Planet Earth has a huge natural wealth. In it there are territories defined by characteristics related to nature that make them unique. Thanks to these natural regions and the relationships that occur in them between their living organisms and the environment, there is a natural balance that makes life on the planet possible.
In ecology, we will tell you about What is a natural region, what are and its characteristics. We will show some examples of which we can find distributed by several corners of our planet and, in addition, we will talk about the continental natural regions and how they are delimited.
What are natural regions and their characteristics – definition
Natural regions are geographical areas within a continent or country that are mainly determined by characteristics of its nature. These are some of the characteristics of the natural regions or for which they are defined: their relief, the wildlife and the wild flora that inhabit the area, its climate, its hydrography and its type of soil, among other aspects.
Natural regions can be divided into different types according to different aspects to be observed and their characteristics. This is one of the main Classifications of natural regions:
Orographic regions
- Mountain regions.
- Plain regions.
- Mesetas regions.
- Hill regions.
Climatic regions
- Interopical zone.
- Tempered areas.
- Polar areas
Phytogeographic regions
- Scrub.
- Sheet.
- Wet jungle.
- Etc.
What are continental natural regions – summary
The planet Earth is divided into two hemispheres, the north and the south, and is also divided into 6 continents (America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania and Antarctica) and each is forming by different areas or different natural regions that are known as continental natural regions.
If you wonder What are the continental natural regionswe indicate as examples, on the one hand, the natural regions of Mexico, natural regions of Peru, natural regions of Colombia, natural regions of Venezuela that, although they are different regions, all of them are part of the natural regions of America. On the other hand, among the natural regions of Spain, the region of the Mediterranean zone stands out, which is part of the natural regions of Europe.
To learn more on this topic we recommend that you enter these other articles on what are the natural regions of Mexico and the Andean region: characteristics, flora and fauna.
What are the natural regions – examples
These are some Examples of natural regions What can we find:
Forest
There are different types of forests distributed throughout the planet, from boreal forests located in areas characterized by cold climates and are closer to the poles, to tropical forests with warmer temperatures closer to Ecuador. They are classified by the type of trees in deciduous forest, perennial leaf, conifers, tropical and eucalyptus. Discover more about the different types of forests with this other Ecology Verde.
Tundra
There are two types of tundra, alpine and arctic. The Alpine tundra is mostly located in China, Tibet and India and has a cold climate in which snowfall and strong winds abound. The other type of tundra, the Arctic, is located in areas of the northern hemisphere remaining frozen in much of the year. Here you can see more information about the tundra: characteristics, flora and fauna.
Sheet
On our planet we can find different types of savannas: warm savanna, from the intertopical, Mediterranean and mountainous zone. They are classified depending on factors such as temperature, biodiversity or soil type. They are located in the southern hemisphere of the planet, mainly in Africa and also in South America, Australia and India. We recommend reading these other articles to learn more about the Sabana ecosystem: characteristics, flora and fauna and the savanna of palm trees: characteristics, flora and fauna.
Desert
These types of regions in general are areas characterized by their shortage in water and rain and, the vast majority, have warm or very extreme heat temperatures; However, there are also cold deserts such as the Antarctic desert. These are areas that have a scarce biodiversity due to the extreme temperatures that occur and those that inhabit these places, have adaptations to survive. For example, in warm deserts, there are cactus that store water in their stems and do not present leaves as such, to avoid water loss. On the other hand, in cold deserts, it is usually inhabited by microscopic animals. Here you can learn about the warm desert: desert ecosystem, its characteristics, flora and fauna.
Grasslands or grasslands
They are open areas with a flat relief where herbs predominate and their vegetation is maintained all year. There are meadows characterized by a fresh and soft climate, such as those found in northwest Europe. Although you can also find meadows with warmer climates, called temperate meadows in which there is seasonal temperature variation during the year, that is, cold winters and hot summers. Finally, there are also tropical meadows or savannas. Discover the meadow animals in this other article.
Jungle
The jungle is a characteristic type of forest of tropical countries, formed by large trees that grow very close to each other. They are very humid areas due to their high temperatures and abundant rains. In addition to presenting a great diversity of species. Here you can learn more about the jungle ecosystem and its characteristics.
Mediterranean region
It is located between latitudes 30 and 40, extending from east to west from Portugal to Lebanon, and from north to south from Italy to Morocco and Libya. His climates is characterized by soft winters, and warm and dry summers. Although its rainfall is not very strong, in this region you can give torrential rains at any time of the year. If you want to know this natural region better, enter to read about how the Mediterranean temperate climate is and about the Mediterranean forest: characteristics, flora and fauna.
Equatorial Region
Extended by Ecuador, territories such as the Congo Basin, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea and the coasts of Guinea de Malaysia and Africa and Guyana are included in it. Its climate is wet, with high temperatures and with very abundant rainfall throughout the year.
How continental natural regions are delimited
To finish talking about natural regions, we will explain how continental natural regions are delimited. The continental natural regions They have been delimited taking into account both the distribution, as well as the diversity of all the natural components of that geographical area, such as:
- The relief.
- The flora.
- Fauna
- Hydrography.
- Edaphology.
If you want to read more articles similar to Natural regions: what are, what are and their characteristicswe recommend that you enter our category of ecosystems.
