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Natural environments
There are three climate zones in the Earth
The cold zones
The temperate zones
The hot zone
Large gegraphical areas that share common characteristics related to
However, men had transformed natural environments building, farming
or logging
Natural environments in warm zones
The temperatures are high, around 25 °
Rainfall is abundant and distributed evenly
throughout the year
Rivers in these areas have high, regular flows
The vegetationis in the form of lush
jungle
There are different levels of vegetation
in the jungle
The population in the equatorial
environment is low because of the difficult natural
conditions.
The inhabitants have traditional
economic activities based on hunting,
fishing and gathering
The temperatures are always over 18 °
Precipitation is abundant, but there is a dry season
in winter and a wet season in summer
Rivers have considerable variaon in their flow
The vegetationis in the form tropical
forest or savannah
Savannas are open grasslands with shrubs
and isolated trees
The flora is adapted to seasonal changes in
precipitation
Have you seen The Lion King? How many animals can you remember in the film?
The population practise traditional economic activities, such as shifting cultivation, sedentary rain-fed
agriculture or raising livestock
There are also plantations of cocoa, coffee or tea, owned by foreign companies
The average annual temperature is above 18 °
Precipitation is very infrequent and irregular
Most of the time rivers are dry The flora is small, scarce and dispersed
Plants with spines, like cacti and shrubs are common
Only in an oasis there is abundant vegetation
Deserts are sparsely populated
Traditional economic activities are
haunting, gathering and shepperding
Modern economic activities are the
extraction of minerals, oil and gas
Natural environments in temperate zones
The temperatures are moderate Precipitation is low and
irregular, with a dry season in summer
Rivers have an irregular flow and carry little water
The vegetationis in the form evergreen forest
The most characteristic species are the holm oak, the cork oak and the
Mediterranean pine tree
This environment is densely populated
Traditional activities, like agriculture coexist with modern activities, especially tourism
Continental environment Oceanic environment
The temperatures are mild
Precipitation is regular and abundant
Rivers carry a regular amount of water
Vegetation is formed mainly of decidous forest, heathland, and
grassland
The most common species are the oak, beech, chestnut or elm.
Grassland or meadows are often used as pasture for cattle
The fauna is plentiful and with varied species. Some of them
hibernate
The temperatures are extreme
Precipitation is low and irregular. In winter it usually falls as snow
Rivers can freeze during the winter
Vegetation is formed by the taiga or the steppe
In the North, we can observe the taiga or coniferous forest, compound by species
such as the pine tree, the fir, the larch or the birch
The steppes are extensive grasslands with herbs. They are in the South, with higher
temperatures and lighter rainfall
Natural environments in cold
zones
The temperatures are extremely low Precipitation is very rare
and in the form of snow
There are no riversVegetation only grows during
the warmest period of the year
If the temperature rises above 0°, the surface layer of the ground thaw and so, some small plants can
grow. These areas are called the tundra
If the temperature never rises above 0°, the landscape is permanently frozen
Eskimos live in the tundra of North America, where they form villages dedicated to hunting and fishing
Sami people raise herds of reindeer in Northern Scandinavia
Temperature fall as altitude raise Precipitation is abundant
Three factors affect vegetation: latitude, altitude and the direction the vegetation faces
Environmental problems
Natural hazards
Flood
Tsunami
Hurricans
Thunderstorm
Earthquake
Volcano
Hazards caused by human activity
Acid rain
If air pollution is extremely heavy, that nitrogen oxides and
sulphur from industry enter raindrops
Pollution
Global warming
Experts claim that the warming of the
atmosphere is increasing because of carbon dioxide emissions
Deforestation
Desertification
Human activity causes lots of waste that pollute the water and
the soil
Waste residue
Oil spill
Energy produced by renewable sources can solve
the pollution problem
Sustainable development is the idea that improving our lifestyle today
should not cause a reduction in the quality of life for future generations