climate & vegetation

Climate & Vegetation5 types of climate:

1. Equatorial/Monsoon

2. Warm temperate

3. Cold temperate

4. Hot desert

5. Tundra

Climate & Vegetation

The Koppen Climate Classification system

Designed by Koppen (1846-1940), a German climatologist and botanist.

By 1900, he included plant communities in his selection of some temperature criteria

Climate & VegetationThe Koppen Climate Classification system

He added letter symbols to designate climate types (eg. Af for tropical rainforest)

Later, he reduced the role played by plants in setting boundaries and moved his system towards strictly climatological empiricism.


First wall map showing world climate (co-authored with his student) was introduced in 1928 and was soon widely used.

The map constantly went under revision until Koppen’s death.


Koppen used average monthly temperatures, average monthly precipitation and total annual precipitation to circumscribe spatial categories and boundaries on his climatic map.

Note: boundaries are transition zones of gradual change. What is more crucial are the trends and overall patterns of boundary lines.


A – Tropical (equatorial regions)

B – Dry (deserts and steppes; arid and semiarid regions)

C – Mesothermal (humid subtropical, Mediterranean, marine west coast regions)

D – Microthermal (humid continental, subarctic regions)


E – Polar regions

H – Highland (compared with lowlands at the same latitude, the highlands have lower temperatures)

Capital letters are used to designate climatic categories by latitude, from the equator (A) to the poles (E) + H category for the special case of highlands.


Of the six categories, all but B are based purely on temperature criteria.

Within each climate classification, additional lower-case letter are used to signify temperature and moisture conditions.

Climate & VegetationClimate characteristics

A. Equatorial climate

• High temperatures throughout the year

• High humidity (thick cloud cover) ensures that temperatures are not exceedingly high

• Rain falls every month (annual amount is high)

• Rainfall evenly distributed throughout the year


B. Tropical Monsoon climate

• Found between 10°N/S and 25°N/S

• Has a hot and cool season

• Larger annual range of temperature than in equatorial region

• Distinct dry and wet seasons


C. Temperate climate

• Experienced between 30°N/S and 70°N, 60°S

• Characterised by four seasons

• Great variations in temperatures and rainfall depending on location

• Can be sub-divided into warm, cool and cold temperate climate

Climate & Vegetation

Climate & VegetationClimate, in particular rainfall and temperature, determines the type of natural vegetation found in an area.

Natural vegetation: plant life that has not been planted by people.

Natural vegetation may be classified as forests, grasslands and deserts.

Climate & VegetationReferences

Chong, M. (2001) Aspects of Physical Geography, Singapore: Pekoe Books.

Waugh, D. (2000) Geography – An Integrated Approach, UK: Nelson.

• For more info on Koppen Classification:

http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa011700b.htm