The document summarizes the climate and geography of the hot and wet equatorial region, which extends from 100 north to 100 south of the equator. This region experiences high heat and rainfall throughout the year and is home to equatorial rainforests like the Amazon and Congo basins. These forests contain four layers - the forest floor, understory, canopy, and emergent layers - and support a rich diversity of plant and animal life. Indigenous tribes traditionally engaged in shifting agriculture, hunting, fishing and mining for subsistence, while plantation agriculture of crops like rubber, tea and cocoa was later introduced. However, the region now faces challenges of balancing economic development with environmental protection and preserving tribal ways of life.

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.