Physical Geography of Latin America/Climate and Vegetation

Physical Geography of Latin America

Climate and Vegetation

A VARIED CLIMATE AND VEGETATION

​

• The climate of Latin America ranges from the hot and humid to the dry and desert-like. ​

​

• Rain forest, desert, and savanna are all found in the region.

Multiple Choice

Latin America's _____ ranges from hot and humid to dry and desert-like.

• climate

• vegetation

• banana pudding

A VARIED CLIMATE AND VEGETATION

​

• The vegetation is varied.

​

• It includes rain forests, grasslands, and desert scrub.

​

• It ranges from the thick trees of the rain forests to the mosses of the tundra. 

A VARIED CLIMATE AND VEGETATION

This variety of climate and vegetation is due to several factors.

​

• First, Latin America spans a great distance on either side of the equator.

​

• Second, there are massive mountains in the region. This creates big changes in altitude.

​

• Third, ocean currents affect the climate. The currents of the Atlantic are warm, and the currents of the Pacific are cold. 

TROPICAL CLIMATE ZONES 

​

• The tropical climate zones of the region produce both rain forests and grasslands. 

TROPICAL CLIMATE ZONES 

​

• Rain forests are dense forests made up of different species of trees.

• Rain forests form an ecosystem in the region. An ecosystem is a community of plants and animals living in balance.

TROPICAL CLIMATE ZONES 

​

• Rain forests are found in the tropical wet climate zones.

​

• The climate in these areas is hot and rainy year round. 

Multiple Choice

What type of precipitation occurs in the Amazon rain forest?

• orographic

• frontal 

• convectional

• cats and dogs

TROPICAL CLIMATE ZONES 

​

• Rain forests are abundant in Central America, the Caribbean, and South America.

TROPICAL CLIMATE ZONES 

​

• The largest rain forest is the Amazon rain forest.

• It covers more than two million square miles of South America.

• Much of this rain forest is located in Brazil

TROPICAL CLIMATE ZONES 

​

• Rain forests contain many exotic plants and animals.  

Poll

Which tropical rainforest animal looks most like your neighbor??

TROPICAL CLIMATE ZONES 

​

• Scientists have counted more than 2,500 varieties of trees in the Amazon rain forest.

• One of these trees is the Brazil nut tree, which grows 150 feet high.

Multiple Choice

The hot and rainy weather of the tropical wet climate zone provides perfect growing conditions for the _____.

• grizzly bears

• rain forests

• tundras

TROPICAL CLIMATE ZONES 

​

• Living in these rain forests are anacondas, which are among the largest snakes in the world.

​

​

TROPICAL CLIMATE ZONES 

​

​

• There are also jaguars, the great cats of Latin America.

​

​

TROPICAL CLIMATE ZONES 

​

​

• In the water are piranhas, sharp-toothed, meat-eating fish. 

TROPICAL CLIMATE ZONES 

• Tropical wet and dry climate zones are found mainly in South America.

​

• Savannas are grasslands dotted with trees. They are common in tropical and subtropical regions. Savannas are found in Brazil, Colombia, and Argentina.

DRY CLIMATE ZONES 

• Dry climate zones are found in Mexico and in some countries in South America.

​

• Neither Central America nor the Caribbean has dry climate zones. 

DRY CLIMATE ZONES 

• A semiarid climate is dry, with some rain.

• Vast grass-covered plains are often found in semiarid climate zones.

• Desert shrubs may also grow in semiarid regions.

• Such regions are found in Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. 

Multiple Choice

Grass-covered plains are often found in a _____ climate.

• Semiarid

• Tropical

• Tundra

DRY CLIMATE ZONES 

• Parts of northern Mexico are classified as desert.

​

• So is much of the coast of Peru.

​

DRY CLIMATE ZONES 

• The Atacama Desert is in northern Chile.

• Argentina’s southern zone, Patagonia, contains a desert. 

​

MID-LATITUDE CLIMATE ZONES 

​

• Latin America’s mid-latitude, moderate climate zones are located south of the equator

​

• Humid subtropical areas have rainy winters and hot, humid summers.

MID-LATITUDE CLIMATE ZONES 

​

• Parts of Paraguay, Uruguay, southern Brazil, and northern Argentina are located in humid, subtropical climates.

• The vegetation is varied. 

MID-LATITUDE CLIMATE ZONES 

​

• Part of Chile along the west coast has a Mediterranean climate.

• There are hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters.  

MID-LATITUDE CLIMATE ZONES 

​

• The climate is similar to that of California.

• The vegetation in this climate is mainly chaparral (drought-resistant trees and shrubs). 

MID-LATITUDE CLIMATE ZONES 

​

• A marine west coast climate runs along the coast of southwestern South America.

​

• This climate is similar to that of Oregon or Washington.

MID-LATITUDE CLIMATE ZONES 

​

• It has cool, rainy winters and mild, rainy summers.

• Parts of southern Chile and Argentina have this climate.

• Forests are the typical vegetation. 

MID-LATITUDE CLIMATE ZONES 

​

• Highland climate zones vary depending on the altitude.

​

• They can be moderate to cold. Highland climates are also influenced by sunlight, the wind, and the landscape.

MID-LATITUDE CLIMATE ZONES 

• Highland climates are found in the mountains of Mexico and South America. 

Multiple Choice

Tropical and subtropical regions have grasslands called _____.

• cotton candy

• highlands

• savannas

Multiple Choice

Central America and the Caribbean do not have _____ climate zones.

• dry

• wet

• any

• 100