THE CLIMATE

Summary:The Climate of Castilla y Leon
The presence or absence of vegetation and its different characteristics is the main feature that distinguishes different natural landscapes. In general, climate elements like temperature and precipitation favors or hinders the development of vegetation.
There are three climatic zones in Castilla y León:
(1) The Oceanic or Atlantic climate is found mostly on the northern mountain range of Castilla y León. This climate is characterised by mild temperatures. The temperatures are always temperate due to the proximity of the sea: winters are cool and summers are warm. The rainfall is greater than 800 mm per year, especially in mountain areas and it is evenly distributed thoughout the year, although there is slightly less in summer time. The rivers of this region have high and regular water levels. They higher water levels is in spring because of the thaw. This is the case, for example, of the Esla. As a consequence of the climate, vegetation is abundant and always green. It is formed by meadows, deciduos forest (beeches, oaks and chestnut trees) and heaths.
(2) A continental Mediterranean climate prevails in centre and southern of Castilla y León. The temperatures are extreme: very hot in the summer and very cold in winter. The rainfall is scarce especially in summer and it is concentrated in spring and autumn. During the winter, it is usually in form of snow. In general, rainfall is below 800 mm per year, except in the mountain areas. As consequence, rivers have an irregular regime: in summer there is hardly any water, while in the swell season they can cause serious floods. Some of the most important rivers are Tormes and Águeda. Because of the climate, the trees and the bushes are evergreen. The main trees are holm oaks and cork oaks. There are brushwoods and steppe areas except in the mountain.
(3) Hight mountain climate, in general, is cold and damp. Temperatures are very low in winter and milder in summer. Precipitations are abundant all the years found, and in winter they frequently fall as snow. This climate is present in Cordillera Cantabrica, Sierras de la Demanda, Guadarrama, Gredos y Gata. In mountain environments, temperatures drop as altitude increases ( 0,6º C per 100 m), while rains increase. The result is the terracing of vegetation. The differents levels of vegetation are: in the below part, Mediterranean forest; in the middle part, Atlantic forest and in the upper part, meadows nearly to the summit.

In this unit, our students have to be able to make a climate diagram using temperatures and precipitations from certain place. Moreover, they have to able to analyse a climate diagram and say what is average temperature, if rainfall is abundant, medium or scarce and at the end, if climate diagram belong to Atlantic climate, continental Mediterranean climate or High mountain climate.