Description: A map of Vegetation Regions over the Earth. "Plants and animals are found in nearly all parts of the world, but they are most abundant in warm, moist regions. Thus there is an irregular but gradual decrease in life forms from the moist equatorial lowlands toward the cold polar regions, and also toward the cold summits of high mountain ranges...[Dense Forests have vegetation that is] wonderfully dense and luxuriant. The great trees stand close together, and are often covered and interlaced with hundreds of climbing vines and air plants. As there is no cold season, vegetation grows throughout the year and is always green. The leaves of the plants are very large, like those of the palms...[The Open Forests of the temperate zones have vegetation that is] much less dense and luxuriant than that of he torrid zone. Only such plants live in the terperate zones as can ripen their fruit during the warm season. They either stop growing or die during the cold season." Grassy Lands are both in torrid and temperate zones. "In both zones, where the rainfall is too light or too unevenly distributed through the year for forests, it may yet be sufficient for a growth of grass, shrubs, and other low plants. In such places are found open grassy lands...Tundras. In the frigid zones, it is so cold that comparatively few kinds of plants and animals can live. Throughout this region the soil is frozen to a great depth. Only its surface thaws in summer, and, as the water cannot sink through the frozen soil beneath, a wide strip of country along the Artic coast of America and Eurasia is thus converted at that season into a great swamp, or tundra...A very dry region, even if it is warm, can have little or no vegetation. Such a region is a desertÉThe few plants of deserts are particularly adapted for a dry climate, having hard, close bark and small leaves through which their juices can not evaporate easily. Many, like the cactus, are armed with thorns or spikes." &mdash Redway, 1898.
Source: Jacques W. Redway and Russell Hinman, Natural Advanced Geography (New York, NY: American Book Company , 1898) 28
Map Credit: Courtesy the private collection of Roy Winkelman. |
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