Use the climatic data below to answer the questions that follow; Month jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Temp(ºC) -19 -17 -8 2 10 17 18 18 ...

Answer Details

(a)(i) Mean annual temperature

Sum of monthly temperatures: \((-19)+(-17)+(-8)+2+10+17+18+18+11+4+(-5)+(-13) = 18\). \[\text{Mean} = \frac{18}{12} = 1.5^{\circ}\text{C}.\]

(a)(ii) Annual range of temperature

Range = highest − lowest = \(18^{\circ}\text{C} - (-19^{\circ}\text{C}) = 37^{\circ}\text{C}\).

(a)(iii) Total annual temperature

The sum of the twelve monthly temperatures = 18°C.

(b) Distribution of precipitation

Precipitation falls in every month (no dry month), giving a total of 503 mm. The maximum comes in the warm summer months of June and July (78 mm each) and the minimum in February (17 mm). Thus the wettest season is the short warm summer and the driest season is the long cold winter, a clear summer-maximum regime with a moderate annual total.

(c) Type of natural vegetation and reasons

The vegetation associated with this data is coniferous (boreal) forest, the Taiga.

• The winters are long and severely cold (five months below freezing, down to −19°C), and only needle-leaf coniferous evergreens (pine, fir, spruce) can withstand such cold and the short growing season.
• The summers are short but warm (June to August, 17 to 18°C) with a summer rainfall maximum, giving just enough warmth and moisture for these hardy conifers, whose conical shape and needle leaves shed snow and reduce water loss.