EUROPE & RUSSIA: Humans & Physical Environment
Chapt 14, Sect 2
1.
How do people adapt to climate conditions in different parts of Europe and
Russia?
Climates, unlike weather, do not change from day-to-day, so people have an
opportunity plan ahead and be prepared for their climate. Their clothing, homes, and
food reflect the climate conditions and resources of where they live.
2.
How have people learned to modify and use the physical environment and natural
vegetation of Europe and Russia?
The North Central Plains were once covered by dense, deciduous forests. These
forests were cut to expand the farming areas. With its dark, rich soil, favorable
climate (due to the warming winds from the Gulf Stream), and plentiful water, this
area now produces most of what is needed to feed Europeans. Cities have grown up
in this area, and the North Central Plains is the second most densely populated
region on Earth. (Only areas in Asia are more densely populated.) As you go farther
north and the climate is much colder, only moss and grasses grow on the tundra and
fewer people have adapted to this climate.
deciduous
trees that lose their leaves
coniferous
trees with cones that cover their seeds and needle-like leaves
taiga
huge forested area (coniferous trees) across Russia (primarily Siberia)
prairies
grasslands
steppes
Russian grasslands
tundra
treeless plains in arctic and sub-arctic climates where the ground ispermanently frozen
permafrost
permanently frozen soil
Barcelona
a city in northeaster Spain with a Mediterranean climate
Irkutsk
a city in southern Siberia with a sub-arctic climate
Norway
Scandinavian country on the North Sea
Iceland
European island nation near the Arctic Circle
EUROPE & RUSSIA: Humans & Physical Environment
Grassland
Russian Steppes
South American Pampas
North American Central Plains
Chapt 14, Sect 2
Tundra
Arctic & sub-arctic climates
Treeless plains
Permafrost
NATURAL VEGETATION
Forest
Deciduous trees (leaves)
Coniferous (needles, cones)
Tiaga covers most of Siberia
Nuggets:
 Norway and Iceland have a marine west coast climate – rainy year round.
 Countries that form a ring around the Mediterranean Sea are in the “rain shadow” of
the Alpine Mountain system; its dry, warm weather creates a sub-tropical climate.
 Most of Eastern Europe is humid Continental (cool summers, cold winters), though
there is much humidity from the winds blowing across the Gulf Stream.
 Factors that influence climate: wind/water; size of region; latitude; elevation; and
mountains.
 Factors that influence vegetation: temperature, rainfall, altitude, and latitude.
 Tiaga in Russia covers more than 4,000,000 square miles.
 In Iceland, Norway, and northern Russia people have had to find ways to raise food
and construct shelters without the natural resources that forests provide.
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SUMMARY: People find ways to adapt to the climate and to modify the natural vegetation where they
live.