Climate Zones

The main factors that determine an area’s climate are the temperature and precipitation affecting weather patterns and seasons.

The sun reaches our planet’s surface most directly and intensely at the equator; as we travel outward in both directions towards the poles the heat from its rays lessen because of their angle to the earth.

This change of temperature is responsible for the movement of hot and cold air and the transformation of water – solid/ice, liquid/ water and gas/vapour – the latter of which warm air is often carrying and will eventually drop when it has cooled and returned back to its water state.

The tilt and rotation of the earth varies this angle of the sun’s rays even more, adding further ‘seasonal ‘changes to the temperature.

These cycles combined create weather conditions which in turn affect every living thing that experiences them, determining what lives where.

Each climate zone requires a different approach to survival.

Grasslands and Arid Plains

Grasslands and Plains cover vast amounts of the earth’s surface. They are found in every climate zone on every continent and so vary considerably in temperature and water content, terrain, vegetation and animal species.

1. Flood beds, meadows, fields; depending on rainfall, these zones are covered with grasses, herbs and flowers and dotted with larger shrubs and trees all of which increase at the edges of waterways that run through them. Travelling across these zones is relatively easy going, these areas provide homes for a lot of small mammals and finding a good place to camp, fuel for a fire and wild food to forage is unlikely to be a problem, whatever the season.

2. High Plains; these often quite vast and exposed stretches of land experience extreme and frequent changes in temperature, strong consistent winds and a scarcity of water. Plants grow in late spring or early summer and late autumn, unable to survive the extreme temperatures of peak summer and winter. Again vegetation increases along the banks of waterways passing through these regions. If you intend to journey across the high plains you might want to consider a horse! There is plenty of grazing for them on the way.  Be prepared for the changes in temperature, setting up camp before sundown with enough fuel to keep a good fire going, perhaps gathered along the way.

Mediterranean

Situated at about 40 degrees either side of the equator is the Mediterranean climate zone. It generally experiences warm - hot, dry summers and relatively mild, wet winters. Large bodies of ocean water in this latitude sustain sub tropical zones within the Mediterranean, but inland areas get substantially hotter and dryer in the summer months, parching the higher regions.

Desert

The desert is an incredibly extreme and challenging region to journey through. If at all possible do not set off across a desert region without a water supply. This is one of the few times when travelling late in the day and even into the night (if you are using a compass) could be beneficial. Finding or creating shade before sunrise as protection from the heat of the day ahead is essential, it will be much more difficult in the heat and you could lose valuable water content through sweating. Take advantage of trees, shrubs, rocks and cactus - here also may be opportunity to find water and, should you decide to stay put for the night, enough fuel for a fire to keep you warm through the cold desert night, created from the complete lack of cloud over desert regions. Food is relatively scarce in these parts, we can understand and learn from the Aboriginal peoples of Australia that if something non - poisonous cross your path - eat it!

Polar Regions, Tundra and Arctic and Sub Arctic regions

In winter in the Arctic Ocean area and its surrounding frozen lands with tundra fringes and in the Antarctic with its high mountains and other high mountainous regions, extreme cold temperatures and the snow and ice cover that this causes makes movement and survival challenging. In winter the sun never rises. In summer the sun never sets, but we are far away from the equator here and the sun is much further from the earth, therefore temperatures never get that high.  Finding your direction can be tricky in a snow covered vista, the magnetics at the poles make compasses are unreliable. Position yourself using the stars (see Chapter 3 -on the move - Positioning). Warmth will be an issue, make a snow and ice shelter (see Chapter 5 -Shelter – Types of temporary shelter - Snow caves/ Quinzhees). To find fuel for a fire, head out beyond the permafrost or coastlines.

In areas with permanent ice, plant and animal life cannot exist. This is no place for a vegetarian/ vegan – peoples local to these cold climate regions have little choice than to make ‘thorough’ use of animals, mostly seals, flesh and fat for food -this once caught can be cut into meal size portions and frozen to prevent waste, it is dangerous to eat food that has been re-frozen. The skin hunted animals is used for clothing and footwear and blubber fat for fire fuel. In both the polar regions  land animal species are few; in the Arctic polar bears wander and the cliff sides are home to many birds (several hundred million in fact) in summer. In the Antarctic, penguins breed inland and feed at the shore. Ocean creatures such as seals and whales habituate along the polar coasts and feed on the many fish there.

Moving towards the equator into the more hospitable areas of these regions the temperatures gradually rise enough to create a thaw and hydrate some plant life with shallow, spreading root systems, here and on the surfaces that retain warmth Plants, mosses and lichens grow. Small mammals live. Squirrels (ground), rabbits, hares, marmots, foxes, wolves, reindeer, caribou and birds.

1. Northern Coniferous forest/Boreal/ Taiga: Still moving in the direction of the equator these enormous forests cover hundreds of mile is found bordering the tundra of the North Pole. The ground is frozen for more than half the year, but enough ice melt is produced, as the climate becomes generally warmer and relatively more seasonal, to create rivers and support abundant forests of conifer trees. The animals that live in these vast unpopulated areas are many small mammals such as squirrels, pine martins, weasels, foxes, beavers, badgers,  raccoons, wolverines, coyotes, otters, bob cats and lynx, wolves, bears, Moose and snow leopards, many of which boast thick warm fur coats and live in below ground dens to combat the temperature.

Tropical

1. Jungle; Forests found along the equator receive rain steadfastly throughout the year. Beneath the dense towering canopy of these jungles where light does not pass through, it is cool and shady -few plants grow there so moving through the roots of the trees is possible. Where light does pass through the canopy, along the waterways and further out from the equator, vegetation thrives abundantly in the moist, warm fertility and movement becomes very much more difficult.

Passing through dense undergrowth will require heavy sharp blade to chop down and remove vegetation as you go. Chop plants, vines etc close to the ground so as not to leave sharp jutting out bits for you or people following you to fall on or run into. As well as the dense tangle of uncompromising undergrowth to deal with in these zones, there is an abundance of insects and snakes, most of which, if they land on you, you will want to remove immediately! Still further ‘outward’ from the equator, with the sun higher up in the sky, the climate starts to become mores seasonal, supporting deciduous growth as well. These regions are busy thriving ecosystems.

2. Swamps; salt water and freshwater; In the more unusual mountainous areas of the tropics, the vegetation drops away again unable to negotiate the frequent changes in temperature and air pressure caused by an ‘over-active’ water cycle, of evaporation and condensation that results from the structure of this hot, moist ecosystem, with the atmospheric temperatures of the height of the land.

In the coastal regions of the tropics, salt water tides flood the banks and create swamps. It is wise to stay above the tide line, which is determined by looking where debris and detritus had collected, in the crooks of branches and plants. Moving through the muddy root systems of mango groves is hard going and dangerous. Many potential harmful insects and amphibians are above and below the water, such as crocodiles, alligators and poisonous insects and snakes.

Inland freshwater swamps  exist in some tropical lowland areas, these swamps are wet, at best damp, keep to the scattered areas of high grounds where Reeds, grasses, palms  and other plants grow alongside mangoes and other tropical fruits such as banana, papaya and figs. The swamp is an ideal habitat for a profuse amount of insects whose larvae develop under water. Fish and Amphibians that feed on them habituate these swamplands and in turn the mammals and birds that feed on them, such as marsh rodents, rabbits and raccoons, herons, kingfishers and Birds of prey.

Many small mammals travel through swamps, monkeys scour the trees for wild fruits, rodents, raccoons, rabbits, otters, bobcats, beaver, wild pigs and deer forage the muddy banks for fallen fruit & roots. This encourages some larger carnivores: big cats and bears to pay a visit to these busy ecosystems.