Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 20.4
Vegetation zones of Earth. Tropical and
subtropical zones: (1) evergreen rain forest, (2) semi-
evergreen and deciduous forest, (2a) dry woodland, savanna
and grassland, (3) hot semi-desert and desert, up to 35° north
and south latitude. Temperate and arctic zones: (4)
sclerophyllous woodland with winter rain, (5) moist warm-
temperate woodland, (6) deciduous forest, (7) steppes of the
temperate zone, (7a) semi-desert and deserts with cold
winters, (8) boreal coniferous zone, (9) tundra, (10) mountain
vegetation. Source: After Walter (1976).
ranean climate there is rain in winter, a long summer drought and no cold season,
although frosts do occasionally occur. The
sclerophyllous forests of the winter rain
regions
(4) occur along the Mediterranean coasts, in central and southern California,
central Chile, the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, and south-western and southern
Australia. The
Warm Temperate Zone
(V) has scarcely any or no winter. It is extremely
wet, especially in summer.
Warm temperate wet evergreen forests
(5) are most extensive
in eastern Asia. They are also located on the south-eastern coast of Australia, the North
Island of New Zealand, the east coast of South Africa, south-eastern Brazil, parts of
southern Chile, higher regions of Central America, and Florida. The
Typical Temperate
Zone
(VI) has a cold but short winter in continental locations or a winter almost free of
frost with cool summers in oceanic localities. The
deciduous forests
of the Temperate
Zone (6) occur in large parts of western and central Europe, eastern North America and
east Asia. In the southern hemisphere this zone is restricted to a small area of southern
Chile. In the
Arid Temperate Zone
(VII) large temperature contrasts occur between
summer and winter. Little precipitation is received. The
steppes
of the Temperate Zone
