THE RETREATING MONSOON

• The amount and frequency of rain decreases towards the end of the rainy season. It retreats gradually southwards after mid-September until it leaves the continent altogether.
• The skies are clear again and the cool, dry season returns in October, with the out blowing North-East Monsoon.

The role of monsoons in India is vital for its economy

TROPICAL MARINE CLIMATE

• Outside the monsoon zone, the climate is modified by the influence of the on-shore Trade Winds all the year round. This type of climate is called Tropical Marine Climate. Such a climate has a more evenly distributed rainfall.
• Such a climate is experienced in Central America, West Indies, north-eastern Australia, the Philippines, parts of East Africa, Madagascar, the Guinea Coast and eastern Brazil.
• The rainfall is both orographic where the moist trades meet upland masses as in eastern Brazil, and convectional due to intense heating during the day and in summer.
• Its tendency is towards a summer maximum without any distinct dry period.
• Due to the steady influence of the trades, the Tropical Marine Climate is more Favourable for habitation, but it is prone to severe tropical cyclones, hurricanes or typhoons.

TROPICAL MONSOON FORESTS

Drought-deciduous Forest; dry forest; dry-deciduous forest; tropical deciduous forest.

• Broad-leaved hardwood trees. Well developed in southeast Asia.
• Trees are normally deciduous, because of the marked dry period, during which they shed their leaves to withstand the drought [They shed their leaves to prevent loss water through transpiration].
• The forests are more open and less luxuriant than the equatorial jungle and there are far fewer species.
• Where the rainfall is heavy, e.g. in southern Burma, peninsular India, northern Australia and coastal regions with a tropical marine climate, the resultant vegetation is luxuriant.
• With a decrease in rainfall in summer, the forests thin out into thorny scrubland or savanna with scattered trees and tall grass.
• In parts of the Indian sub-continent, rainfall is so deficient that semi-desert conditions are found in summer. Monsoonal vegetation is thus most varied, ranging from forests to thickets, and from savanna to scrubland.

POPULATION AND ECONOMY IN MONSOON CLIMATE

• Monsoon climatic regions support high population density.
• Income levels are low as most of these regions are underdeveloped or developing.
• Subsistence farming is the main occupation. (crops grown with an intention to secure food for the season. The crops are not sold as the production is very low).
• Intensive cultivation is common in regions with irrigational facilities.
• Shifting cultivation is followed in North-East India and South-East countries.
• Major crops include rice, sugar, cotton, jute, spices, etc..
• Cattle and sheep rearing is carried out for domestic and commercial purposes. Livestock industry is not as profitable as in temperate regions.

AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE MONSOON LANDS

• Much of the monsoon forest has been cleared for agriculture to support the very dense population. Subsistence agriculture is the major occupation.
• Farms are small and the people are forever ‘land hungry.’ Industrialization makes things worse.
• Tropical agriculture dependent on natural rainfall and a large labour force, reaches its greatest magnitude in the monsoon lands.
• Farming is the dominant occupation of the Indian sub-continent, China, South- East Asia, eastern Brazil and the West Indies. The following types of agriculture are recognizable.