Climate and Biome of Western Niji Continent
Preface
The overview of western Niji continent primarily concerns the land of /nijiEN/, Lazulight, and /haha/, as well as some bordering areas where relevant. Be noted that this is merely a speculation based on what I know of natural phenomena and climate, and people from relevant threads are free to change or reject anything that is listed here, especially when supernatural causes are involved.
Geology
Most of the land in the western Niji continent is located on the Major Niji plate bordering the nijiKR plate. As stated in the tectonic rentry, the destructive plate boundary where the nijiKR plate is subducted under the Major Niji plate leads to accretionary orogeny stretching from Lazulight-nijiEN border to /haha/. Because of that, earthquakes and volcanism is expected to be frequent in that region.
Climate
The climate of western Niji continent can be roughly divided into 3 major zones - subtropical-temperate, continental, and alpine, roughly corresponding to group C, D, and E respectively in Köppen climate classification.
Subtropical-temperate climates dominate the northern half of the region, with the southern boundary near the cities of Pendoria and Pomura. Here, the climate is relatively mild, with rainy hot summer and dry cool winter. In the coastal lowlands, snow will be uncommon, perhaps almost unheard of in the subtropical north. As altitude and latitude increase, the temperature range will get progressively colder, and snowfall increasingly common until the tree line is reached.
Continental climates comprise the majority of the southern lowlands, primarily southwestern Lazulight and northern /haha/. Compared with the north, these regions experience lower overall temperature, wider temperature range and generally lower rainfall. By definition, the coldest month in continental climates will be below freezing point, meaning that snowfall can be expected on a yearly basis. As before, an increase in altitude and latitude will lead to colder weather until the tree line is reached, where the warmest month has a temperature beneath 10 degrees Celsius, and (most) trees cannot grow.
The highland of western Niji continent can be safely considered alpine tundra and icecap. Here, a combination of high latitude and altitude results in a climate hostile to tree growth. However, as the colours of the map do not correspond to an agreed-upon height scale, the exact border of the alpine region is up for the relevant threads to decide. Regardless, the bleak climate means most plants here will be lichen, moss, and grass, with the possible exception of patches of clonal trees that circumvented the issue of cold by not spreading through seeds.
At the southeastern fringe of the region, the depression occupied by Kemnitz, Meinerzhagen, Jarnhuvud, and L'antre du Cochon Fou has an overall dry climate due to its distance from sea and the rainshadow cast by the hilly Badlands. While likely milder than many similar examples, its climate would still be considered Cold Semi-arid (also known as cool steppe).
Biome
Excluding the effect of humans or other civilisation-creating species, the majority of western Niji continent will be covered by temperature forest and mixed woodland. The exact distribution of trees depends on the local ecoregion, although as a rule of thumb, the warmer the climate, the more likely the forest will be dominated by broadleaf trees; and the colder by coniferous trees. A similar pattern can be observed between evergreen and deciduous respectively.
In the northern fringes of the region, the forest will be dominated by evergreen broadleaf trees due to an ample supply of water and warm weather, leading to it resembling the tropical forest further north in the tropics. Similarly, in the southern highlands of the region, the forest will be dominated by (mostly) deciduous conifers, also known as taiga.
Exception to this can be found in parts of southwestern Lazulight, the alpine regions, and the inland steppe. Here, the rate of water evaporation exceeds that of precipitation i.e. more water is lost to the environment than it provides. As such, all but the most drought-resistant trees cannot thrive here, and the biome is instead dominated by grass, scrub, or - in the case of the alpine tundra - lichen and moss.
Crops
Of course, this mostly describes the time before the arrival of civilisation. As observed across the globe, the advent of civilization will often lead to extensive deforestation and transformation of the land. The majority of subtropical-temperate and warmer continental land can be converted into arable land with relative ease, and it is likely the case for many of the land around large settlements and riverbanks.
Overall, the most common staple crops of the region will likely be wheat, which can be grown in most of the arable land due to its wider temperature range tolerance and resistance to drought. Irrigation and fertiliser might be required to increase crop yield in some cases. In the north, the warmer temperature and higher rainfall mean rice and even maize can be cultivated, while in the south and the highlands, crops adapted to colder climates, such as potato, rye, oats, and barley might prove more productive than wheat, although non-biological factors such as culture might lead to other crops being prioritised.
Other notable plants that might be common in the region include beet and flax for the south, and cane and cotton for the north. Apples, pears, and plums will be suitable for most of the mid-latitude lowland areas, while the northern coast might be suitable for citrus, banana, and even pineapples, although they might not prove economically competitive compared with the more tropical countries. For less edible crops, tobacco, sunflower, and hemp can be considered common crops.
Be noted that the list is by no means exhaustive.
Mineral Resources
The active orogeny dominating most of the inland regions of the area will lead to abundant mineral resources, as the subducted nijiKR plate melts in the mantle and the resulting material rises up and erupts to the surface through volcanism. West of the main ridge(s), copper, gold, and silver can be expected in decent quantity, while the east might have more iron, copper, zinc, lead (which also contains a trace amount of silver, but tend to prove more valuable than lead in total), and tin by comparison.
For non-metallic minerals, the rocks forming the orogeny will be mostly igneous and metamorphic due to active volcanism and tectonic folding. Compared with collisional orogens (orogeny caused by two continental plates converging), accretionary orogens will be more mafic (alkaline), and active volcanism means the igneous rocks will be more extrusive, while metamorphic rocks will lean towards high-temperature, low-pressure. Examples include basalt, pyroxene, olivine, amphibolite, greenschist, and hornfels.