UNIT 5. WORLD LANDSCAPES

WHAT AM I GOING TO LEARN?
1.Natural landscapes arround the world.
2. Natural landscapes in hot climates: Equatorial rainforest, tropical rainforest, savannah and hot desert.
3. Natural landscapes in temperate climates: Mediterranean forest and scrubland, hubid sub-tropical forest,deciduous forest, conifeous forest.
4. Natural landscapes in cold climates: tundra, polar and alpine.
5. Natural landscape and human beings.

WHAT DO I HAVE TO STUDY?
●Unit from your book.
● English handouts and worksheets.
● Spanish and English vocabulary (use your glossary book and vocabulary organizer)
●Activities from your book.
● The outline you made.

A biome is a large geographical area with characteristic types of plants and animals. The type of biome in a region depends on its climate and geography. The natural environment means all of the living and non-living things in an area. In this chapter, we will find out what biomes are found in different climates. We will also find out about how the natural environment influences the way humans live, and how humans change their environment.

1.1 TYPES OF BIOME
TUNDRA: Tundra is found in places where the ground is frozen for most of the year. There is only low vegetation like moss and lichen.
DESERT: Deserts are found in very dry areas. There are only a few plants, like cacti, that can survive in very dry conditions.
GRASSLAND: The main vegetation type in grasslands is grass. Areas with short grasses are called steppes and areas with tall grasses are called prairies.
SAVANNA: A savanna is an area where there is mainly grassland, but there are also some shrubs and trees.
FOREST: A forest is an area where there are lots of trees. There are different types of forest in different climates.

The type of biome in an area depends on the type of vegetation, the plants that grow there. The amount and type of vegetation depends on the climate: the hotter and wetter it is, the more vegetation there is.

2. Climatic zones
In Chapter 4, we saw that the Earth is divided into five main climatic zones:
– Hot Zones (Equator): Equatorial Climate, Tropical Wet and Dry Climate and Arid or Desert Climate.
– Temperate Zone: Mediterranean Climate, Maritime Climate and Continental Climate
– Cold zones: Polar Climate

Natural landscapes around the world.
Depending on the latitude, the natural landscapes may be in a hot, temperate or cold climate zone.
– Natural landscapes in hot climates are between 0º and 30º north and south of the Equator. Typical landscapes are equatorial and tropical rainforest, savannahs and hot deserts.
– Natural landscapes in temperate climates are between 30º and 60º latitudes north and south. From the lowest to the highest latitudes, the typical landscapes are Mediterranean forests and scrublands, humid sub-tropical forests, deciduous forests and coniferous forests.
– Natural landscapes in cold climates are between 60º and 90º latitudes north and south. Typical landscapes are alpine, tundra and perpetual ice.

Natural landscapes in hot climates: Equatorial rainforest, Tropical rainforest, Savannah and Hot desert.
a) EQUATORIAL CLIMATE Location: tropics, near the equator. Climate type: hot and humid, not much change in temperature by season or between day and night. High precipitation (more than 2.000 mm per year) which is regular throughout the year.
This natural landscape is found in equatorial climates. These are dense, leafy forests of trees with big, evergreen leaves that need a lot of water; the soil is poor in organic material.
b) TROPICAL RAINFOREST (JUNGLE) Forest with many different plants. Mainly broadleaf evergreen trees including ebony and mahogany. Plants grow quickly in the hot and damp conditions.
The vegetation is very varied. The tallest trees receive a lot of sunlight and endure very high temperatures; mid-height trees have big, wide leaves that block the light; moss, orchids and vines grow around them. At the lowest level, there are ferns and mimosas.
The fauna includes insects, reptiles (alligators and snakes), mammals (sloths, jaguars and apes), birds (macaws) and amphibians (frogs).

TROPICAL WET AND DRY CLIMATE
Location: edge of the tropics. Climate type: hot, not much change in temperature by season or between day and night. High precipitation (500 to 2000 mm per year) which is variable through the year. There is a dry season and a rainy season.
There is a less variety of vegetation than in the equatorial forest. The trees are not so tall o so close together.
SAVANNA: This natural landscape is in humid tropical climates. Agricultural and livestock farming deplete the soil in the savannah and may turn it into desert.
The vegetation consists of tall, thick grasses up to 4 m high during the rainy season; when there is no rain they dry up. There are some scattered trees, such as baobabs or acacias.
There are species from temperate zones, such as oaks and palms.
The fauna includes monkeys, anteaters, lizards and pumas. Animals include herbivores like giraffes and zebras, and carnivores such as lions and cheetahs.

ARID OR DESERT CLIMATES
Location: Hot Desert Climates: edge of the Tropics. Cold Desert Climates: temperate zones Climate type: Hot Deserts: very hot during the day and cold at night Cold Deserts: hot in summer and cold in winter Very low precipitation (less than 250 mm per year).
The savannah is replaced by the steppe in areas where the dry seasons is longer (dry tropical climate). When the climate is even hotter we find hot desert landscapes with hot desert climate. The soil is poor.
Vegetation is very sparse: grasses, small prickly bushes and plants such as the cactus. In oases, there is enough water for palms and fruit trees to grow.
Animals are scarce and have adapted to the lack of water: snakes, lizards, beetles, scorpions, doves, camels, dromedaries, etc.

Natural landscapes in temperate climates: Mediterranean forest and scrubland, Humid sub-tropical forest, Deciduous forest and Coniferous forest.
MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE
Location: around the Mediterranean Sea plus other areas including parts of California. Climate type: Hot in summer and mild in winter. Fairly low precipitation, mainly in winter. Very dry in summer.
The natural landscapes in temperate climates are found especially in Europe and America.
Mediterranean forest and scrubland
These are typical in areas with a Mediterranean climate. Forest with evergreen trees including cork oak, holm oak and pine. Shrubs like lavender and rosemary.

OCEANIC CLIMATE Location: most of northern and central Europe, plus many other parts of the world, including New Zealand. Climate type: Mild all year and high precipitation all year.
These are in areas with a maritime climate.
Vegetation have deciduous leves. HEATHLAND: Unfertile land with shrubs and low vegetation. In higher, wetter areas, this type of vegetation is sometimes called moor.
BOSQUE CADUCIFOLIO: Forest with broad-leaved deciduous trees including oak, beech and ash.
Fauna includes deer, bears, capercailles, etc.

CONTINENTAL CLIMATE
Location: northern parts of the northern hemisphere, particularly North America and Asia. Climate type: hot in summer and very cold in winter. Moderate precipitation only in summer.
Coniferous forest: These are typical in continental climate zones. Conifers can survive very cold winter temperatures thanks to the shape of their leaves (like needles) and their crowns, which are similar to a cone and allow snow to fall off. In areas where summer temperatures are hotter and there is not much rain, we find steppes and grasslands. The soil is poor because coniferous leaves decompose very slowly. There are many lakes and marshes.
The fauna is varied, including bears, deer, lynxes, foxes, wolves.

Cold climate types and biomes
a) POLAR CLIMATE Location: near the poles, in the Arctic and Antarctic. Climate type: cold, temperatures as low as -50ºC in winter and up to 10ºC in summer. Low precipitation (around 300mm per year, which falls as snow).
TUNDRA: Trees can’t grow at very low temperatures. There are only small shrubs and low vegetation like moss and lichen. In many places the soil is permanently frozen, this is called permafrost. The tundra is a plain made up of lichens, moss, shrubs and bushes. The soil is poor and there are animals like the arctic hare and fox.
PERPETUAL ICE: Perpetual ice is found in polar areas and there are no vegetation. There are animals like seals.

b) ALPINE CLIMATE Location: high mountain areas all over the world (usually above 3000m). Climate type: very cold in winter and cold summer. High precipitation, often falls as snow. Temperatures are lower at higher altitudes.
In alpine landscapes, the vegetation is in tiers. The higher up you go, the poorer the vegetation; forest is replaced by bushes, grassland and, in the highest regions, moss. After a certain altitude, the vegetation disappears. The fauna includes ibex, chamois and a variety of birds.

Humans and the environment
People choose the best places to live. Humans need natural resources like fresh water, fuel and building materials. They also need land for agriculture and to build towns. Good transport links make it easier to trade with other people. More people live in places that have the resources that they need. Example: London. London is one of the biggest cities in Europe. London has a maritime climate, so temperatures are moderate. It is located on a plain in the south of England, with land for agriculture nearby. London is on the River Thames, which provides water for drinking and irrigation of crops. It is also near the coast, which is useful for trade and fishing.
Adapting to the environment
Some people live in areas where life is more difficult. They have to adapt their lifestyle to their environment. In the most extreme environments, resources are scarce, so people have to move around over a large area to find the things they need. People who move around are called nomads.
MAASAI:The Maasai are cattle herders who live in the savanna of Kenya and northern Tanzania. They also farm sheep and goats. The Maasai have to keep moving to find water and grazing land for their animals.
TUAREG: The Tuareg are nomads who live in the Sahara desert. They herd camels and goats, and also make and sell silver and leather products and textiles. They live in tents, which they carry with them. The Tuareg are called the “blue people” because of the blue clothes that they wear.
INUITS: The Inuits live in the Arctic in North America. They hunt lots of different animals, including whales, seals and caribou. The Inuits traditionally used dogs sleds and kayaks for transport.
TIBETANOS NÓMADAS: Tibetan nomads in the Himalayas also have to move around to find grazings land for their yaks. Life is very hard because of the cold and high altitude. These communities have a traditional lifestyle, but this is changing as they have more contact with the rest of the world. Some people leave the community to live in towns or cities.

WHAT EFFECT DO HMANS HAVE ON THE ENVIRONMENT?
People make changes to the environment where they live by: using natural resources like wood, coal, oil and gas; building things like towns and roads; farming (agriculture). •Many of these changes cause damage to the environment. Here are some examples: •DEFORESTATION:It means removing forests by cutting down all of the trees. In Indonesia, trees are being cut down to make paper. Cutting down trees cause soil erosion and loss of biodiversity.
•DESERTIFICATION: is when the land turns into desert. The Kalahari desert in southern Africa is growing. In the area around the desert, sheep and goats are eating too many plants, this is called overgrazing. If there are less plants, there is more soil erosion. Eventually the land turns into desert. Desertification can also happen for other reasons, for example when there is soil erosion due to deforestation.