Choose any two of the following vegetation types
(a) Equatorial
(b) Tropical continental
(c) Tropical desert and for each
(i) describe the vegetation characteristics
(ii) Explain how the vegetation has been influenced by climate
Explanation
Two of the vegetation types are;
(a) Equatorial
(b) Tropical desert
(i) Characteristics of Equatorial vegetation are:
(i) The trees are evergreen due to absence of dry season.
(ii) The trees are mainly tall and broad leafed
(iii) The trees are mainly tropical hardwood
(iv) Trees are heterogeneous (different species)
(v) There are three distinct layers of the forest upper, middle and lower storeys
(vi) Lots of undergrowth e.g climbers, epiphytes, ropes, etc
(ii) The climatic conditions which influence the vegetation are:
(i) Great uniformity of temperatures throughout the year
(ii) The annual range of temperature is not more than 30°C
(iii) High mean monthly temperature, which is always around 26°C
(iv) Very heavy rainfall of 150 — 200cm, per annum which is well distributed.
(i) Characteristics of tropical desert are:
(i) Presence of combination of plants — grass, shrubs, herbs, roots etc.
(ii) Presence of xerophytes (drought resistant shrubs) e.g bulbous cacti
(iii) Presence of halophytes (salt loving plants)
(iv) Plants possess long roots with little or no leaves
(v) some possess thick succulent stems.
(vi) some shed their leaves during dry season
(ii) How the vegetation is influenced by climate;
(i) Temperature is very high (30°C – 58°C)
(ii) Mean annual temperature is 32°C
(iii) Annual range of temperature is 9°C.
(iv) Rainfall is very low (25cm per annum)