The USDA Hardiness Zones and the Koppen-Geiger Scale are two different systems used to categorize and classify climates.
The USDA Hardiness Zones are a system developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to define climate zones based on the average annual minimum temperature. This system is primarily used to help gardeners and farmers determine which plants will grow best in a particular area. The zones range from 1 (coldest) to 13 (warmest), with each zone having a 10-degree Fahrenheit range of average annual minimum temperature.
On the other hand, the Koppen-Geiger Scale is a more comprehensive system that classifies climates based on several factors, including temperature, precipitation, and vegetation. This system is used by climatologists and geographers to study climate patterns on a global scale. The Koppen-Geiger Scale divides climates into five major groups: tropical, dry, temperate, continental, and polar. Each group is further divided into subcategories based on additional climate factors.
Overall, while both the USDA Hardiness Zones and the Koppen-Geiger Scale are used to categorize climates, they serve different purposes and have different levels of complexity. The USDA Hardiness Zones are mainly used for agricultural purposes and focus on temperature, while the Koppen-Geiger Scale is a more comprehensive system used by scientists to study climate patterns on a global scale.