Southeast Asia Climate and Vegetation Cover PDF

The Geography of Southeast Asia Physical Geography of Southeast Asia Notes no. 2.3 – The Climate and Vegetation Cover of Southeast Asia ❖ Definition of Terms 1. climate – the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period of time. 2. vegetation cover – the percenta...

The Geography of Southeast Asia Physical Geography of Southeast Asia Notes no. 2.3 – The Climate and Vegetation Cover of Southeast Asia ❖ Definition of Terms 1. climate – the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period of time. 2. vegetation cover – the percentage of soil that is covered by green vegetation or plants. 3. dipterocarp – a tall forest tree from which are obtained timber used for the export trade. 4. endemic – a species of animal or plant that can only be found in a specific place. 5. deciduous forest – characterized by trees that lose their leaves at the end of each growing season. ❖ The Climate in Southeast Asia Majority of the land area of Southeast Asia is located in the tropical climate zone. o Except to the northern part of Myanmar which exceeds that Tropic of Cancer. - The country experiences a moderately warm season and a winter season. o The whole region in general experiences a regular wet and dry season. o Monsoonal weather system is also evident in the region. - The direction of the wind changes every six months. - It causes either heavy rainfall or extreme heat conditions in a country. Generally, the region experiences a temperature of 25°C and above all year round. o The rainy season is usually expected to come from the mid-May until the end of October or mid-November. o While the dry season in the region is generally expected from December until April. ❖ Vegetation Cover of Southeast Asia The climate and the topography of the region highly affected its vegetation cover. The vegetation cover of Southeast Asia is distinguished into two kinds: 1. Tropical evergreen forest also known as the tropical rainforest which is located in the lowlands along the equatorial line. - The trees that can be found in this kind of forest are characterized by tall trunks, and broad leaves, belonging to Dipterocarpaceae family. - This kind of forest is usually found in Cambodia, southern Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines. - These kinds of trees are the main source of timber like apitong, bagtikan, lauan, tangile, guijo, and yakal. 2. Tropical deciduous or monsoon forest is usually found in the lands that experiences dry season. - Deciduous forest is usually found in eastern Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos. - The teak tree is one of the most common trees in this kind of forest which can be found also in the Philippines. It is endemic in the country as a source of molave wood. Along the shores of every Southeast Asian country, a rich mangrove belt plays a vital role for the balancing of the ecosystem. ❖ The Effects of the Physical Features in Southeast Asia to the People’s Lives The rivers serve as the lifeblood of the lives of millions of people in the region. o It is the source of food and water. o It makes the land excellent for farming. o It is a means of transportation. The plains in the lowlands serve as the place for settlement of the people.  o This is where they can do their farming as a source of food that supports the growing population of every country. o The wet rice paddies farming is a common method in the region like in the Philippines. o Due to farming, a group of families of farmers living closer together created a community. A cultural identity or way of life, and traditions have been developed. The climate also affected the lives of the people in the region. o Rice is the main product of farming in the region as it is the most suitable plant for the climate of the region. o Although during the wet season, the regular formation of a super typhoon in any Southeast Asian country could harm the lives of the people and destroy farms and properties. o The unexpected heavy rainfalls could cause famine or hunger. The eruption of the active volcanoes, the movement of the fault line zones, and the frequent earthquakes cause fear and anxiety to the people of the region. o Volcanic ashes and the lava destroy properties, farms, and other infrastructures. o Billions of dollars’ worth of properties were damaged, around 800 people died, and the destruction of around 8,000 houses were caused by the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991. The heat from the volcanoes could be a source of geothermal energy. Prepared by: Mr. James Imman Ilao