East Asia

Climate and Vegetation

Objectives 1. Examine the major climate regions in East Asia.

2. Discover how climate affects people and vegetation in East Asia.

Key TermsMonsoonTyphoonDeciduous

Monsoon

A wind that changes direction with the change of season.

TyphoonA tropical storm that develops over the Pacific Ocean,

with winds that reach speeds greater than 74 miles per hour.

Deciduous

Falling off or shedding, as in leaves, seasonally or at a certain stage of development.

East Asia’s Climate Regions

East Asia has seven climate regions.

The tropical wet and the subarctic region cover a relatively small part of the land in East Asia.

The five major climate regions are semiarid, arid, humid subtropical, humid continental, and highland.

Map Master: East Asia Climate and Vegetation

phschool.com (Web Code lcp-6112) p. 581

1. What region is shown on the map? 2. How many different climate regions

are represented on the map? 3. How does the climate change as you

move from the islands of East Asia west toward the Plateau of Tibet? How does it change as you move from the islands north toward Mongolia?

Monsoons Monsoons (winds that change

direction with the change of season) strongly affect the climates of East Asia.

In summer, Pacific Ocean winds blow northwest toward the Asian continent and bring rainfall that starts in June as a drizzle.

In July, the winds cause hot, humid weather and heavier rain.

Monsoons In winter, the winds blow toward the

east. The winds that begin in the interior of

northern Asia are icy cold and very dry. In parts of China, the winds produce

dust storms that can last for days. Where they cross warm ocean waters,

these monsoons pick up moisture. Farther inland, they drop it as rain or

snow.

Typhoons East Asia has hurricanes like those

that sometimes strike the southern coastline of the United States.

These violent storms, which develop over the Pacific Ocean, are called typhoons.

Typhoon wind speeds reach 74 mph or higher.

A typhoon that struck China in 1922 resulted in 60,000 deaths.

The Influences of Climate In East Asia, climate governs

everything from the natural vegetation to agriculture.

Climate affects what people grow, how often they can plant crops, and how easily they can harvest their fields.

How Climate Affects Vegetation in East Asia

Much of the plant life in East Asia is strong enough to stand seasonal differences in temperature and rainfall. (Ex: Bamboo)

Shrubs and many small flowing plants in the deserts of China spring up rapidly after summer rains.

Bamboo and Shrubs

How Climate Affects Vegetation in East Asia

Deciduous, or leaf-shedding, trees change with the seasons.

Maples, birches, and other trees turn the hillsides of Japan and the Koreas gold, orange, and red, once summer gives way to fall.

Deciduous Trees

How Climate Affects People in East Asia

Climate greatly affects life in East Asia.

For example, the Huang “Yellow” River gets its name from the brownish-yellow loess that is blown by the desert winds. The river picks up the loess and deposits it to the east on the North China Plain. This plain is one of the best farming areas in China.

Map Master: Natural Vegetation

phschool.com (Web Code lcp-6122) p. 582

1. What is the topic of this map?

2. How many different types of forests are shown on the map? Name each one.

The Huang “Yellow” River

How Climate Affects People in East Asia

The diet of East Asia is also affected by climate.

Because rice grows best in warm weather, it is the main crop – and food – of people in southern China.

In the cooler north, wheat and other grains grow better than rice.

This means that people in the north eat more floor products, such as noodles.

Rice and Wheat in East Asia