Tropical Monsoon Climate - Term Paper Example

? Introduction Tropical monsoon climate is concentrated in the high-sun season and experiences lots of rain similar to that of tropical rain forest. According to Salinger (2005), a lot of rainfall distributed throughout the year as well as high temperatures characterize tropical monsoon climate. Previously tropical monsoon areas were seen as third world regions with less or minimal potential for growth. Nonetheless, some factors that make it attractive for development are in place. The discovery of oil, good climate, political climate and other natural resources has made tropical areas attractive for development. Tropical monsoon climate is mainly found in the coastal regions of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, India, southwest of Africa, northeast and southeast of Brazil and French Guiana (Ritter, 2006). According to Glantz (2003), there are two monsoons dominating in Asia – winter northeast monsoon, which comes from November to February and summer which comes from may to September. They are the majority critical climatic factors that come with most of the regions precipitation. Asia is renowned for its annual drought and flood especially in Bangladesh and India due to seasonal shift of weather. While the flood alone covers 7.7 million hectares in India, it covers 3.1 million hectares in Bangladesh. Tropical cyclone is another major feature of climate in this region. In particular, it affects two areas – northern Indian Ocean, which affects Bangladesh and northwestern Pacific Ocean, which affects Vietnam and Philippines. EL Nino-southern oscillation (ENSO) is another extensive phenomenal that has major influences in climate in a number of countries. In Africa there are three major areas where tropical monsoon occurs namely the southern coast of western Africa at 5 degrees north and 9 degrees north latitude, the Congo basin, which lies between 5 degrees north and 5 degrees south, and the remaining part which lies in between 15 degrees north and 15 degrees south. The climatic conditions in Africa differ from tropical monsoon in Asia especially in Congo Basin and southern coast of West Africa where heavy rainfall is experienced all through the year. The mean annual rainfall ranges from 10 mm in Sahara and 2000 mm in equator and other parts of West Africa. Precipitation is caused by convection process while movements of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and large-scale air mass movement brings seasonal variation. Drought in Africa is inevitable – it recurs from time to time and as a result, food crisis is a big problem that puts the population at risk (Glantz, 2003). Tropical monsoon climate in America is common in northern parts of South America and Central America where important topography and climatological consequences are found. Rainfall is brought by general circulation of trade winds. Andes Mountains is a flat area where major humid part of South America lies. Salinger (2005) records that ITCZ controls the seasonal movements that are smaller than Southeast Asia and the general circulation of this area. Droughts are severe in northern part of South America unlike Asia where major hazard are cyclones and floods. In humid and sub-humid tropics, agriculture is very vital; take an example of Asia where agriculture is an important economic sector. According to Salinger (2005), Asia, in 1993, employed more than half of the labor forces, which brought 63% of the gross domestic produce (GDP). Most export comes from agricultural products that brings a great amount of foreign exchange earnings. In this region rice, being the major crop, constitutes the largest part of production while maize and wheat follow. Nevertheless, agriculture experiences vulnerability in humid and sub-humid tropics attributable to some factor. With the exception of Africa where food security has been a problem for years, agriculture is also vulnerable in other countries but with minimal severity. Tropical cyclone also causes severe damage to the agriculture sector especially in Asia. Crop and livestock are important features in tropical zone where agriculture is based on perennials like coffee, bananas, rubber and cocoa. Native products such as fruit trees, yams, cocoyams, tannia and eddo are important food crops in the area. Intensive cropping systems are mainly found in places with low slopes, fertile soil and adequate water. The system however faces challenges when responding to food and other growing populations. Shifting cultivation system is also widespread farming in humid and sub humid tropic. Monsoon forest and rainforests are the main types of humid and sub-humid tropics. Most of monsoon forests are deciduous tree that shed their leaves during dry seasons increasing climate variability and change, thereby reducing the vulnerability of agriculture and forestry. Rainforests exist in wet conditions where there is plenty of rain and spread all through the year. The forests are evergreen or semi-evergreen such as is the case in Congo delta and Amazon basin. Fire, farming and logging ruin monsoon and rainforests (Salinger, 2005). Climatic change on tropical forests affects their geographical distribution, biodiversity and physiological process. The changes may be beneficial or severe. Temperature increase, for instance, could affect plants’ growth by inhibiting photosynthesis and respiratory rate but if there is adequate water, the plants can survive. Tropical forests are more prone to changes in soil and water availability when there is seasonal drought. Humid forests will be at a disadvantage in areas where droughts are prolonged. Tropical forests cover 1.9 billion hectaes of the world and contain over half of all the animals and plant species. Species in this forest and economically hardwood have least adapted to drought and their survival is minimal. Tropical plants are also predisposed to pest and diseases and with virility of pathogens. High temperature and humidities may reduce survival and growth of insects while drought can cause increase of host plant (Grantz, 2003). On a positive note, studies indicate that climatic change in the tropical forest has good effect. Tropical cyclones, which are associated with strong wind that often damages tree canopy, usually create gap in the forest, modifying the forest structure and its environs. These gaps permit sunrays to penetrate reaching the forest floor, making sure that more soil nutrient are available, increase in soil temperature, which in turn promotes growth of new vegetation. Though climate change would bring negative effects on tropic forest, human activities such as deforestation would be more important in natural forest cover. In tropical region the main cause of deforestation is population resettlement, agriculture, forestry and especially shifting cultivation (Salinger, Sivakumar & Motha, 2005). Conclusion Tropical forests are endangered by land use practice rather than climatic change. Removal and cutting of trees for wood, fuel and timber has affected large areas of the forest. Deforestation is another practice affecting forest due to land conversion and escalating resource use. Introduction of exotic species, increase in wild fire, removal of indigenous trees and habitat fragmentation has also endangered tropic forests. References Glantz H.M. (2003). Climatic affair: A premier. United States: Island press. Ritter, M. E. (2006). The Physical Environment: an Introduction to Physical Geography. Retrieved from http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/title_page.html Salinger, J., Sivakumar, M. V. K. and Motha, R. P. (2005): Increasing climate variability and change: reducing the vulnerability of agriculture and forestry. Netherlands: Springer. Read More