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Full Description
A stunning look at Earth's wildlife and natural history, including rocks, minerals, animals, plants, fungi and more! Arranged by biome, Natural History of the World offers a broad overview of the most important animals and vegetation in each region. These zones help us understand the ranges of plants and animals, including identifying species that may be under threat from habitat loss. Climate zones can even help farmers and gardeners understand which plants will grow best in their area. From the arid, desolate Sahara, the largest hot desert in the world where temperatures can exceed 40oC (100oF), to Macapá in Brazil where the tropical monsoon climate means over six months of rain from December to July every year, marvel at the beauty and variety that exists on our planet and has done so for millions of years. Striking imagery is accompanied with easy-to-read, accessible information, making it a riveting, essential history. Natural History of the World is an explorative, pictorial guide to every environment on the planet and how nature has evolved to live there, ranging from the Mesozoic Era to the present day.
Contents
Contents: Tropical climates The tropical climate in the Köppen system is defined as having an average temperature in every month of above 18oC. There is no winter season, and annual rainfall is large and exceeds the annual evaporation. We find tropical rainforest climates in South America, Africa and south-east Asia. Tropical rainforest vegetation: Bengal bamboo, bougainvillea, curare, coconut tree, durian and banana. Tropical monsoon vegetation: teak, deodar, rosewood, sandalwood and bamboo. Tropical wet and dry or savanna vegetation: acacia senegal, elephant grass, jarrah tree, gum tree eucalyptus and whistling thorn. Tropical animals: sloths, pangolins, forest deer, jaguars, lemurs, ocelots Desert climates Desert climates are extremely dry, and their cloudless skies lead to large temperature swings. Deserts have some of the hottest temperatures on Earth, but many will drop below freezing at night. One of the driest places on Earth is the Atacama Desert of Chile, on the west coast of South America. Desert vegetation: cactuses, succulents, mesquites and saguaros Desert animals: hares, gazelle, camels, foxes, kit fox, cats, arthropods, lizards, small birds, rodents, squirrels and shrews Temperate climates The cool temperate climate (D) in the Köppen climate classification is defined as having a coldest month with an average temperature below -3oC and an average temperature of the warmest month above 10oC. These climates are found in most of western Europe, western and eastern regions of USA and eastern China. Temperate vegetation: forests, grasslands and chaparral, lichen, moss, ferns, wildflowers, oak, birch, magnolia, maple and beech Temperate animals: ground squirrels, coyotes, badgers, bison, elk, monkey, otter and porcupine Continental climates Areas with continental climates have colder winters, longer-lasting snow, and shorter growing seasons. Continental climates experience extreme seasonal changes.
Continental climates are mostly in the continental interiors of Canada and Russia, with some in the northern USA. Continental vegetation: a white flowering shrub; the coneflower, cranberry bush, wintergreen, Gaillardia, maidenhair fern and hydrangeas Continental animals: squirrels, chipmunks, prairie dogs, skunks and raccoons Polar climates The two polar climate types, tundra and ice cap, lie within the Arctic and Antarctic Circles near the North and South Poles. Polar vegetation: flowering plants, dwarf shrubs, herbs, grasses, mosses, and lichens Polar animals: polar bears, penguins, seals, arctic foxes, brown bear, snowy owl, and elk
