L31 Forests and Grasslands Flashcards
what plants survive annual rainfall of 100-200mm?
grasses
what plants survive annual rainfall of up to 300mm?
shrubs
what plants survive annual rainfall of up to 400mm?
solitary trees
what plants survive annual rainfall of over 400mm?
dense trees
what is climate?
mean annual temperature + mean annual precipitation
what happened central Africa from 1982 - 2016?
Amazon Basin tree cover increased
where is thr tropical forest biome located?
either side of the equator
what is the mean annual rainfall in tropical forests?
> 2,500mm/year
what are the three types of tropical forest biome?
1) tropical deciduous forest
2) trees and shrubs deciduous forest
3) tropical dry forest
why does the temperature not vary too much in the tropical forests?
it’s located around the equator
what is the tropical rainforest climate reffered to as?
an ideal place for plant growth, 25 degrees and high water availability
what are epiphytes?
non-parasitic plants that grow ontop of other plants
where are temperate and boreal forests located?
mid-latitudes and arctic circle
what are 2 principle conifer species found in boreal forests?
spruce and pine
why are fires more likely to occur during boreal forest summers?
OM is not decomposed during winter because it is too cold for bacteria and fungi to operate
where are temperate forests located?
mid-latitudes
what are deciduous trees only found in temperate forests and not boreal?
there is not enough nutrients in spring time boreal and not enough day length time
how are grassland biomes characterised?
long seasonal drought
what are the 2 types of grassland?
temperate and tropical/savanna
how does savanna grassland differ from temperate grassland?
warmer climate, regular fires, lower nutrient availability, too dry for agriculture
what have savanna plants adapted for fire?
basal meristem, tillering, rhizomes, spines, secondary chemical compounds
what is most of Ireland’s Agricultural land use?
93% on pasture, hay/silage and rough grazing
what does Ireland’s agriculture account for in relation to GHG emissions?
32%
