>>30083135>>30083197For /nenmen/ and /mans/,
>ClimateThe two countries share a fairly similar climate. Both are located in the subtropical, Equator-ward region of a massive continent, resulting in their climate being heavily influenced by their respective monsoon system. As such, they are both considered in a subtropical monsoon climate (Cwa). This climate is defined by its hot summer, mild winter (snow will be *very* rare - think New Orleans, Shanghai, or Sydney), and sharp difference in wet and dry seasons. A slight lag between temperature and rainfall change leading to it seemingly having 2.5~3 seasons: a mild and dry winter, a (short) hot and dry "pre-monsoon summer", and a hot and wet monsoon season. India, a country with a similar monsoonal influence, defines its 4 seasons as winter, summer, monsoon, and post-monsoon, while its ancient calendar opted for a 6-season model.
Between the two countries, /mans/ will have a somewhat milder climate than /nenmen/ due to it being an island surrounded by water, which has a moderating effect on both temperature and precipitation. Here, winter rain will be less unusual, and some might even argue it has enough rain to put it in a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) instead.
>BiomeDue to the warm temperature and ample rainfall, both countries are likely covered in forests by default. The wet-and-dry season pattern means it will likely be a seasonal (sub)tropical forest - most trees will be deciduous broadleaf trees that shred their leaves during the dry season to reduce water loss, thus allowing the forest floor to develop relatively dense shrubs and grass. In some cases, local topography or human intervention might lead to thinning of the forest, rendering the biome into more of a mixed woodland and grassland biome.
It is also possible for the land to retain enough water through the dry season, which can result in two different biomes - the forest is moist (sorry) enough that it doesn't need to shred its leaves during the dry season, resulting in an evergreen (sub)tropical moist forest, or the land becomes too waterlogged to support tree growth, resulting in a wetland. Be noted that some trees can still grow in wetland, meaning that the two categories can overlap. Along the subtropical coast (northern coast of /mans/ being the main exception), coastal wetland might be home to mangrove trees, resulting in a blurred coastline of mangrove forest.
>CropsThe combination of a mild climate, sufficient sunlight and ample (if uneven) rainfall results in the lands being suitable for many kinds of crops. Rice remains the predominant food crop in this climate due to its high productivity, but other crops like wheat, maize, and potato can also be grown with relatively few issues. Other notable crops suitable for this climate include tea, sugarcane, cotton, soya beans, citrus, banana, pineapple, peaches, some types of grapes, and tobacco - basically, if it's grown in the southern USA and/or southern China, it can be grown in the two countries.
The main difficulties of agriculture in these two countries are:
>Water managementThe uneven rainfall pattern, especially for /nenmen/, means there will be periodic flooding and drought. As such, a robust irrigation system will have to be developed so that excessive water during the monsoon season can be diverted and/or stored, and additional water during the dry season to be introduced.
>Soil managementSimilar to many tropical and subtropical forests, the soil comprising the two countries tends to be acidic and poor in nutrients - heavy rainfall results in most of the nutrients in the soil being leached away. In the forests, nutrients are replenished by decaying organic matter accumulating on the surface. However, the same replenishment process does not occur or is heavily reduced in farmland, meaning that the land will quickly lose its fertility. IRL humans have developed several ways to mitigate the issue:
>Move to other parts of the forest: this includes slash-and-burn agriculture and its more sustainable cousin, slash-and-char agriculture. Most commonly seen among migratory people, this method boils down to waiting for the forest to heal itself. While the least technologically demanding, it is also arguably the slowest method, and its yield is very low.>Fertilisation: nutrients and biomass (compost) are artificially introduced to the farmland from elsewhere. This is arguably the "default" method in this time period. >Multiple cropping: this includes crop rotation, intercropping, and companion planting. Basically, specific plants are grown on the farmland. Many of these plants tend to require different nutrients and can replenish land fertility one way or another.Be noted that these methods are not mutually exclusive - the "default" intensive agriculture model makes use of both fertilisation and crop rotation to increase yield.
