This document discusses topographic factors and their influence on biodiversity. It defines topographic factors as physical features of the earth's surface like altitude, latitude, slope, and exposure to mountain chains and valleys. These factors affect climate by influencing temperature, precipitation, wind, and other conditions. This creates microclimates where different organisms and vegetation exist in different areas with varying topography. Specifically, it discusses how altitude, latitude, direction of mountains/winds, slope steepness, and exposure affect climate and therefore biodiversity in an area. Understanding topography helps explain the diversity of life found in different locations.

1. The institute of integrated & honors studies
SUBMITTED TO:- SUBMITTED BY:-
DR. ANIL GUPTA AMIT KUMAR
BOTANY DEPT.(IIHS,KUK) B.SC. MEDICAL (180009)
BOTANY ASSIGNMENT
ON
Topographic factors
2020-2021

2. TOPOGRAPHIC FACTORS

3. What are topographic factors?
Topographic factors are concern with the physical features of the earth
like:
Altitude
Latitude
Slop
Exposure to mountain chains, valleys etc.

4. Why topographic factors are so important?
Topographic factors influence the distribution of organism and
vegetation directly and indirectly by affecting the climatic factors like
light, wind, rainfall, atmospheric pressure etc.
These variation in climatic factors result into local or microclimate.
Due to these microclimate condition we observe different kind of
organism and vegetation on different slops of same mountain.

5. Cont.…
Due to these microclimatic condition the organism found on the edge
of a lake are different from that found in the center of the lake.
Understanding the topography of an area helps to understand the
biodiversity of that area.

6. Important topographic factors-
1. Altitude and latitude:
 Altitude : altitude is the height above the sea level.

7. Important topographic factors-
1. Altitude and latitude:
 Altitude : altitude is the height above the sea level.

8. Important topographic factors-
1. Altitude and latitude:
 Altitude : altitude is the height above the sea level.

9. Important topographic factors-
1. Altitude and latitude:
 Altitude : Altitude is the height above the sea level.
 Latitude : A measure of relative position north or south on
earth’s surface, measures in degree from the equator, which
has a latitude of 0º with the poles having a latitude of 90º.

10. Important topographic factors-

11. Important topographic factors-
0º Equator

12. Important topographic factors-
0º Equator
90º
90º
North pole
South pole

13. Important topographic factors-
0º Equator
90º
90º
North pole
South pole
Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of cancer
Arctic circle
Antarctic circle

14. Important topographic factors-
0º Equator
90º
90º
North pole
South pole
Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of cancer
Arctic circle
Antarctic circle
Latitudinal value

15. 1. Altitude and Latitude:
Climatic factors like temperature, precipitation, wind velocity etc.
change with change in altitude and latitude:
 Temperature:
• Temperature is correlated with altitude and latitude.
• With the increase in altitude, temp decrease till it becomes
minimum at the mountain peaks.
• Similarly with the increase in latitude temp decrease till it
becomes minimum at the poles.
• With the change in tempt distribution of species changes.

16. Cont.…
 Humidity and precipitation : As the temp. decrease, the moisture
increase with the increase of altitude
• at low temp, water vapours condense quickly bringing rain.
 Wind velocity : wind velocity increase with increase in altitude.
• Beyond 3600m the wind velocity is so high that it may cause
damage to trees.
 Solar insolation : Solar insolation is more at high altitude because at
high altitude the atmosphere is more clearer and rarer
• Similarly with increase in latitude the sun rays become more
oblique than at the equator that’s why the equator is hottest and
poles are coolest.

17. Cont.…
 Vegetational Zone : With the change in altitude and latitude,
climatic factors like temp., wind velocity, rainfall etc. change
therefore vegetation type also change.

18. Cont.…
 Vegetational Zone : With the change in altitude and latitude,
climatic factors like temp., wind velocity, rainfall etc. change
therefore vegetation type also change.

19. Cont.…
 Vegetational Zone : With the change in altitude and latitude,
climatic factors like temp., wind velocity, rainfall etc. change
therefore vegetation type also change.
i.e. Away from equator

20. 2. Direction of mountains and winds
• Direction of mountains has a tremendous effect on climate of
a region
• Mountains steer or deflect wind into different direction and
capture moisture from wind on certain sides.
• Consequently water vapors accumulate in particular direction
as clouds and cause rainfall and no rain at all in some other
direction.
• This may be reason why certain sides of mountain at a
particular height have luxuriant growth and other side may
remain dry.

21. Cont.….
• In India most of the mountain intercept the monsoon winds
coming from bay of Bengal and Arabian sea therefore
widespread rain occur throughout the northern India whereas
Aravalli hills of Rajasthan are parallel to direction of monsoon
winds so Rajasthan doesn’t receive much rain.

22. Cont.….
• In India most of the mountain intercept the monsoon winds
coming from bay of Bengal and Arabian sea therefore
widespread rain occur throughout the northern India whereas
Aravalli hills of Rajasthan are parallel to direction of monsoon
winds so Rajasthan doesn’t receive much rain.

23. Cont.….
• In India most of the mountain intercept the monsoon winds
coming from bay of Bengal and Arabian sea therefore
widespread rain occur throughout the northern India whereas
Aravalli hills of Rajasthan are parallel to direction of monsoon
winds so Rajasthan doesn’t receive much rain.
Windward side

24. Cont.….
• In India most of the mountain intercept the monsoon winds
coming from bay of Bengal and Arabian sea therefore
widespread rain occur throughout the northern India whereas
Aravalli hills of Rajasthan are parallel to direction of monsoon
winds so Rajasthan doesn’t receive much rain.
Windward side
Leeward side

25. Cont.….
• In India most of the mountain intercept the monsoon winds
coming from bay of Bengal and Arabian sea therefore
widespread rain occur throughout the northern India whereas
Aravalli hills of Rajasthan are parallel to direction of monsoon
winds so Rajasthan doesn’t receive much rain.
Windward side
Leeward side

26. Cont.….
• The slope side of mountain which is in the way of moist winds
is called Windward side.
• It receive heavy rainfall and thus has luxuriant growth.
• The opposite side of the slop is called Leeward side.
• It does not receive much rain remains dry. This side also
known as rain shadow.

27. 3. Steepness of slop
• slop is characteristic feature of mountains.
• The steepness of the slop and its smoothness determine the
rate of run off water and hydration of the soil.
• On the steep slopes and smooth terrace, rain water flow
rapidly and doesn’t get sufficient time to percolate into the
soil. Thus soil is not sufficiently hydrated rather remains dry.
Such slopes are called topographic desert.

28. Cont.….
• On the other hand where slop is not steep and irregular
terrace, the rate of run off water decreases, water get
sufficient time to penetrate into the soil therefore soil is well
hydrated and has luxuriant vegetation.
• On the steep slop soil erosion is frequent even the moderate
rainfall takes away the top soil causing denudation and
disappearance of the plants.
• This results into formation of new type of habitat with rocky
surface that supports different type of vegetation.

30. Morni hills (Chandigarh)

31. Step farming in India

32. 4. Exposure of slop to sun and winds
 Exposure to sun : with the same degree of inclination the sun
facing slopes receive more solar radiation. Sun facing slop
receive perpendicular sunrays whereas non sun facing receive
oblique sun rays.
• In Himalayas the non sun facing northern slopes are cooler
than sun facing southern slopes.

33. Cont.…
 Exposure to Wind : Exposure of slopes to dry or moist winds
determine the type of vegetation. A sunward slope exposed to
moist wind show rich vegetation while the same slop if receive
dry wind have xeric vegetation.

34. Valleys
Most of the valleys have luxuriant vegetation because:
• Humus rich soil from hills carried by run off water get
deposited in valleys.
• Water table lies near to the surface whereas in mountains it is
very deep.
• Valleys have springs and waterfalls which continuously
hydrate the soil.
• Water vapours that rise up in valley usually condense over the
valley itself causing local rains.

35. Sainj valley (Himachal Pradesh)

36. Thankyou