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2012年7月16日 星期一

Puerto Plata Climate


The majority of the Dominican Republic enjoys beautiful tropical weather all year round, with the average annual temperature of around 25C (77F). Warm and sunny conditions are experienced pretty much everywhere in the country. There are slight variations between the summer and winter months. The winter season runs from November to April. The humidity is lower during these months and it tends to cool down in the evenings much more than in the summer months. The coastal regions generally experience highs of around 28C (83F) during the day and lows of about 20C (68F) in the evening. The mountainous interior of the country is considerably cooler, and on the highest mountain peaks the temperature can sometimes drop below freezing. Occasionally frost can even be seen on the top of these mountains. The summer season runs from May to October. Average daily highs for the coastal regions rise to around 31C (87F) during the day, dropping to about 22C (72F) at night. It is the higher humidity during these months that can make it feel much hotter during this season.

The northern areas tend to see the greatest amount of rainfall, usually between October and April. The southern areas of the Dominican Republic experience their greatest rainfall between May and November. Torrential downpours occur in all areas of the Dominican Republic but the majority of this type of rainfall occurs in short bursts. Most showers are soon over and the sun will be shining again within a half hour. Visitors to the Dominican Republic can generally expect long periods of sunshine and blue skies, at any time of the year.

The Dominican Republic, like most of the Caribbean, is located in an area where hurricanes can occur. Officially, the Caribbean hurricane season runs from the beginning of June to the end of November. Most hurricane activity in the Dominican Republic has taken place in the months of August and September. The Dominican Republic was last affected by Hurricane Fay in August 2008 when the area was hit by 40 mile an hour winds while the hurricane moved west. The average time between direct hurricane hits (within 40 miles) is 23 years.

The country sits on top of small plates that are sandwiched between the North American and Caribbean tectonic plates and is therefore at risk from earthquakes. The Hispaniola Trench parallels the north coast is 550 kilometers (344 miles) long and only 4,500 meters (14,764 feet) deep. The island faces a double risk: an earthquake from the Septentrional fault on the island itself as the plates move past each other, and an earthquake deep in the earth in the subduction zone on which the island sits. Both could cause severe damage and loss of life, although the researchers say an earthquake in the subduction zone could be more devastating and it could cause a tsunami. The most recent major earthquake, a magnitude 8.1 in 1946, resulted in a tsunami that killed a reported 1,600 people.




David G Weaver, is a long time Caribbean holiday goer and wants to share his experience with you. For more information visit http://www.puerto-plata-resort.co.uk/





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2012年5月10日 星期四

Watering Lawns During The Summer In Mediterranean And Arid Climate Gardens


Regular watering is the most important pre-condition for successfully maintaining a lawn through the long, hot, dry summer in Mediterranean climates. With the specific, spring tasks hopefully completed, such as feeding and de-thatching, and together with regular mowing, the key to lawn care is a matter of appropriate watering.

In dry climates, to give the grass the amount of water it needs to be lush, green, and beautiful, it is necessary to reduce its area. Lawns in Mediterranean climates require between 750 and 1000mm of irrigation water per year. (750mm = 750 liters per square meter) so the smaller the lawn, the greater the chance of supplying it with the water it needs.

Automatic sprinkler systems are the only effective means of both achieving satisfying results and managing the water resource efficiently. Ideal coverage is attained when the spray from one sprinkler reaches the other adjoining sprinkler. It is a mistake to place the sprinklers at a distance whereby the sprays from each meet in the middle.

On the other hand, water should be applied at a rate at which it can be absorbed by the soil, without wastage from run-off. This necessitates the use of nozzles that have a low flow rate, meaning those that emit relatively small volumes of water per unit of time, expressed in liters or gallons per hour. In order to achieve as even a distribution of water as possible, sprinklers that cover smaller areas, like those placed in the corners of the lawn, should have lesser flow rates than those covering larger areas.

With regard to quantities, ideally, volumes should be calculated according to the evaporation rates for any particular location according to the month of year. These can be obtained from local meteorological stations. Perennial, warm, climate grasses need about 50% of the daily evaporation rate, although only in rare cases is it necessary to water everyday day. On the contrary, established, perennial lawns perform better in the long run, when the interval between waterings is spaced out as far as possible.

An alternative method of determining the amount of water at any time is to insert a pole into the soil in order to measure the depth to which the moisture has reached, after a measured period of time. Bearing in mind that some of the lawn types suitable for hot, dry climates can send roots down to a depth of a meter (3ft), it follows that watering can be deferred even if the topsoil layers have dried out. Perennial varieties like Bermuda grass, Zoisia, and Kikuyu, if established, can suffer a certain amount of neglect and recovery nicely after watering, without incurring any long-term damage.

To save water, irrigation is best carried out in the absence of wind, and to avoid encouraging fungal infections, shortly before dawn. From this point of view, the early evening is the very worst time to turn on the sprinklers, as the long period of 100% air humidity is the ideal breeding ground for harmful fungi. It follows therefore, that installing an automatic timer, is not a luxury, but rather an essential tool for lawn care in a hot, dry climate.




My name is Jonathan Ya'akobi. I've been gardening in a professional capacity since 1984. I am the former head gardener of the Jerusalem Botanical Garden, but now concentrate on building gardens for private home owners. I also teach horticulture to students on training courses. I'd love to help you get the very best from your garden, so you're welcome to visit me on http://www.dryclimategardening.com or contact me at jonathan@dryclimategardening.com





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2012年3月10日 星期六

The Geography and Climate of Israel


Israel is sometimes mistakenly categorized as part of Europe, likely because of its history of European Jewish immigration, its alignment with the West, and the Arab boycott of Israel which has prevented it from developing cultural ties with the Arab World through arts, sports, and commerce.

In reality Israel is located in Western Asia, in the region commonly referred to as the Middle East. It is on the Mediterranean Sea, lying northeast of Egypt. Egypt is usually classified as being in Africa, but the Sinai Peninsula that borders Israel is a part of Western Asia. The border between Asia and Africa is usually considered to be Egypt's Suez Canal.

When most of us think of the Middle East we probably imagine rolling sand dunes or hot, dry desert. Those types of landscapes do exist in Israel, but Israel's geography shows stunning diversity for such a small country. The basic topography of Israel consists of a coastal plan with sand dunes that blend into lowlands while moving inland; rolling hills and mountains in the center of the country, and a deep valley at the eastern border. This pattern more or less applies to Israel at any longitude. But there is of course variation moving from the more fertile and wet north to the more arid and dry south.

The Negev Desert in the south borders Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, and they are geographically speaking two parts of the same entity. The Negev is dry, hilly, and rocky, just like it's Egyptian counterpart. At the northeastern edge of the Negev lies the Judaen Desert, which descends deeply and rapidly into the Jordan Rift Valley, the lowest point on Earth that contains the Dead Sea.

In the area of Jerusalem and the southern West Bank (which is under partial Israeli and partial Palestinian control) the rolling Judean Hills dominate the landscape. This is a region of steppe vegetation and forests, a result of Jewish reforestation efforts.

The West Bank north of Jerusalem is referred to as Samaria, and the landscape is dominated by the Samarian Hills, rolling hills that rarely reach over 800 meters. East of the Samaria Hills is the Jordan Rift Valley, though the section east of Samaria is considerably more fertile than the area of the rift valley that lies further south near the Dead Sea.

North of the region of Samaria and outside of the disputed West Bank lies the Jezreel Valley, the gateway to the fertile Galilee region. This northern region of

Israel receives the most rainfall out of anywhere in the country.

The central and northern coastal plain to the west and northwest of Samaria, extending all the way to the Lebanese border, is a fertile area housing 70% of the country's population. It has a very humid subtropical climate with hot humid summers with no rain, and cool to warm winters with rainfall but no snow.

The hilly and mountainous central areas of the country occasionally receive snowfall in the winter, typically once or so per year. They are hot and dry in the summer.

The Eastern area of the country in the Jordan Rift Valley as well as the Negev, are typically warm in the daytime during the winter but cool at night. In the summer, temperatures are blistering hot at all hours of the day, with night time bringing little relief.

The only place under Israeli control that consistently receives significant snowfall every winter is Mount Hermon, which is actually part of Syria that was captured from Syria during the 1967 Six Day War. The southern slopes of this mountain along with the Golan Heights have been annexed by Israel, but much of the mountain is still under Syrian control.

Israel as a whole has two seasons. They are a hot, dry summer extending from May to October, with almost zero rainfall; and a mild, wet winter extending from November to April.




For more geographic profiles of various places around the globe, visit Free Printable Maps





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