Climate and vegetation around the world

Question 1

Explain the difference between climate and weather

Answer 1

Weather describes what the temperature, wind, rainfall and cloud cover are over a short period of time, eg 1-2 days.
Climate describes the weather over a long period of time, eg in summer or winter.

Question 2

Provide 5 aspects of weather

Answer 2

1. wind
2. precipitation
3. temperature
4. cloud cover
5. vegetation

Question 3

5 key words to describe climate

Answer 3

1. hot
2. mild (warm or cool, no extremes of hot or cold)
3. cold
4. wet
5. dry

Question 4

The study of the atmosphere and people who does this study are known as

Answer 4

meteorology

meteorologists

Question 5

Describe the difference in climate between the southern and northern hemisphere

Answer 5

South: summer in January and winter in July (eg Cape Town)
North: winter in Jan and summer in July (eg London)

Question 6

Descriptions of temperature

Answer 6

Over 30 - very hot
20-30 - hot
10-20 - warm,
0-10 - cool
-10-0 - cold 
less than -10 - very cold

Question 7

Descriptions of rainfall

Answer 7

Over 2000 mm - very wet
1000-2000 - wet
500-1000 - moderately wet (eg Tsitsikamma forest)
250-500 - dry
less than 250 - very dry (semi-desert)

Question 8

How can human life be affected by climate. Name 2 examples.

Answer 8

1) activities

2) clothes, what to wear

Question 9

Name 2 elements of the environment that are affected by climate

Answer 9

1) wildlife

2) vegetation

Question 10

Describe tropical rainforests and where are they located?

Answer 10

Huge areas of tall trees and dense vegetation.

Between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. So it’s close to the Equator.

Question 11

Describe the climate of rainforests.

Answer 11

Hot and wet all year round. Heavy rainfall, daily thunderstorms.

Question 12

What is a climate graph?

Answer 12

A graph showing the average temperature and rainfall of a place for every month of the year.

Question 13

What is the 2 most important parts of climate?

Answer 13

1) rainfall

2) temperature

Question 14

Describe vegetation in rainforests.

Answer 14

Lots of plants grow there. More than 1000 different trees.
The trees are evergreen. Many grow to the same height and form a canopy over the forest. The canopy provides shade for shorter trees and block heavy rainfall.
The trees have adapted to survive in the high temperature, high rainfall and the light conditions in the forest.
Some leaves of shrubs are arranged to catch water, others have drip tips to get rid of water so they don’t rot.
Some plants grow high to reach the light. They get food from the tree, not the soil.
Forest floor consists of dead leaves and soil.
If forests are removed, soil is of poor quality.

Question 15

How would you describe the wildlife in a tropical forest?

Answer 15

Many animals live there, because it is warm all year and there is plenty of water.
Birds, insects and animals can feed of the fruit and berries of plants.
There are also predators - animals that hunt and eat their prey.
Insects are the largest group of animals.
Animals have special adaptations to survive in the rainforest, eg
- cope with the heat
- eat certain kinds of food that others cannot
- hide from predators
- sneak up on prey
- move through the trees

Question 16

Name a few examples of interesting animals in the rainforest.

Answer 16

Sloth (one of the slowest moving animals in the world)
Toucans (large, strong beaks)
Monkeys and apes (long arms to swing through the trees)
Jaguars and tigers (markings to camouflage them)
Frogs (sticky pads under their feet to climb trees in search of insects, webs between toes to glide from tree to tree)
Peccaries (similar to pigs, eat most things, sensitive noses to sniff out food, strong jaws to crush nuts)

Question 17

What is deforestation?

Answer 17

Destroying forests by cutting down or burning trees.

Question 18

Why are people destroying forests?

Answer 18

To make space to grow crops
To farm cattle
To search for coal and minerals
To sell the wood for making furniture and floorboards

Question 19

Name the consequences of deforestation.

Answer 19

1) Plants and animals die out. This can mean that they become extinct, they are gone forever.
2) Local people suffer. They lose their homes and cannot make a living anymore as they used to (by using the forest).

Question 20

Name the 2 largest rainforests in the world. Which one is at risk of deforestation?

Answer 20

1) Amazon (South America)

2) Congo (Central Africa) - at risk.

Question 21

How does rainforests help sick people?

Answer 21

Medicines are made from substances found in rainforests. It can help treat serious illnesses like cancer, TB and malaria.

Question 22

Define hot deserts

Answer 22

Places that are HOT and VERY DRY all year. Very hot in the summer, hot in winter.

Question 23

Describe the natural vegetation and wildlife in a desert.

Answer 23

There are many kinds of plants and animals that have adapted to the hot and dry conditions.

Question 24

How did desert plants adapt to survive there?

Answer 24

• collect water
• store water
• lose as little water as possible
• stay as cool as possible

Question 25

Name the adaptations of animals that live in the desert.

Answer 25

• live in a burrow underground where it is cool
• are nocturnal (sleep in the day and are active at night when it is cooler)
• light in colour to reflect sunlight
• long ears with many blood vessels to lose heat
• get the water they need from the food they eat (plants or prey animals)

Question 26

Name the adaptations of a camel to survive in the desert.

Answer 26

1) nostrils - can close it to keep out sand
2) eye lashes - two rows to protect the eyes from sand and give them shade
3) body - hump stores fat so it can go without water for long. Can drink up to 46 litres of water at a time.

Question 27

What do we call people who live in the desert and move from place to place?

Answer 27

nomads

Question 28

How do nomads survive?

Answer 28

Hunter gatherers collect fruit and roots and follow wild animals to hunt them.
Others move with domestic animals in search of grazing.

Question 29

Are there settlements in a desert?

Answer 29

There can be a settlement where there is water. We call the settlements Oasis villages.

Question 30

Describe the climate of coniferous forests.

Answer 30

Summers are short and warm, winters are long and cold.
The precipitation is snow, not rain.
The water in the soil close to the surface freezes.

Question 31

Describe the vegetation in a coniferous forest.

Answer 31

Different kinds or coniferous trees.
Their shape, roots, bark, needles and cones help them survive the cold, dry, long winters.
The waxy surface on pine leaves (needles) helps reduce the loss of water.
Instead of flowers they have cones with seeds in. The cones protect the seeds from the cold.

Question 32

How does the wildlife look in a coniferous forest?

Answer 32

All kinds of animals, but very few reptiles (too cold for the reptiles).
Since food is hard to find in winter some animals migrate. This means they leave the forest in the winter, and return in summer.
The animals who stay during the winter, hibernate. This means they sleep in their den through winter (eg bears).
Animals also collect and store food in the summer to keep them through the winter (eg squirrels).

Question 33

What is the most important human activity in coniferous forests?

Answer 33

Logging - cutting down trees to use their wood in the building industry or for making paper.

Question 34

What is the most important characteristic of coniferous trees’ wood?

Answer 34

It is softwood, perfect for making paper (eg books and tissues)