Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
T A B L E 8.1. Basic K ¨ ppen Climate Zones
Zone
Designation
a
Characteristics
A
Evenly distributed rain year round and constant high
temperatures year round, i.e., a tropical climate
B
Little rain and wide variations in temperature. This
zone is subdivide into two subgroups
C
Rain in winter with dry summers typically of midla-
titude areas
D
Moderate rainfall with wide variation in temperature.
This is the climate of large continents
E
Cold climates with short periods above freezing
a
Letters correspond to those in Figure 8.11.
Further subdivisions are made using lowercase letters for their designation as shown
in Table 8.2. Thus, f designates adequate rainfall in all months with no dry season (used
with A, C, and D). High rainfall areas, with short dry period, such as rainforest, are desig-
nated by m (used only with A). Dry summers are designated by s and dry winters by
w. Further distinctions can be made by using additional lowercase letters as needed.
Knowing the climate classification and knowing the types of crops grown in that
zone gives a good indication of crop adaptation to an area. A generalized world map
showing K ¨ppen classifications is shown in Figure 8.11. While this classification
system gives good information relative to agriculture, it does not provide specific infor-
mation, such as total rainfall or soil moisture available for crop production. Also local
conditions, such as proximity to mountains, rivers, and ocean currents may significantly
change localized weather conditions that would allow production of crops that would
not normally grow in the region.
However, to understand crop and animal production, it is essential to know not
only about temperature, rainfall patterns, and the altitude of a particular area but also
T A B L E 8.2. Further Subdivisions to K ¨ ppen Climate Zones
Major Zone
Used with
Designation
Characteristic
a
Hot summers over 228C
C, D
b
Warm summer but less than 228C
C, D
c
Cool summer with .4 months over
108C
C, D
d
Very cold winters, i.e., temperature
below 2388C
D
h
Hot and dry mean annual temperature
,188C
B
k
Cold and dry mean annual temperature
.188C
B
