LDQ sample for climate

‘The equatorial climate is the most favourable climate for agriculture.’ How far do you agree with this statement? [6]

Introduction

I agree with the statement to a large extent. In this essay, I will discuss the advantages of agriculture in the equatorial climate and the disadvantages of agriculture in the monsoon climate.

Point 1

The equatorial climate is advantageous for agriculture as it has high temperature and rainfall throughout the year.

Elaborate 1

The equatorial climate is dominated by convectional rainfall with large cloud cover. This brings monthly rainfall consistently which favours the growth of crops. The high temperature and humidity throughout the year also indicates a high amount of solar radiation which is necessary for agriculture.

Example 1

In countries like Malaysia and Brazil, there is a high annual rainfall of 2000mm, and precipitation is evident every month. The temperature ranges from 26 to 30 degree Celsius which is high throughout the year.

Point 2

The monsoon climate is not suitable for agriculture as it has a distinct wet and dry season. It has high temperature throughout the year, but a rainfall pattern that fluctuates greatly.

Elaborate 2

This implies that there is only a short time frame for crops to grow before the amount of rainfall peaks at the highest, or drops to the lowest with little rainfall. This extreme fluctuation in the amount of precipitation may cause crops to die even though the temperature of the monsoon climate is consistent throughout the year.

Example 2

In India, during the wet season of May to September, there is high amount rainfall of at least 500mm monthly. However from the dry season of October to April, the rainfall may be as low as little or no rainfall.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both climates has high amount of temperature throughout the year which is ideal for agriculture growth. However the extreme precipitation range of the monsoon climate results in extreme weather conditions like flood or drought which kills the crops. Countries in the monsoon climate can introduce irrigation methods to channel water sources during the dry season so that their agriculture crops can be sustained.