Chapter 16 The Tropical Monsoon and Tropical Marine Climates Distribution We have learnt in Chapter 13 that some parts of the world experience like land and sea breezes but on a much larger scale. These are the tropical monsoon lands with in the and inthe winter. They are best developed in the Indian sub-continent, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, parts. of Vietnam and south China-and-pocahae Australia. Qutside this zone, the. ice of the on-shore Trade Wi Climatic Conditions in Tropical Monsoon Lands The basic cause of monsoon climates isthe ies ia ofenting id cosing nd at the Tropic of Cancer, the great the nodbern Kenisobere abe backed by the lofty Himalayan ranges, is more than 15°F, hotter than its normal. tempera 7 region of intense. is set up. E which warm up much slower, ‘comparatively goal. At the same time, the ‘experiences winter, arfd a_region of as shown in Fig. 125(a). overhead at Topic ol cada he “Capricorn, ni is extremely cold, resulting in rapid cooling of the land. A ra of is sae Tropical monsoon Tropical marine Fig, 124 The topical monsoon and marine regions 122JO a Fig. 125 (a) Summer conditions in’ Asia—South ‘West Monsoon in Indo-Pekistan is ‘on-shore in the rainy season (July) (Fig. 125 (b)). In other parts of the world which experience a tropical monsoon climate a similar seasonal reversal of wind directions occurs. The Seasons of Tropical Monsoon Climate In regions like the Indian sub-continent which have @ true Tropical Monsoon Climate, three re. seasons are distinguishable, as illustrated he (October 1, The cool, dry season to February). in_ Bomba; a yjab, a hea may occur at col 3 high susie over the Pan Oublowing ry wi br little or_no_raip the Indian Tabon i However, a small amount of cn fil in Puiab from cyclonic sources and thi edema of winter cereals. Where the North-Eas blows over the Bay of Bengal somes Se SS ee in Madras 50 ine ‘during Octot and _Novenber. scooting for bali annual Fe es season (March to mid-June). As tan be on fee Re TR Thinner ig. with the sun’s north of Bay rm — is considered moderate, for many parts of India are even hotter. that schools and colleges are closed. Thes and the low relative humidity make outdoor life almost unbearat tures of 95°F. are usual in central "e mean ture in Sindy Searhianas OF. districts are a little relieved by sea breezes. There is practic is so great (©) Winter conditions in Asia—North-East ‘Monsoon in Indo-Pakistan is off-shore in the cool,, dry season (January) noain anywhere. By Mas be cree high that an intense s set up in north-west India. Duststorms are fre awaited rainstorms idle of June. The transit ‘no rain’ and ‘plenty of rain’ is over. 3. The rainy season (mi-June to September). With the ‘burst’ of the Sout soon. in mid-June, fal downpours delight a the year i this rainy season. For example in_Bombay_19:9-inches-are recorded in June, 24 inches in July, 145 inches in August and a further 10-6 inches in September. Agnavch as 95 pet cept the annual rainfall is concentrated within four months. This pattern of concen 5 eM AM JS AS OND oF a 0 bs 0 Place: Bombay, India (18" SBN. 72°) Altitude: 37 fest Annual 72 inches ‘Annual temperature range: 10°F. (86"—-76"F.)is_a_ characteristic ‘Tropical Monspon-Climais. The torrental- down- Pours have an immediate impact on the local tem- perature. They lower the jure considera The mean temperature for Bombay is 86°F. in May bbut only 81°F. in July. In the north the drop is even. ‘greater, as much as 13°F, Some of the windward stations on the Himalayan foothi rainfall, though this is partly orographic. Cherra- pngi has an average annual rainfall of 425 inches and 4 record of 905 inches in 1861 The Retreating Monsoon id fr of It retreats southwards after mid-t (September _u until tinent altogether. The Punjab plains.” e south-west. monsoon earliest are the ithdrawal of the monsoon. The skies are clear again So in October, with the outblowing. North-East Mon- soon. ~The role of monsoons in India is vital in its eco- .. A late monsoon or one that ends far too. ny monsoons, Floods occur, destroying both crops_and lives communications. In no part of the. profoundly as in the monsoon lands. The Tropical Marine Climate typeof _clinte_isexperenced_alon masses as in eastern Brazil aga] ove (o terme benteng tanta in summer Tis tendency-is ea ‘mum as in monsoon lands, but (CHOU any distinct ‘ig. 126 (b) shows the rhythm of climate 3 experienced in Cairns, on the eastern coast of Queensland, under the constant influence Trade_Winds,_and_in__summer_also alfecied_by_the ‘Topical thonsoons, Its, s_weltest months are in January (158 inches), ‘February Piepisewarnriaiaaze Fig, 126 _(b) Tropical mi Place: Cairns, Austalia (17°S., 145°, 42°E.) Altitude: coastal lowland Annual precipitation: 88 inches ‘Annual temperature range: 12°F. (82°-70°F.) trout any rainfall The The range of temperature is. {ypieal of The tropical latitudes with a maximum of Sera Taccary and wate of 10°F ia Jaly— a range of 12°F. for the year. Due tothe steady influence of the trades, the Tropical Marine Climate ST a ise esta ooo i umrcaiee or poem te 100m, as mentioned in Chapter 13. Tropical Monsoon Forests ‘The natural vegetation of tropical monsoon lands depends on the amount of the swnmer rainfall. because of the marked southern Burma, peninsular India, northern Australia and coastal regions with a tropical marine climate, the resultant vegetation is forest. The forests ace more open and es luwurant than the squalor le and there are far fewer “ies. Most of the je aaa nes ine he ‘durable hardwood, these is the best mown. Summa alone gecounts for as much as free SHG fhe tf-tn It is sucha durable timber that it is extensively used for ship eee Bea at eonsuinal Dues er Hd of tbe neue sa, aia. and sons varieties of eucal oT gow fo went iit i. the a Sted clases SeaFig. 127 Main features of a monsoon forest scattered trees and tall grass, In parts of the Indian sub-continent, rai ficient that_semi- desert conditions are found. Monsooi tation is thus eure nee and from savanna to serubland: Agricultural Development in the Monsoon Lands Much of the monsoon forest_has been cleared | agriculture to support the very. dense_population. "The canal Wideape throughout toe oak oad breadth of the monsoon lands deeply reflects the intensity of Man's quést for subsistence. Wherever possible, crops are grown. The plains are ploughed, td ie ils -areterased to provide farmland. ‘arms are sthall_and the people are forever ‘land ao In their quest for land, they, have removed the matural vegetation, sometimes wantonly, re- sulting in acute soil erosion, This is particularly Serious in the Indian sub-continent which has a very high density of population with a rapid rate of growth. But in the plains the same piece of land may have been tilled for genera- tions with little or no replenishment, and yet able to yield fairly reasonable returns. Tropical agriculture dependent on natural rainfa and a large labour force, reaches its greatest tude inthe monsoon lands. The soil provides the basis for the livelihood of millions. Farming is not only the dominant occupation of the greater part of the people, but also forms the mainstay of the eco- nomy of the Indian sub-continent, China, South- East Asia, eastern Brazil and the West Indies. The following types of agriculture are recognisable 1. Wet padi cultivation, Rice is the most important staple cropand acd cer the Tan ceeds 10 mae is perhaps the mosty characteristic crop of soon lands and its tolal acreage far exceeds that of any other crop. In fact, very few areas outside the influence of the monsoons ever take to the cultivation of padi ‘There are two main varieties, the wet pact, which is mainly grown on lowlands i or in terraved-uptands, and the dry_padi grown in regions of lower rainfall. A minimum of 50 inches of rainfall is required during the growing season, Droughts and floods that are almost_ inseparable from_a_monsoonal_ivpe_of climate can_be_very deirimental to its cultivation. Irriga rivers, canals, dams or wells is inthe msior ree producing countries. ‘Other food pS , millet, sorghum, wheat, gram and beats are of subeidiaty importance, ‘They are cul vated in the drier_or cooler a rice cannot be grown. 2. Lowland cash crops. A wide range of lowland tropical cash crops are cultivated for the export eee on ar eae _ As important crop_in this much as two-thirds o inn pes comes from tropical countries. Sugar is either town on plantations or on small holdings wherever rainfall and sunshine are abundant. Some of the major producers include India, Java, Formos, ub Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados. Jute is confined Harvesting sugar-cene in Queenstand, Australia Australian ‘News and Information Bureaualmost entirely to the G: in_India_and Bangladesh. leading hard fibre for the manufacture of sacks ges - Brahmaputra delta, It has long been a (gunny). (abaca) is.a product of the Philippines, particularly of Mindanao, It is used to_ make high quality_rope. Other crops include still cultivated in India. and Java a Major export of the Indian sub-continent and bananas, coconuts and spices. 3. Highland plantation crops. The of tropical lands by Europeans gave rise to anew form of cultivated landscape in the cooler monsoonal hlands. This is erops ift tropical of tropical upland forests were for plantation agricultur cultivation of cerlain tree Thousands of acres red to make way in which tea_and cof are the most important crops. Thes in Europe in the cighteenth century and t of the plantations were originally mé xport to the mother countries where there was a products nt only for reat craze for the beverages. Later, the local people also got into the habit of drinking them and they fast became necessities. Both the beverages became so popular in and out of the tropics that th Tea picking in a plantation in Sri Lanka Camera Press was great expansion in their acreages both in regions with a Tropical Monsoon Climate and the Tropical Marine Climate. originated in Ethiopia and Arabia, where is still grown, but Brazil now accounts for almost half the world’s production of coffee. It is mainly grown on the eastern slopes of the Brazilian plateau: The crop is also cultivated on the highland slopes between 2,000 feet and 4,500 feet in the Central American states, India and eastern Java. originated in China and is stil an important crop there, but as it requires moderate temperatures (about 60°F), heavy-rainfall (over 60 inches) and well drained highland slopes it thrives well in the tropical monsoon zone, but preferably at a higher altitude. The best_regions. are thus the Himalayan foothills of India_and Bangladesh, the central highlands of Sri Lanka and western Java from all of which i is exported. Tn China” tea is grown mostly for local consumption. 4. Lumbering. Wherever there are tropical forests which still have not been felled to make Way for the plough, /umbering is undertaken in the more accessi This is important if conti ble areas. particularly rental is perf accour to shri in hill derate treesw way tg is the: rice: | win Ri as lon that th actual 8 mo 5. Sh of farm crops tribes field is of the practic of nat for pil unkno needs the sa some | is enti bountj A few short period land in nknon Shirental South-East Asia. Of the tropical deciduous is pea Ourbity, eng i a Tt is grown feet in altitude aa ‘saw_mills_at_Rangoon, The navi logs are tied in rafts and guided downstream by crews of men and tugboats. It takes something like 18 months for a log of teak to re goon 10 be a alee aag 5. Shifting Cultivation. otter eed st asadot ine Aeacrig ece S ie cess or! of the jungle is usually made by fire, which fen practically everything in its way. After planting, little attention is paid to the field either in weeding ‘or manuring. ‘The erops are left entirely to the care of nature. ‘The farmers use simple hoes and sticks for ploughing and seeding. Draught animals abour is exclusively manual. ‘Th = i every farmer produces much the same range of crops as his tfeighbours. Maize or com, dry padi, yams, tapioca, sweet potatoes and some beans are the most common crops. Farming is entirely for subsistence. i.e. everything is consumed bythe ‘or sold A soil leached and easly mainly_Jatosol the Bret roe may be oes, ‘Aw year Ine, Ie Bld has tobe aba ‘a new patch cleared elsewhere. This system ons short period of cultivation alternating with long periods of is probably the best way of using land in many parts of the tropics where manuring is ‘unknown. ‘Shifting cultivation isso widely practised amongst indigenous peoples that different local names are used in different countries, For ale in Malaysia, taungya in Burma, tamrai Seitante ‘Lanka and milpa in Africa.and Central America. QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES | 1. The climate of India is characterized by ‘three distinct seasons. Explain why this is so. 2. With the aid.of diagrams or sketch maps, explain any three of the following statements. (a) The east coasts of continents within the tropies have much heavier rainfall than the interiors or the west coasts. (b) The Tropical Monsoon Climate is, in fact, land and sea breezes on a continental seal. (©) Near the equatorial latitudes, the pe- riod of maximum rainfall is closely related to the movements of the over- head sun, There is a marked difference in tem- perature between the east and west coasts of countries in latitudes 20° to 35°N. 3. _Inwhich parts of the monsoon lands has the natural vegetation been removed by men? Describe and explain the uses made of the cleared lands. 4, Name the types of climate which have (a) rain mainly in winter (b) rain only in summer (©) rain throughout the year i. Describe the characteristicclimatic features of any two of the types you have named. For any one of them account for its rainfall distribution. 5. Contrast the essential characteristics of plantation agriculture and shifting cultivation.