In the Indian subcontinent, there are three distinct seasons i.e., the hot dry season, the rainy season and the cool, dry season. The main cause for seasonal climate is the differential rate of heating of land and sea.
(iii) Agriculture is the chief occupation in the monsoon region because the rainfall during the Monsoon season provide much needed moisture to the soil and help in the growth of crops. Tropical agriculture is dependent on natural rainfall and a large labour force and crops are grown on small farms in the plains and terraced hills.
As the Mediterranean region lies between the Tropical Deserts on the equatorward side and Cool Temperate West Margin region on the poleward side, it shares the summer drought conditions of the deserts at lower latitudes and rain in winter.
The chief characteristics of the Mediterranean type of climate are-
Temperature —
Rainfall —
Seasons —
The deciduous type of vegetation and abundance of flowering plants indicate that there are four climate seasons- Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn.
| Temperate Grasslands | Tropical Savannas |
|---|---|
| The temperate grasslands occupy the interior of the continents in the mid-latitude zone of 40° to 55° North and South. | The tropical Savannas are located in semi-arid to semi-humid climate regions of subtropical and tropical latitudes. They lie roughly between 7° to 20° north and south of the Equator. |
| The annual range of temperature varies between 18°C to 26°C in the case of Calgary. In the Southern Hemisphere winters are less severe owing to the moderating effect of the oceans. | The climate of the region is characterised by hot, wet summers and cool dry winters. Noon temperatures can be over 38°C while night temperatures can drop to below 10°C. The length of the wet and dry season differs from area to area. |
| The landscape is characterised by much shorter grasses. | The landscape is characterised by tall grasses and short trees. The grass is coarse and grows to a height of 3 to 6 feet at maturity. |
| There are no trees in this region. | Deciduous trees like baobabs and bottle trees are found here. |
| People of this region practice agriculture. | People of this region are herdsmen or pastoralists. |
| They are ideal for wheat cultivation. | They have immense potential for plantation agriculture. |
Taiga region — This region lies between 55° and 70° in the Northern Hemisphere. Towards the poles, it merges with the Arctic Tundra of Canada and Eurasia at around the Arctic Circle.
Tundra region — This region lies roughly beyond 65° North on the northern side of the Taiga region.
(i) In the Mediterranean region of Europe, winds blow deep inside the land due to the considerable East-West extent of the sea. On account of the local conditions and indented coastline, many local variations of the winds are produced.
(ii) The Taiga region is sparsely populated as the land remains covered with snow during the long, cold winter season.
(iii) There are no trees in the Tundra Region because of very short growing season of three months and the warmest month having 10° C temperature.
The Cool Temperate Continental type or Siberian type of climate is found in the north-western part of Europe.
This climate is marked by severe winters of long duration and a cool brief summer lasting only 3 to 4 months. Heavy snowfall occurs during the winter. The rainfall varies from 25 to 100 cm. It is well distributed throughout the year, with a maximum in summer. In winters, the precipitation is in the form of snow, as mean temperatures are well below freezing point.
This region is sparsely populated. Here farming does not constitute an important economic activity as the land remains covered with snow during the long, cold winter season. Only in the sheltered valley and the lands bordering the Steppes some crops like barley, oats, rye, potatoes and beetroots are grown.
The advantages of dividing the world into natural regions are:
India is located in the Tropical Monsoon region. The characteristic features of this natural region found in India are: