East Asia Climate and Vegetation

East Asia Climate and Vegetation

Terms and Names

typhoon tropical storm that occurs in the western Pacific

Taklimakan Desert desert located in western China 

Gobi Desert desert located in northern China and southeast Mongolia

HIGH LATITUDE CLIMATE ZONES 

• Typhoons occur in parts of East Asia.

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• A typhoon is a tropical storm that occurs in the western Pacific.

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• But aside from typhoons, the weather in East Asia is similar to that of the United States. Both are at the same latitude. Both have similar climate zones. 

HIGH LATITUDE CLIMATE ZONES 

• There are subarctic climate zones along Mongolia’s and China’s northern borders with Russia.

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• The summers in these areas range from cool to cold. The winters are brutally cold. They test the survival skills of the inhabitants. The climate is generally dry. 

HIGH LATITUDE CLIMATE ZONES 

• The typical vegetation in this area is northern evergreen forest.

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• Varieties of mosses and lichens also grow in the subarctic zone. They grow on rocks and tree trunks. 

HIGH LATITUDE CLIMATE ZONES 

• Highland climates are found mostly in western China

• The temperature in the highland zones varies. The farther north the latitude and the higher the elevation, the colder the climate.​

• The western  highlands are sparsely populated. This is due to the severe climate and topography

HIGH LATITUDE CLIMATE ZONES 

• The vegetation in the highlands also varies with elevation.

• Forest and alpine tundra are the typical vegetation regions. Tundras have no trees. The soil a few feet below the surface is permanently frozen.

• In this environment, only mosses, lichens, and shrubs can grow. Because of the cold and the difficulty of growing crops, few people live here. 

Multiple Choice

Where are highland climates found?

• Highland climates are found mostly in western China.

• Highland climates are found mostly in northern China.

• Highland climates are found mostly in eastern China.

• Bananas

MID-LATITUDE ZONES 

• Mid-latitude zones are more comfortable to live in.

• They have moderate climates.

• The land is productive.

• The rainfall is sufficient for agriculture.

• An important resource of these zones is their forests. 

MID-LATITUDE ZONES 

• Northeastern China, North Korea, northern South Korea, and northern Japan have humid continental climates.

• The forests in this climate zone are mainly coniferous.

• Over the years, agriculture has transformed the landscape. Farms have replaced many of the forests.

• Temperate grasslands are also found in this region. The grasslands are ideal for grazing. 

MID-LATITUDE ZONES 

• Southeastern China, southern South Korea, southern Japan, and northern Taiwan are in a humid subtropical zone.

• The forests in humid subtropical zones are both deciduous and coniferous. The broad-leafed deciduous trees are usually found in the north. The coniferous forests are mainly found in areas of the south with sandy soil.

• Loggers and farmers have greatly reduced the forests in the southeast. 

Multiple Choice

What has happened to forests in each of these climate zones?

• Loggers and farmers have greatly reduced the homework.

• Loggers and farmers have greatly reduced the number of playgrounds.

• Loggers and farmers have greatly reduced the forests.

• Loggers and farmers have greatly reduced the number of pandas.

DRY ZONES

• Dry zones of the region include both steppes and deserts. There is relatively little vegetation.

• These zones are not good for agriculture. Because of this, they have not been settled much by people.

• Instead, nomads have used the semiarid areas to graze livestock. 

DRY ZONES

• Parts of the Mongolian Plateau make up the semiarid zones of the region.

• The vegetation of semiarid zones consists mainly of short grasses.

• These grasses provide food for grazing animals and livestock. 

DRY ZONES

• Most of the deserts in the region are found in the west central area of the mainland.

• ​The Taklimakan Desert is located in western China. It lies between the Tian Shan and Kunlun mountains. 

DRY ZONES

The Gobi Desert is located in northern China and southeast Mongolia.

The Gobi is a prime area for finding dinosaur fossils. Thousands of dinosaurs roamed through the region millions of years ago. 

Multiple Choice

Why are these zones thinly populated?

• Hamburger

• There are relatively few tacos and the dry zones are not good for your teeth.

• There is relatively little vegetation and the dry zones are not good for agriculture.

TROPICAL ZONES

• The tropical zones of East Asia contain mainly wet climates.

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• The primary vegetation region is rain forest.

TROPICAL ZONES

• The tropical climate zone in East Asia is fairly small. It includes a small strip of land along China’s southeastern shore, the island of Hainan, and the southern tip of Taiwan.

• These areas have high temperatures, heavy rainfall, and high humidity every month of the year. The tropical rain forest in these places is made up of tall broadleaf trees. The trees grow densely in the rain forests. 

Multiple Choice

A tropical storm that occurs in the western Pacific is called a

• tundra.

• hurricane.

• typhoon.

• monsoon.

Multiple Choice

If you traveled from the Tian Shan to the Kunlun Mountains, you would cross the

• Gobi Desert.

• Taklimakan Desert.

• Mongolian Plateau.

• island of Hainan.

Multiple Choice

The most common vegetation of the tropical zones of East Asia is the

• steppe.

• rain forest.

• evergreen forest.

• tundra.

Multiple Choice

If you visited southeast Mongolia, you would be in the

• North China Plain.

• Kunlun Mountains.

• Gobi Desert.

• Taklimakan Desert.

Multiple Choice

Subarctic climate zones occur along

• Mongolia's and China's northern borders with Russia.

• Mongolia's and China's northern borders

  with Kazakhstan.

• North Korea's northern border with China.

Multiple Choice

Moderate climates, productive land, and forests make up

• mid-latitude zones.

• tropical wet climates.

• semiarid zones.

• highland climates.