Test: The Cool Temperate Continental or the Siberian Type Climate - UPSC MCQ

The Siberian climate is characterized by very cold winters and cool summers. The temperature range is quite high due to extremes of temperature observed in this type of climate, with temperatures well below freezing point in winters and around 15 degrees Celsius in summers.

The predominant vegetation of the Siberian or sub-arctic type of climate is evergreen coniferous forests that stretch in a great, continuous belt across North America, Europe, and Asia. The greatest single band of the coniferous forest is Taiga in Siberia.

Taiga is a Russian word for coniferous forest, which is the greatest single band of the coniferous forest in Siberia.

The Siberian climate is only experienced in the northern hemisphere, where the continents within the high latitudes have a broad east-west spread. It stretches across Europe, Asia, and North America.

On its poleward side, the Siberian climate merges into Arctic tundra of Canada and Eurasia at around Arctic Circle.

The Siberian climate is conspicuously absent in the southern hemisphere because of the narrowness of the southern continents in the high latitudes.

The strong oceanic influence reduces the severity of the winters, and coniferous forests are found only on the mountainous uplands of southern Chile, New Zealand, Tasmania, and South East Australia.

The absence of permanent snowfields in the Siberian climate is primarily due to the intense heat during summer. Despite the severe cold in winter, the summer temperatures in Siberia can rise sufficiently to cause significant melting of snow and ice, preventing the accumulation of permanent snowfields.

So the correct answer is: 3

In the northerly latitudes of Siberian climate, agriculture is almost impossible and lumbering replaces farming in the continental interiors. Lumbering is probably the most important occupation of the Siberian type of climate.

Soils of coniferous forests are poor, excessively leached, podzolized, and very acidic. Evergreen leaves provide little leaf fall for humus formation, and the rate of decomposition of the leathery needles in a region of such a low temperature is slow.

There are four major groups of conifers: Fir, Pine, Spruces & Larch.

Coniferous forests are more uniform in height and grow straight and tall up to a height of approximately 100 feet. The trees are conical in shape, which also offers little grip to the winds. Coniferous trees grow up instead of out and are of a triangular shape to prevent snow accumulation.

Coniferous belts of Eurasia and North America are the richest sources of softwood, used in construction, furniture, matches, paper and pulp, rayon, and other chemical products.

Trapping of fur-bearing animals is practiced on a large scale in Siberian climate for extracting fur, which fetches a high price.