Location, Climate, Plants life, Animal life, Human life and challenges faces by the people.

1. CHAPTER-04 THE HOT
AND WET EQUATORIAL
REGION.

2. INTRODUCTION:
Climate influences the lives of the
People, the crops they grow, the
food they eat and their Occupations.
Climate also influences the kind of
Plants and Animals Life found the
region.
All vary from one climatic region to the
other.

3. TORRID ZONE OF THE
EARTH:

4. LOCATION:
The hot and wet equatorial climate
region lies within the Torrid zone and
extends 100 north to 100 south of the
Equator.
The Region includes:
 Amazon basin in South America
 Democratic Republic of Congo in
Africa
 Malaysia and Indonesia in Asia.

5. THE HOT AND WET EQUATORIAL
REGION:

6. CLIMATE:
As this region receives the direct rays
of the Sun, it remains hot throughout
the year.
There is no winter in this region.
High Humidity
Heavy rain (around 4’o clock)
The rainfall is evenly distributed
through the year.
There is no month that is dry.

7. AMAZON BASIN AND CONGO
BASIN:

8. NATURAL VEGETATION:
 The High temperature and Heavy Rainfall,
Equatorial Rainforests grow in this region.
 The growth of the trees in these forests is dense
and luxuriant.
 These Forests are always green and never bare
of leaves.
 So, They are know as Evergreen Forests.
 Some variety of Trees are:
 Mahogany,
 Ebony,
 Rosewoods,
 Palm trees.

9. MAHOGANY TREE, EBONY TREE,
ROSEWOOD TREE AND PALM TREE

10. FOUR DISTINCT LAYERS IN THESE
FORESTS:
Forest floor
Understorey Layer,
Canopy Layer,
Emergent Layer.

11. Understorey
Forest floor

12. FOREST FLOOR:
This is the lowest layer.
The dense cover of trees
above allows very little
sunlight to reach the floor of
the Forest.
Hence this layer is Dark and
Damp with almost no plants.

13. UNDERSTOREY:
This layer receives a little more
Sunlight.
Allowing the growth of Shrubs,
Woody creepers and Orchids.

14. CANOPY:
This is the main layer of the
Forest.
It consists of a dense layer of
trees, whose leaves and
Branches join to form a
continuous cover over the layers
below.
The trees are around 30 metres
tall.

15. EMERGENT:
The Topmost layer of the
Equatorial forest.
Above the Canopy grow a few
extremely tall trees that tower
more than 60 metres over the
forest ground.
They are called Emergent.

16. ANIMAL LIFE:
Equatorial rainforests have a rich
variety of Animals, Birds, Butterflies,
Insects and Snakes.
Each layer of the forest has its own
unique life forms.
Forest floor:
 Armadillos,
 Anteaters,
 Gorillas..

17. ANIMAL LIFE:
Understorey
 Snakes
 Jaguars,
 Leopards,
 Frogs and
 Lizards

18. ANIMAL LIFE:
Canopy
 Spider monkey
 Orangutans
 Sloths
 Toucans
 Macaws
 Parrots

19. ANIMAL LIFE:
 Emergent Layer
 Eagles
 Bats
 Monkeys
 Butterflies
 Rivers
 Crocodiles
 Snakes
 Turtles

21. HUMAN LIFE:
Small groups of Tribal people
continue to live in the rainforests.
Occupation
 Hunting
 Agriculture ( Shifting
Agriculture)
 Fishing
 Mining

22. SHIFTING AGRICULTURE
 One of the oldest method of Agriculture.
 In this method, a patch of ground is
cleared by cutting the trees and burning
them.
 The ash makes the soil fertile.
 The cleared plot of land is cultivated for a
few years till it loses its Fertility.
 The Farmers then move to another place
where the process is repeated.

23. PLANTATION FARMING:
 Around 300 years ago, Europeans traders
introduced Plantation farming in many parts of
the Equatorial Region.
 In this form of farming, Crops are grown on a
large farms called Plantation farming.
 Some crops are:
 Rubber
 Tea
 Cocoa
 Pineapple
 Banana

24. PLANTATION FARMING:
Malaysia is the world’s largest
producer of Rubber.
Cocoa is cultivated mainly in
the Ivory coast and Ghana in
West Africa, and in Malaysia.

25. AMAZON TRIBE PEOPLE:

26. CONGO TRIBE PEOPLE:

27. CHALLENGES FACING THE
REGION:
 One of the main challenges facing this
region today is how to bring about
Economic progress without destroying
the Environment.
 The Large-scale cutting of trees for Mining,
Timber, Agriculture and Ranching,
threatening the life of the Tribal people.
 It is also Endangering the Wildlife of the
region.
 Deforestation.