CLIMATE, CLIMATE ZONES & ECOSYSTEMS. English

CLIMATE, CLIMATE ZONES & ECOSYSTEMS.

CEIP Santa Ana (Madridejos).

CLIMATE, CLIMATE ZONES & ECOSYSTEMS. Climate is the average conditions of the atmosphere during a long period of time.

A.- ELEMENTS OF CLIMATE. When we study the climate of a place, we study: a.1.- Temperature: is the amount of heat in the atmosphere, it can be measured by the thermometer (in Centigrade degrees). There are hot climate (near the Equator), temperate climate (on the North and South of the Equator), and cold climate (near the poles). a.2.- Preecipitation: is the amount of water from the rain, snow‌ in a place, it can be measured by the pluviometer (in mm.). There are dry and humid climates. a.3.- Wind: is the movement of the air. It depends of the atmospheric pressure diferences.

When the air warms, goes up, and it forms a low pressure zone, so air comes from other places forming the wind. Its speed is measured by the anemometer in km/h. and its direction by the weathercock. a.4.- Atmospheric pressure: is the weight of the air on a place. It is measured by the barometer in milibars. There are low pressure zones or squalls (with humid and rainy weather), and high pressure zones or anticyclones (with dry weather).

Thermometer

pluviometer

anemometer

weathercock

barometer

B.- FACTORS OF CLIMATE. They are the mechanisms which work on the elements of climate and produce variations on it. They can be geographical factors and atmospheric factors: b.1. Geographical factors: 1.- Latitude, is the distance (in degrees) between any point on the Earth and the Equator.

Temperature decreases as we travel away from the Equator.

2.- Vicinity to the sea. In coastal places the weather is mild because of the sea humidity.

3.- Altitude and relief: in high places with mountains, temperatures tend to be lower and it rains more. b.2.- Atmospheric factors: they have influence on the movement of masses of cold and hot, dry and wet air which produce squalls (rainy weather) and anticyclone (dry weather).

CLIMATE, CLIMATE ZONES & ECOSYSTEMS.

CEIP Santa Ana (Madridejos).

C.- CLIMATE ZONES IN THE WORLD. There are five great climate zones: one Tropical zone, two Temperate zones and two Polar zones.

A.- The Tropical zone: is very near the Equator, between the Tropic of Cancer (on the North), and the Tropic of Capricorn (on the South). The average temperature is always over 18ยบC, but it has great variations on the average rainfall.

There are three climates in the Tropical zone: a.1.- Tropical rainforest climate, where the average rainfall is very high during all year round. a.2.- Tropical wet and dry (or Savanna climate), with two seasons one wet (the rainfall is very high) and another very dry. a.3.- Dry climate (desert), with a very low rainfall level, and a great variation of temperature between day (very hot) and night (very cold).

B.- Temperate zones: they are between the Tropical zone and the polar zones. They have four seasons, and there are differences between temperature and precipitation. b.1.- Oceanic climate, mild temperature and a lot of rainfall during all year round. b.2.- Humid continental climate, long and very cold winters and warm to hot summers (and often humid). b.3.- Mediterranean climate with mild and short winters, and warm to hot, and dry summers.

C.- Polar climate and Alpine climate in polar circles and high altitude places. They have very low temperature, lots of snow in the poles and a lot of snow and rainfall on high mountains.

CLIMATE, CLIMATE ZONES & ECOSYSTEMS.

CEIP Santa Ana (Madridejos).

D.-CLIMATE ZONES AND VEGETATION IN SPAIN. Spain is in the temperate zone, so it has a temperate climate, except the Canary Islands which has a subtropical climate. In the peninsula, we can find four climates with different characteristics and vegetation because of the temperatures and humidity.

D.1.- ATLANTIC CLIMATE, in Galicia and along the Cantabrian coastline. The proximity to the sea makes rainfall during all year long, with a mild temperature and a short difference between summer and winter.

It has a rich Vegetation because of the amount of rainfall. There are deciduous forests of: oaks, chestnut trees and beeches There are pine trees in the mountains, there are also fern, moss, and green meadows all year round.

D.2.- MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE near the Mediterranean coastline, the Balearic islands and part of Andalucia. Temperatures are mild in Winter and hot in Summer. It’s dry, and it rains in Autumn and Spring.

The vegetation has to resist dry and hot summers. There are evergreen forest of holm oaks and pines, aromatic herbs like thyme and rosemary.

D.3.- CONTINENTAL CLIMATE, in the Meseta (in the centre of the peninsula). It’s similar to the Mediterranean climate, but with a great variation on temperatures from Winter to Summer. Winters are very cold and Summers are very hot. Precipitations tend to be during Autumn and Spring. The annual quantity of rain is less than in the Mediterranean climate because of the mountains surrounding the Meseta. This is the climate in Castilla la Mancha.

The vegetation is similar to the Mediterranean vegetation, but adapted to extreme temperatures. In the mountains there are pines and fir trees. In lower areas there are holms oaks and cork oaks. In valleys there are poplars, bushes like rockroses and aromatic herbs (thyme, rosemary, lavender…)

CLIMATE, CLIMATE ZONES & ECOSYSTEMS.

CEIP Santa Ana (Madridejos).

D.4.- MOUNTAIN CLIMATE: it exists in the highest areas of the peninsula: Pyrenees, Cantabrian range, Central System, Iberian System and Betic System.

It includes low temperatures and abundant rainfall.

Winters are long and cold, snow is common, summers are short and temperate.

Pyrenees

Vegetation depends on the height. In low areas there are pines, holm oaks and beeches; in the mid mountain there are deciduous trees like oak trees, chestnut trees and beeches (as in the Atlantic forests); in the high areas of a mountain there are coniferous, and finally; at the top of a mountain there are bushes and grasses.

D.5.- CANARY ISLANDS CLIMATE: it is a subtropical climate with mild summers and winters (there is not a big difference in temperature between seasons). Precipitations are limited and they are more abundant in the north of the Isles.

Vegetation changes with the altitude; in low areas, there are drought resistant plants (cactus). In mid areas there are laurels and lime trees. In high areas there are pines.

CLIMATE ZONES IN THE PENINSULA.

CLIMATE, CLIMATE ZONES & ECOSYSTEMS.

CEIP Santa Ana (Madridejos).

E.- ECOSYSTEMS. There are living beings everywhere (plants and animals). They interact between them and with the environment where they live. So an Ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting as a system with the nonliving components (air, water, soil).

Many of these relations are made through food, and they are called: food chains.

A food chain is formed by producers (plants), primary consumers (herbivores, insects…), secondary consumers (carnivores, little animals…), tertiary consumers… and decomposers (fungi, bacteries…)

There are two kinds of ecosystems: E.1.- Terrestrial ecosystems: plants are the producers. The most important factors in these ecosystems are temperature and rainfall.

Tropical Rain Forest: with high temperatures and lots of precipitations. They are thick forests with a great variety of life. We can find this ecosystem near the Equator Deciduous Forest, with cold winters and mild summers, moderate rainfalls. We can find this ecosystem in Oceanic climates.

Savanna, with high temperatures during the day and low temperature at night. With a dry and a wet seasons. There are lots of grass and bushes. There are a great variety of wild mammals.

It’s near the tropics.

Cold desert, it is really cold with scarce precipitations (snowfall). Animals are adapted to low temperaturas. It’s near the poles.

Hot desert, with very high temperature during the day, and very low during night. It is very dry, so there are scarce vegetation adapted to live with only a bit of water. They are near the tropics.

E.2.- Aquatic ecosystems: aquatic plants and algae are the producers. The most importat factors in these ecosystems are temperature and amount of salt and oxygen dissolved in the water.

Freshwater ecosystems, in rivers and lakes, where aquatic and terrestrial animals interact with the environment.

Marine Ecosystems, in seas and oceans. There are different ecosystems because of the deep.

CLIMATE, CLIMATE ZONES & ECOSYSTEMS.

Tropical Rain Forest

Deciduous Forest

Cold desert

Hot desert

CEIP Santa Ana (Madridejos).

Savanna

Aquatic ecosystem

F.- BALANCE IN ECOSYSTEMS. An ecosystem is balanced when its changes are only because of the seasons.

Human beings can interact in a negative and positive way over ecosystems: F.1.- Negative interactions: .- Fire. Destruction of plants, trees and environment for many animals. .- Deforestation. It’s the cutting down of forests to create fields for agriculture and get wood. .- Drainage of lagoons. For agriculture or building construction. .- Excessive exploitation of natural resources. .- Illegal rubbish chutes that produce contamination on the soils and waters.

F.2.- Positive interactions: .- Environmental conservation, like Natural Parks… protect them from negative interactions by human beings. .- Reforestation, planting trees to recover forests. .- Protection of animals and plants, to prevent their extinction. .- Recycling of different materials, like plastics, batteries, paper…

CLIMATE, CLIMATE ZONES & ECOSYSTEMS.

CEIP Santa Ana (Madridejos).

VOCABULARY - GLOSSARY Average: media

to measure: medir

Centigrade degrees: grados centígrados

pressure: presión

Weathercock: veleta

Thermometer: termómetro

Pluviometer: pluviómetro

Anemometer: anemómetro

Speed: velocidad

squall: borrasca

anticyclone: anticiclón

To decrease: decrecer, disminuir

mild: suave, moderado

all year round: todo el año

Vicinity: cercanía, proximidad

rainfall: precipitaciones

rainforest: selva

Temperate climate: clima templado

Deciduos trees: árboles de hoja caduca

Oak tres: robles

Chestnuts: castaños

Beeches: hayas

Pines: pinos

Ferns: helechos

Moss: musgo

Meadow: prado

evergreen forest: bosques de hoja perenne

holm oaks: encinas

aromatic herbs: hierbas aromáticas

Thyme: tomillo

Rosemary: romero

lavender: lavanda

cork oaks: alcornoques

poplar: álamo, chopo

fir trees: abetos

rockrose: jara

Bushes: arbustos

Coniferous: coníferas

drought: sequía

everywhere: por todos lados

amount of heat: cantidad de calor

forest: bosque

environment: medio ambiente

fungi: hongos

scarce precipitation: precipitaciones escasas

algae: algas

freshwater: agua dulce

balance: equilibrio

positive way: forma positiva to cut down: talar

drainage: drenaje, desecación

natural resources: recursos naturales

rubbish chute: vertedero de basura

recover: recobrar, recuperar to prevent: prevenir

deep: profundidad