climate and natural vegetation Flashcards
what is climate?-2
it is the average conditions of atmosphere over a long period of time.
what is weather? -2
it is the atmosphere conditions over a short period, in a smaller area
latitude
left and right
longitude
Up and down
What affects plant growth? 🌱-2
Rain fall and temperature
Where is plant growth abundant?-2
Places with higher temperatures and more water
Where can tcf be found?
45n and 70n and that of south
Annual precipitation of tcf
400 to 700mm
Temperature of tcf
-12 to 15
Characteristics of tcf-2
Conifers grow needles and cones and evergreens forest
Diversity of tcf-3
Few species- 1 to 2 (cedar, pine)
Evergreen trees
Softwoods
structure of tcf- 2
no distinct layers. trees grow in pure stands, are of uniform height, little undergrowth
adaptations in tcf-bark and branches
straight trunked, thick bark, cone shaped trees
- protect against cold winter winds
- snow can slide down the branches and prevent accumulation
where are trf found
10n and 10s
annual rainfall of trf
1500 to 2500mm
annual temperature of trf
least 27
characteristics of trf -2
thick evergreen forests , 5 layered
diversity of trf-3
300 different species-rich biodiversity
evergreen
dense vegetation
how many layers in the structure of trf
5
layers are:
emergent canopy understory shrub ground. for details refer to notes
adaptation of trf
refer to notes
mean annual temperature
sum of all temperatures divided by 12
annual temperature range
max rainfall minus min rainfall
annual rainfall
sum of all rainfall
descriptors for MAT
high- more than 20
moderate- 10 to 20
low-lesser than 10
descriptors for atr
very large- 30 and above large-16 to 29 moderate- 11 to 15 small- 5 to 10 very small-1 to 4
descriptors for annual precipitation
low- lower than 250
moderate-250 to 1499
high- 1500
rainfall distribution and evidence
well-max and min
seasonal - wet month min and dry months max
infrequent- month with no rain and max rainfall
format for comparison
refer to notes
adaptation of TCF-barks and branches
straight trunked, thick bark, cone shaped trees
thick bark to protect from the cold
cone shaped to allow the snow to slide down the branches.this prevents accumulating snow which may break the branch.
adaptation of tcf- leaves
small narrow and needle like
during periods of low rainfall, needle like leaves have smaller surface to reduce rate of transpiration
adaptation of tcf-fruit and flowers
do not bear fruit and flowers, instead develop cones to protect and contain seeds
adaptation of tcf-roots
shallow roots
as soil quality is poor, shallow roots absorb nutrients from thin topsoil. shallow roots take in surface melted water in spring when ice thaws
adaptation of trf- fruits and flowers
colourful and strong smelling
lack of winds make wind dispersal difficult. the smells and colour make the fruit and flowers easy to spot
adaptation of trf-roots
shallow roots
absorb nutrients from decomposing leaves
nutrients and water found at topsoil
water is readily available
buttress roots
support heavy weight of tall trees that grow because of favourable climatic conditions and competition for sunlight
adaptation of trf- barks
tall straight smooth trunks
rainwater flows easily from the crown to the roots of the trees
adaptation of trf- branches
spread out near the top of the trees
to help trees to obtain the maximum amount of sunlight
adaptation of trf-leaves
waxy leathery or hairy surfaces
minimise loss of moisture through transpiration due to high temperatures
narrow downward pointing drip tip leaves
rainwater can run off easily, prevent harmful bacteria and fungus from growing on leaves.
absorb more sunlights
broad leaves
absorb more sunlight for photosynthesis
tcf adaptation-leaves
small narrow, needle like
-smaller surface area to reduce the rate of transpiration
tcf adaptation- fruit and flowers
do not have
-seeds are protected and contained by cones
tcf adaptation- roots
-shallow roots
as soil quality is poor, shallow roots absorb nutrients available from thin topsoil
shallow roots take in surface melt when ice thaws
