Climate Regions and environment
Describing climate graphs
Temperature
Rainfall
1. General trend:
hot/cold/warm
all year/summer/winter
2. maximum & month
3. minimum & month
4. range
1. General trend:
dry/wet
all year/summer/winter
2. highest & month
3. lowest & month
4. total
Use one of the fallowing sentences.
‘hot and dry all year’ - desert
‘hot and wet all tear’ - equatorial
‘cold and dry all year’ – cold desert (tundra)
‘hot dry summers, warm wet winters’ – Mediterranean
For each climate region you need to be able to
Topic
done
Know where the climate is found
Recognise and describe the climate graph
Explain the advantages and disadvantages of living in
the climate
List the main causes of the environmental problem
Describe the main effects of the environmental
problem under these headings - social, economic and
environmental
Suggest solutions for reducing the negative impact of
the environmental problem
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learnt
Revision Notes: Equatorial Climate
Equatorial Regions
1. Climate: Hot and wet all year
2. Location: Found along the equator in South-East Asia, West Africa and
South America – particularly Brazil
3. Living in climate:
Advantages
Hot and wet so helps plants grow
quickly
Wide range of plants grow
Not crowded
HEP can be produced
Rivers for transport
Disadvantages
Very humid and hot so is
uncomfortable
Soil washes away easily
Difficult to build roads in thick forest.
Area is remote
Not many ways to make money
4. Environmental Problem: Deforestation - the cutting down of forests
5. Causes: Cattle Ranching, Mining, HEP schemes, Road building, Using
trees for timber
6. Effects on Environment: soil becomes exposed to rain and washes
away, soil becomes infertile as the nutrients are washed away, rivers
become polluted from soil, wildlife loose homes and could die.
7. Effects on People: Native forest dwellers lose homes, lose animals for
food and land for farming, way of life destroyed, undiscovered medicines
lost forever
8. Effects on economy: Governments get money from activities and helps
country develop, Forest dwellers without livelihood, long term use of TRF
not guaranteed.
9. Solutions: Ban use of hardwoods from Tropical Rain Forests, protect
zones where developments cannot take place, for every tree cut down
plant at least another one, encourage sale of sustainable TRF produce
such as brazil nuts and fruit, After developments – restore TRF
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Revision Notes: Hot Desert
Hot Desert Climate
Know where the hot desert climate is found
Recognise and describe the climate graph
Explain the advantages and disadvantages of living in
hot desert climates
List the main causes of desertification
Describe the main effects of desertification on people,
the environment and the economy
Suggest solutions for stopping desertification
Hot Deserts
1. Climate: Hot & dry all year less than 250mm of rainfall
2. Location: Between 10 and 20o north and south of the equator eg,
Sahara in N. Africa, Namib in S. Africa
3. Living in climate:
Advantages
farming with irrigation
Disadvantages
Very hot leading to heat stroke and
dehydration
nomadic herders keep goats and cattle Must cover up and drink plenty of
but must move around in search of
water
food and water
Few economic activities
4. Environmental Problem: Desertification (deserts spreading)
5. Causes: drought, overpopulation (firewood, overgrazing, too much crop
growing), poor irrigation
6. Effects on environment– dry soil blown away & washed away
7. Effects on people: Animals die or sold, crops fail -famine, migration,
refugee camps
8. Effects on economy: People without livelihood, governments have to
provide for refugees
9. Solutions: Drip Irrigation, stone lines to trap water, drought resistant
plants, fence wind breaks, fenced areas to stop grazing, farm training
from experts, ban chopping trees down, replant trees as wind breaks
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Revision Notes: Mediterranean
Mediterranean climate
Know where the Mediterranean climate is found
Recognise and describe the climate graph
Explain the advantages and disadvantages of living in
Mediterranean climates
List the main causes of sea pollution
Describe the main effects of sea pollution on people,
the environment and the economy
Suggest solutions for stopping sea pollution
Mediterranean
1. Climate: Hot dry summers, warm, wet winters
2. Location: Found on the west of continents 40 north and South of the
Equator particularly Spain, Italy South of France.
3. Living in climate:
Advantages
Pleasant
growing season in winter
with irrigation can grow crops in summer
summer sun attracts tourists
Disadvantages
drought in summer
expensive to irrigate crops
forest fires in summer
4. Environmental Problem: Loss of coastal habitat
5. Causes: Tourist developments along coasts
6. Effects on environment: Large hotels and developments cause natural
coastline to be destroyed, water shortages, sea pollution and increase in
litter on streets and in landfill sites.
7. Effects on People: Loss of traditional way of life, some people get jobs,
loss of traditional buildings, busy during tourist season, litter and increase
in crime. Better services.
8. Effects on economy: Some people have jobs but they are poorly paid,
local area brings in much money
9. Solutions: Protect certain stretches of coastline, only allow traditional
buildings, increase taxes on hotels to pay for water and environmental
work.
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Revision Notes: Cold Desert Climate
Cold Desert Climate
Know where cold desert climates are found
Recognise and describe cold desert climate graph
Explain the advantages and disadvantages of living in
cold desert areas
List the main causes of oil pollution
Describe the main effects of oil industry on people,
the environment and the economy
Suggest solutions for stopping the effects of the oil
industry
Cold Desert Climate
1. Climate: Cold and dry all year
2. Location: Found north of the arctic circle – Greenland, Northern Canada,
Alaska, Siberia
3. Living in climate:
Advantages
Disadvantages
Cold means there
Cold all year particularly cold in winter
are less diseases
Summer difficult to move around due to marshy and wet
cannot farm due to low temperatures
Plenty animals for
houses built off ground
hunting and eating
pipes have to be insulated and heated
blizzards prevent supplies getting in
4. Environmental Problem: Loss of pristine environment and pollution
5. Causes: oil extraction
6. Effects on environment: Man-made structures cause visual intrusion,
risk of oil spills – destroys coastlines, kills wildlife, disturbs wildlife
7. Effects on People: Loss of traditional way of life, some people get jobs,
loss of traditional buildings, busy during tourist season, litter and increase
in crime. Better services.
8. Effects on economy: . More jobs, Oil brings in much money to
government, much money in local area
9. Solutions: Route of pipeline avoids migration route of elk, oil carried by
pipeline to avoid sea journey, high safety measures on tankers,
recognised routes to avoid collisions, emergency procedures in place for
clean-up.
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