Why climate decides vegetation
Temperature and rainfall together explain most of the world's vegetation map before any other factor is considered.
Part of your national curriculum
- Human and physical geography: Understand weather and climate, including the change in climate from the Ice Age to the present
- Human and physical geography: Understand the key processes in biology relating to biomes, vegetation belts and ecosystems
Lesson overview
What you'll learn in this lesson
Explain how climate shapes vegetation
Key learning points
- • Pressure belts and rainfall
- • Adaptations follow climate
This lesson at a glance
- 25 minutes
- 12 parts to scroll through
- 3 quick checks
- Marked quiz at the end
- Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses
Words to know
Scroll down — the lesson carries on below
Watch & discover
Part 1 of 12
Visual introductionPicture this
Why climate decides vegetation
Temperature and rainfall together explain most of the world's vegetation map before any other factor is considered.
In a nutshell
Explain how climate shapes vegetation
Explore the idea
Part 2 of 12
Learn
Pressure belts and rainfall
Rising air at the equator brings heavy rain and rainforest. Sinking air near 30° north and south brings dry conditions and desert.
Explore the idea
Part 3 of 12
Learn
Adaptations follow climate
Waxy leaves reduce water loss; buttress roots spread in thin tropical soils; deciduous trees drop leaves to survive winter.
Reset break
Part 4 of 12
Pause
That's sitting 1 of 3 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Quick check
Part 5 of 12
Quick check
Part 6 of 12
Quick check
Part 7 of 12
Reset break
Part 8 of 12
Pause
That's sitting 2 of 3 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Challenge round
Part 9 of 12
Game · Sort it
Which of these are true?
Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.
True
Not true
Challenge round
Part 10 of 12
Game · Recall cards
Which piece of evidence best supports the claim that recent warming is human-caused?
Card 1 of 4
Mastery quiz
Part 11 of 12
Marked quiz
End of lesson quiz: Why climate decides vegetation
4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.
1. Which piece of evidence best supports the claim that recent warming is human-caused?
2. Deserts cluster around…
3. On a climate graph, bars usually show…
4. Tundra vegetation is low-growing mainly because of…
Lesson round-up
Part 12 of 12
Lesson round-up
Ready when you are
Quiz score
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Luna: 0 out of 3 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?
Ask LunaPart 1 of 12 · Watch & discover
How this is going
- Not looked at yet
Understand weather and climate, including the change in climate from the Ice Age to the present
- Not looked at yet
Understand the key processes in biology relating to biomes, vegetation belts and ecosystems