The subtropics lie between the tropics and the cool temperate zones. They are characterised by significant temperature differences between summer and winter as well as between the rainy and dry seasons.
We divide the subtropics into three vegetation zones:
- Winter moist forests and shrublands
- Ever-moist laurel forests
- Hot desert regions
Since the average temperatures in all three zones are above 10° C all year round and therefore do not limit the vegetation, the amount and distribution of precipitation is decisive here, which has an effect on the duration of the vegetation phases and also on the diversity of animal species.1)
In the winter-moist forests and shrublands, the annual growing season is between 150 and 270 days. The overall characteristics can be summarised as sufficiently warm all year round, dry in summer and moist in winter, open or closed hard-leaf vegetation.1)
Plant species such as Persian clover or the sea onion are only found in the winter-humid subtropics. In winter, rain-fed agriculture is mainly used to grow potatoes and wheat, while in summer, cold-sensitive fruits are mainly grown in irrigated agriculture. Vines, olive trees, citrus fruits and figs are among the permanent crops that are cultivated.2) The Mediterranean areas of the Mediterranean and California are in turn characterised by different oak species.3)
Mammals such as foxes, bears and donkeys are mainly found in the wet winter regions, but many bird and reptile species are also strongly represented there.2)
The ever-moist laurel forests are warm and moist all year round with a vegetation period of around 300 days. The natural vegetation consists of evergreen laurel forests, which often harbour conifers. The natural vegetation consists of evergreen laurel forests, which often harbour conifers. Steppes in the southern hemisphere that have emerged from bush fires, such as the pampas of South America, are also categorised as evergreen laurel forests due to the aforementioned conditions of warmth, humidity and growing season.2)
The large number of bird species from the songbird, raptor, chicken and pigeon groups is striking in the two humid subtropical regions. Mammals, on the other hand, are rather less represented with only 50 to 70 species (including primates), as are amphibians.1)
In the hot desert regions, the average annual temperatures are usually between 16° C and 28° C, with very little rainfall. In full deserts, it can even happen that no rain falls at all for over a year. The annual vegetation period is correspondingly short at less than 60 days. The natural vegetation consists mainly of annual plants, grasses, water-storing succulents or deep-rooted plants.1)
Less than 30 mammal species usually live in the dry areas of the desert regions. Camelids such as the Bactrian camel, dromedary, llama and vicuña have their largest distribution areas in the subtropics.1)
Similar to the temperate zones, modern agriculture and livestock farming already dominate in large parts of the subtropics. Less than half can still be considered near-natural wilderness, most of which are deserts and high mountains.1)
So here, too, it will be an exciting search for us for traditional methods of food production.
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Our next article is about the tropics:
References:
1) Wikipedia, 2024: Subtropen, taken from the internet on 29.03.2024, https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subtropen
2) Cf. StudySmarter, 2024: Winterfeuchte Subtropen, taken from the internet on 29.03.2024, https://www.studysmarter.de/schule/geographie/vegetation/winterfeuchte-subtropen/
3) Cf. Wiki Bildungsserver, 2024: Subtropen, taken from the internet on 29.03.2024, https://wiki.bildungsserver.de/klimawandel/index.php/Subtropen