Climate Zones & Biomes in North America
The North American continent makes up about 4.8% of the total surface area of the planet. Its geographical diversity is the main contributing factor that allows for all five climate zones and seven of the major biomes to be found here.
A polar climate zone is found in northern Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. Here, temperatures are rising faster due to climate change than anywhere else in the world. Greenland is losing 200 billion tons of ice each year which could lead to rising sea levels.
The tundra biome is found in the polar climate zone. The first people to arrive in this area were believed to have come across the Bering Land Bridge that connected Asia and North America around 23,000 years ago.
The Aleut, Yupik, Inupiat, and the Inuit people still occupy this region and have adapted to the extreme conditions. The traditional tundra dwellings include igloos made from compacted snow and blocks of ice, and sod houses.
They developed specialized clothing including parkas made from animal skins and fur-lined boots. Due to the short growing season, traditional subsistence activities are through hunting and fishing.
The temperate climate zone is south of the polar region to about 35°N and covers a large portion of the continent. This climate zone has moderate temperatures and experiences all four seasons. Regions in this climate zone see moderate rainfall throughout the year, with mild to warm summers and cool to cold winters. A variety of biomes can be found in this climate zone including the coniferous forest, deciduous forest, and grassland biomes.
The taiga biome is predominantly found in the Pacific Northwest and is home to evergreen trees. Indigenous people relied mainly on big game animals in this region for sustenance such as moose, caribou, and bison, as well as beaver and fish.
The deciduous forest biome can be found in the eastern, midwestern, Great Lakes, and Appalachian Regions of the United States, as well as the southeastern and the eastern Atlantic provinces of Canada. This biome is characterized by trees that shed their leaves in the fall such as oak and maple trees. People here used a variety of natural resources to create shelters. Some communities in the Eastern Woodlands constructed wigwams made of birchbark, and/or animal skins. They also would hunt or gather what was found locally for food as plants and animals varied based on location.
The grasslands are mainly found in the interior of North America, including the Great Plains. These prairies consist of dense tall grasses and few trees. Overhunting in this area nearly caused the extinction of the American bison as well as a sizable decrease in the antelope population, although prairie dogs and other burrowing animals still frequently inhabit this area.
Also known as the Mediterranean, the continental climate zone can be found throughout California, southwestern Oregon, parts of Nevada, California, and Mexico. This area features mild, wet winters, and warm dry summers.
The chaparral biome is found in this climate zone. During the summer months, the average temperature ranges between 60°-85°F and sees periods of drought and wildfires. In the winter, the average temperature ranges from 40°-65°F and tends to have higher humidity. The terrain in the chaparral biome ranges from mountain slopes to rocky plains, flat plains, and coastal areas.
Arid climate zones can be found in the southwestern United States, as well as parts of Utah and northern Mexico. This climate zone is characterized by low precipitation levels and high temperatures.
When this climate zone experiences rainfall, it is usually in short, intense bursts during the monsoon season in the late summer.
The desert biome is found in this region. The Sonoran Desert is found in southeastern California, southern Arizona, and Northern Mexico.
The Mojave Desert, named for the indigenous Mojave people, is located in southwestern Nevada and southeastern California and is home to the region known as Death Valley, which has the highest average temperatures in the United States.Â
The Baja California Desert is in the western portion of the Baja California peninsula and occupies most of the Mexican states of Baja California Sur and Baja California. The Chihuahuan Desert occupies the central and northern parts of the Mexican Plateau, far west Texas, part of the Rio Grande Valley, lower Pecos Valley in New Mexico, and a portion of southeastern Arizona.
Southern Florida, parts of Texas, the coastal areas of Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii experience tropical climates that are characterized by high temperatures and high humidity. There are generally only two types of seasons found in this climate zone: dry and wet. During the wet season, this climate can generate intense and destructive winds such as tropical storms and hurricanes.
There are numerous ecological systems found in the tropical climate zone, however the major biome that can be found in this climate zone is the tropical rainforest. The El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico is a tropical rainforest found in Puerto Rico that receives an average annual rainfall of 200 inches.
In southwest Florida, the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park is known as the “Amazon of North America” and is home to many rare and endangered tropical plant species. Tropical rainforests in Hawaii feature broadleaf plants and 14 plant and animal species that are only found in this archipelago. Most of the tropical rainforests found in Mexico are along the southeastern Atlantic coast. The Lacandon Jungle is an area of rainforest that is found in Chiapas, Mexico and stretches into Guatemala and the southern Yucatan Peninsula.
North America’s climates and biomes exhibit the continent’s incredible ecological diversity. Each region has its own unique characteristics and supports a wide variety of ecosystems. By studying these climate zones and biomes, it helps us to learn how to protect and conserve these diverse ecosystems for the well-being of both North America and the planet.