#18 Coniferous Forests

Question 1

where are conifer forests primarily found?

Answer 1

in a broad circumpolar belt across the Northern Hemisphere and on mountain ranges

Question 2

why do conifers only grow for a few months each year

Answer 2

low temperatures

Question 3

Where are giant sequoias found?

Answer 3

California

Question 4

what is the worlds tallest tree?

Answer 4

hyperion tree. -115m tall

Question 5

What is the largest giant sequoia?
- whats its circumference, weight,

Answer 5

General Sherman Tree
- 84m tall
- 2200 years old

Question 6

how long can giant sequoias live for?

Answer 6

3000 years

Question 7

What mechanisms do giant sequoias have to protect itself?

Answer 7

• Tannic acid in its sap to protect against parasites, fights against fungal rot, and acts as a defence against low intensity fires
• thick bark to protect the trunks. The outer bark is the thickest in the world
• needles on the tree are higher up to prevent them catching fire

Question 8

how is fire beneficial to giant sequoias

Answer 8

they don’t grow from the roots, they grow from seeds, the seeds can remain in the cones for up to 20 years. Fire helps clear the forest floor of debris, allowing the seed to set. if the fire is too severe it can ruin them

Question 9

how long have redwood trees been around

Answer 9

200 million years

Question 10

what are the characteristics of pine forests, where would they be located?

Answer 10

hot humid summers and mild winters. Found in Southern US and Eurasia

Question 11

what are the characteristics of temperate rain forests, where would they be located?

Answer 11

mild temperatures, prolonged cloudy periods, muted extremes.
Mild and moist winters (most precipitation occurring in the winter)
dry and cool-warm summer
located on west coast of North America between 40 and 60 degrees

Question 12

More diversity in structure and function is seen in which type of forest?

Answer 12

Old growth Forests, with a later successional stage

Question 13

Which forests have the most complex relationships between plants and animals

Answer 13

Old Growth Forests

Question 14

During the early, mid, and mature stages on nutrient cycling, where does most of the NPP go? Where are the nutrients going?

Answer 14

Early stage of development - NPP goes into the growth of biomass and the uptake of soil nutrients is the highest
Mid-stage: NPP goes into the development of support tissue. Nutrients are recycled through the tree, reducing the dependence on the uptake from the soil
Mature stage - NPP goes into maintenance and litter fall. Nutrients are returned back to the soil

Question 15

where are bristlecones located

Answer 15

great basin

Question 16

How do bristlecones continue to live so long

Answer 16

they live at high altitudes, avoiding fire and disease. When they do get to that altitude, the affected part of the tree will fall off, leaving the rest of the tree unaffected.

Question 17

which university clearcut the forest

Answer 17

Oregon State University - College of Forestry 16 acres

Question 18

What is the largest coniferous forest

Answer 18

Boreal Forest (Taiga)

Question 19

Where is the taiga located?

Answer 19

high latitudes of the northern hemisphere, covering 11% of the Earths terrestrial surface

Question 20

What are the three vegetative zones of the taiga

Answer 20

• forest-tundra ecotone
• open lichen woodland
• main boreal forest - which grades into the temperate forest

Question 21

why is the ground soggy if precipitation is low in the taiga

Answer 21

the permafrost is impermeable to water, forcing it to remain above

Question 22

In the boreal forest, litter inputs are _____, decomposition rates are _____.

Answer 22

low; low, resulting in accumulation of organic matterw

Question 23

Boreal forest soils are _____?

Answer 23

Spodosols - a thick organic layer

Question 24

Do boreal forests have a high or low net primary production?

Answer 24

Low as its limited by low nutrients, cooler temperatures, and a short growing season

Question 25

What are the four strata in the boreal forest

Answer 25

• canopy
• understory tree canopy
• understory shrub layer
• the herbaceous layer (forest floor)

Question 26

The taiga has ____ vertical stratification because _____?

Answer 26

Poor due to reduced light under dense canopy (high LAI)

Question 27

what does Taiga mean

Answer 27

“land of the little sticks”
Northern forest

Question 28

what is the largest fire ever

Answer 28

Black Dragon Fire (1987) - straddling the Russia/China border