8.1 Flashcards
In what way is the tropical rainforest an interdependent ecosystems?
1) Warm and wet climate means plants can grow quickly - dense leaf cover keeps soil healthy
2) Lack of wind on forest floor means plants need to rely on butterflies, bees, or other animals for pollination
3) Epiphytes are dependant on rainfall to provide water and nutrients
4) Changes to rainforest ecosystem can have knock on effects on the whole ecosystem eg. Deforestation reduces CO2 absorbance hence changing the climate
What are the 4 layers of the tropical rainforest?
Emergents - tallest trees. Straight trunks and only branches and leaves at top where theres light. Buttress roots to support trunks
Main canopy - continuous layer of trees. Only have leaves at top. Dense layer of leaves shades the rest of forest
Under canopy - Younger trees yet to reach full height. Can only survive where there are breaks in canopy layer to let in light
Shrub layer - quite dark at the ground so they have large broad leaves to absorb as much light as possible
In what way are lianas adapted to survive?
They’re climbing plants which use tree trunks to climb up to sunlight
How are drip tips an adaptation of plants?
Channel water so it runs off so the weight of the water doesnt damage the plant and no fungi and bacteria can grow
In what ways are some animals adapted to the rainforest?
1) some animals who live high in the trees have strong limbs to climb and leap from tree to tree (howler monkeys)
2) Some are camouflaged to hide from predators (leaf-tailed geckos)
3) Some are nocturnal to save energy to feed when its cooler (sloth)
4) Adapted to low light levels by having better hearing and smell (anteater) to avoid predators
5) Can swim to cross river channels (jaguars)
In what 3 ways are nutrients stored in the ecosystem?
Living organisms, dead organic material, the soil
Why is the nutrient cycle faster more efficient in the tropical rainforest?
1) most trees are evergreen so drop leaves all year round
2) warm, moist climate means fungi and bacteria decompose dead organic matter quickly. The nutrients released are soluble and are soaked up by soil.
3) Dense vegetation and rapid plant growth means nutrients are taken up quickly
Why does the rainforest have high levels of biodiversity?
1) rainforest has been round for long time so biodiversity has had long time to adapt
2) layered structure of forest provides lots of different habitats
3) rainforests are hot and wet all year and very productive (nutrient cycle) so plants and animals dont have to cope with changing conditions
Why are the food webs in tropical rainforests complex?
1) Many different species so there are many links
2) some animals can be both primary and secondary consumers (fruit bats)
