CLIMATE AND THE WORLD PATTERN

THE PATTERN FORMED BY THE DISTRIBUTION OF CLIMATIC TYPES OVER THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH IS A REFLECTION OF THE NATURE OF THE GENERAL CIRCULATION OF THE ATMOSPHERE. THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE UPON: VEGETATION, SOIL, WEATHERING, ACCELERATED EROSION, NATURAL EROSION, LAND FARMS, LAND UTILIZATION AND LANDSCAPE IS DISCUSSED. ALL OF THESE FACTORS -- SURFACE CONFIGURATION, VEGETATION, SOILS -- VARY FROM PLACE TO PLACE. YET THERE ARE EXTENSIVE AREAS WHERE EACH IS RELATIVELY HOMOGENEOUS, AND IT THUS BECOMES POSSIBLE TO IDENTIFY AND MAP REGIONS WITH UNIFORM CHARACTERISTICS OF SURFACE, VEGETATION, AND SOIL. THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON THE GROWTH OF PLANTS IS A PREDOMINANT FACTOR AFFECTING THEIR DISTRIBUTION. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOIL FORMATION ON THE ONE HAND AND VEGETATION AND CLIMATE ON THE OTHER IS SO CLOSE THAT THE PATTERN DISPLAYED BY A SOILS MAP LIKEWISE REFLECTS CLIMATIC CONDITIONS. SURFACE CONFIGURATION BEING DUE IN PART TO GREAT INTERNAL DIASTROPHIC FORCES IS LESS INFLUENCED BY CLIMATE THAN IS EITHER VEGETATION OR SOIL, BUT THE INFLUENCE IS GREAT ENOUGH FOR THE MINOR SURFACE FEATURES TO REFLECT THE CLIMATE OF THE AREA IN WHICH THEY OCCUR.