Chapter Summary
This chapter explores two contrasting climatic regions of the world - the Equatorial Climatic Region and the Tundra Climatic Region. Through imaginary travel diaries, students learn about the stark differences in climate, vegetation, wildlife, and human life between these regions.
Key Topics Covered:
1. Equatorial Climatic Region:
- Location: Between 23½°N and 23½°S latitudes
- Climate: High temperature (27°C average), heavy rainfall (175-250 cm annually), no distinct seasons
- Vegetation: Tropical rainforests (called Selvas in Amazon), evergreen forests with multiple canopy layers
- Wildlife: Arboreal animals like orangutans, chimpanzees, lemurs, and various birds
- Human Life: Indigenous tribes (Pygmies, Amazon Indians, Orang Asli), shifting cultivation, modern plantation agriculture
- Challenges: Diseases, transport difficulties, deforestation
2. Tundra Climatic Region:
- Location: Arctic regions north of 66½°N latitude
- Climate: Extremely cold winters (-25 to -35°C), short summers, polar nights and days
- Vegetation: Mosses, lichens, dwarf willows, hardy grasses
- Wildlife: Polar bears, arctic foxes, reindeer, musk-oxen
- Human Life: Nomadic tribes (Eskimos/Inuit, Lapps, Samoyeds), hunting and fishing lifestyle
- Challenges: Harsh climate, permafrost melting due to climate change
Question and Answer Study Material
PART A: EQUATORIAL CLIMATIC REGION
Q1. What is the Equatorial Climatic Region and where is it located?
Answer: The Equatorial Climatic Region is the area around the Earth's equator, extending roughly between 23½°N and 23½°S latitudes. It spreads across:
- South America: Amazon Basin (Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia)
- Africa: Central Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Gabon)
- Asia: Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, parts of Philippines
- Oceania: New Guinea
Q2. Why does the Equatorial region have no winter season?
Answer: The Equatorial region receives vertical solar rays throughout the year due to its location near the equator. This results in:
- High rate of insolation consistently
- Uniform temperature (around 27°C) year-round
- No significant seasonal variation
- Therefore, no winter season occurs
Q3. Describe the rainfall pattern in the Equatorial region.
Answer:
- Annual rainfall: 175-250 cm
- Distribution: Well-distributed throughout the year
- Types:Convectional rainfall (afternoon thunderstorms)
- Orographic rainfall (in mountainous areas)
- Occasional cyclonic rainfall
- Characteristics: No distinct dry season, heavy downpours
Q4. What are the main features of Equatorial rainforests?
Answer:
- Evergreen nature: Trees remain green throughout the year
- High biodiversity: Up to 200 plant species per acre in Malaysian rainforests
- Canopy layers: Multiple levels (Upper, Intermediate, Lower layers)
- Tree varieties: Ebony, mahogany, cinchona, rosewood
- Other vegetation: Lianas, epiphytes, orchids, ferns, lalang grass
- Ecological importance: Called "Lungs of the World" for oxygen production
Q5. Name the indigenous tribes of the Equatorial region and their characteristics.
Answer: Pygmies (Africa - Congo Basin):
- Short-statured people
- Nomadic hunters and gatherers
- Live in temporary huts made of leaves and branches
- Collective decision-making
Amazon Indians (South America):
- Practice shifting cultivation
- Hunt, fish, and gather forest products
- Live in houses called Malocas
Orang Asli (Malaysia):
- Indigenous people of Malaysian rainforests
- Live in villages called Kampongs
- Houses made of wood, bamboo, and leaves
Q6. What is shifting cultivation? What crops are grown?
Answer: Shifting cultivation (slash-and-burn agriculture) involves:
- Clearing forest areas by cutting and burning trees
- Cultivating until soil fertility decreases
- Abandoning the area and moving to new forest land
Crops grown: Manioc (tapioca), yam, maize, bananas, groundnuts
Q7. List the major plantation crops of the Equatorial region.
Answer:
- Rubber: Malaysia and Indonesia (leading producers)
- Cocoa: West Africa
- Oil Palm: Indonesia, Malaysia
- Others: Coconuts, sugarcane, coffee, tea, bananas, pineapples
Q8. What challenges does the Equatorial region face?
Answer:
- Health issues: Sleeping sickness (Tse Tse flies), yellow fever (mosquitoes)
- Transportation: Difficult to build roads and railways through dense forests
- Communication: Remote areas lack modern systems
- Agriculture: Lalang grass growth affects crop cultivation
- Commercial logging: Dense forests and heavy hardwoods make extraction difficult
- Deforestation: Human activities destroying forests
- Livestock: Difficult due to lack of grazing land and insect attacks
PART B: TUNDRA CLIMATIC REGION
Q9. Where is the Tundra region located and what are its types?
Answer: Location: North of the Taiga region, along Arctic coasts
Types:
- Arctic Tundra: Alaska, Northern Canada, Siberia, Greenland, Iceland, North Scandinavia
- Alpine Tundra: High mountainous regions
Q10. Describe the climate of the Tundra region.
Answer:
- Temperature: Very low mean annual temperature
- Winter: -25 to -35°C (even lower in interior parts)
- Summer: Short, few weeks above 0°C
- Daylight:Polar day: Sun never sets for weeks (Arctic summer)
- Polar night: Sun never rises for weeks (Arctic winter)
- Precipitation: Mainly snowfall, strong blizzards
Q11. What type of vegetation is found in the Tundra?
Answer:
- Trees: Generally absent due to harsh climate
- Common vegetation:Mosses and lichens
- Sedges and bushes
- Hardy grasses (in coastal lowlands)
- Dwarf willows and stunted birches
- Summer changes: Bushes bear berries, flowers bloom when snow melts
Q12. Name the animals found in the Tundra region.
Answer: Permanent residents:
- Polar bears
- Arctic foxes
- Arctic hares
- Musk-oxen
- Reindeer/Caribou
- Wolves
Seasonal visitors:
- Migratory birds (arrive in summer to feed on insects)
Q13. Which tribes live in the Tundra and what are their characteristics?
Answer: Tribes by Region:
- Greenland, North Canada, Alaska: Eskimos/Inuit
- North Finland, Scandinavia: Lapps
- Siberia: Samoyeds
- Lena Basin: Yakuts
- North-Eastern Asia: Koryaks, Chuckchi
Lifestyle characteristics:
- Nomadic hunting and fishing
- Use whale, seal, caribou for food, clothing, tools
- Winter: Live in igloos (snow houses)
- Summer: Portable tents made of animal skin
- Transportation: Sledges pulled by dogs, kayaks for water
Q14. How has modern life affected Tundra communities?
Answer: Traditional changes:
- Coastal Eskimos now live in houses with modern amenities
- Use speedboats instead of traditional kayaks
- Schools established for Eskimo children
- Commercial fur farming and reindeer rearing
Modern developments:
- Mining settlements
- Agriculture in southern Tundra areas
- Cereals with short growing seasons cultivated
Q15. How does climate change affect the Tundra?
Answer: Effects of global warming:
- Permafrost melting considerably
- Ecosystem disruption
- Environmental equilibrium affected
- Traditional way of life threatened
- Wildlife habitat changes
PART C: COMPARATIVE QUESTIONS
Q16. Compare the climate of Equatorial and Tundra regions.
Answer: Equatorial Region Climate:
- Temperature: High (27°C average)
- Seasons: No distinct seasons
- Rainfall: Heavy (175-250 cm annually)
- Sunshine: Consistent year-round
Tundra Region Climate:
- Temperature: Very low (-25 to -35°C)
- Seasons: Short summer, long winter
- Rainfall: Light, mostly snow
- Sunshine: Polar days and nights
Q17. How do humans adapt to life in these extreme climatic regions?
Answer: Equatorial Region adaptations:
- Houses built with local materials (wood, bamboo, leaves) for cooling
- Shifting cultivation suited to forest environment
- Hunting and gathering lifestyle
- Modern coastal settlements for better living conditions
Tundra Region adaptations:
- Igloos for winter shelter
- Animal skin clothing for warmth
- Nomadic lifestyle following food sources
- Use of sledges and kayaks for transportation
- Dependence on hunting and fishing
Q18. What is the ecological importance of both regions?
Answer: Equatorial Rainforests:
- Called "Lungs of the World"
- Absorb CO₂ and produce oxygen
- Maintain global ecological balance
- High biodiversity conservation
Tundra Region:
- Climate regulation through permafrost
- Carbon storage in frozen soil
- Important for global climate patterns
- Habitat for specialized Arctic species
PART D: APPLICATION QUESTIONS
Q19. Why are equatorial rainforests called the "Lungs of the World"?
Answer: Equatorial rainforests are called the "Lungs of the World" because they:
- Absorb massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
- Produce oxygen at a very high rate
- Help maintain the global oxygen-carbon dioxide balance
- Play a crucial role in regulating Earth's climate
Q20. Explain why Mount Kilimanjaro remains snow-covered despite being in the equatorial region.
Answer: Mount Kilimanjaro remains snow-covered because:
- It is a very high mountain peak (altitude effect)
- Temperature decreases with increasing altitude
- At high altitudes, temperature remains below freezing point
- This demonstrates that altitude can override the effects of latitude in determining local climate
Important Terms to Remember
- Doldrums: Low-pressure region along the equator with minimal horizontal air movement
- Selvas: Rainforests of the Amazon Basin
- Belukar: Secondary forests in Malaysia
- Maloca: Traditional houses in Amazon Basin
- Kampong: Malaysian villages
- Igloos: Dome-shaped snow shelters of Eskimos
- Kayaks: Traditional Eskimo boats
- Permafrost: Permanently frozen subsoil in Tundra
- Blizzards: Strong snowstorms in Tundra
- Convectional rainfall: Afternoon thunderstorms in equatorial regions
Map Work Practice
Students should be able to locate and mark on world maps:
- Equatorial countries: Brazil, Congo, Indonesia, Malaysia
- Tundra regions: Alaska, Northern Canada, Siberia, Greenland
- Major cities: Singapore, Jakarta, Manaus, Bogotá
- Climate boundaries: Arctic Circle, Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn