L9 Tropical and Sub-tropical Biomes Flashcards
What kind of canopy does a forest have
Closed canopy system
What can impact forest composition
Climate, soil and regional variation
What are the conditions in a broad-leaved evergreen forest
Continuous rain and high temperature
What kind of forests have a dry and wet season with high temperatures
Broad-leaved deciduous
What kind of forests are vulnerable to freezing
Broaf-leaved deciduous
What kind of forest is in a cold climate and has a short growing season
Needl-leaved evergreen
Where are tropical rainforests found
10 degrees to the N and S of the equator
Between the bands of Capricorn and Cancer
Roughly how many species are there per 0.1 ha of tropical rainforest
300
What are the climatic charateristics of a rainforest
High rainfall and warm temperature
What is the biodiversity and functional diversity like in rainforests
Both extremely high with many undiscovered species
What are some characteristics of the rainforest climate
Hot and humif
High rainfall
Remains frost free all year
What is the soil like in a tropical rainforest
Poor and infertile
Most nutrients obtained from very top layer of decaying leaf litter
Which soil has more organic matter: rainforest or temperate forest
Why
Temperate
Warm and humid conditions in rainforest encourage faster decay and recycling of nutrients
What are the layers of the rainforest
Emergent layer - tallest trees
Main canopy - eide
Intermediate layer - shade tolerant
Lianas layers - climbers and vines
Shrub layer
Ground layer
How do stranglers grow
Downwards and form roots then upwards and wider
Take over tree, host can die
What role can stranglers play in an ecosystem
Ecosystem engineers
How are roots adapted in rainforests
For anchorage, spread horizontally rather than depth
Name a type of tree root found in rainforests
Buttress roots
How do carnivorous plants attract food
Trap isnects or attract mammals by advertising water source
What is the benefit of being carnivorous
Nitrogen supplementation
Why have drip tip leaves
Water contains mathogens and causes mold
Why is water needed by ferns
Assist spore dispersal
What kind of plants can be epiphytes
Ferns, mosses, figs, bromeliads, orchids
What family are bromeliads in
Pineapple
Are orchids diverse
Very
What adaptations to leaves in the rainforest have
Tips and waxy
How can rainforest species lack of frost and drought stratergies make them vulnerable
Edges of habitat are being changed due to disturbance
What can dry tropical forests sometimes be confused with
Savanna
What are some types of seasonal tropical forests and woodlands
Tropical deciduous
Thorn forests
Tropical woodland
Miombo
Savanna woodland
Which has a more open canopy: tropical rainforoests or tropical dry forests
Tropical dry forests
Where can tropical dry forests be found
India, SE Asia, Central and South America
What are the climatic features of a tropical dry forest
Have a we and dry period
When do plants grow in a tropical dry forest
When do they flower and set seed
Growth during wet season
Flower and set seed in dry
What has a higher diversity: tropcical dry forest or tropical rainforest
Tropical rainforest
What has a higher biodiversity: tropical dry forest or temperate deciduous forests
Tropical dry forest
What is the nutrient content of soil in tropical dry forests like
Poor
Why are Fabaceae important in tropical dry forests
Fix nitrogen
Give an example of a succulent found in tropical dry forests with tree-like structure
Bao bab
What are some leaf adaptations in tropical dry forest plants
Compound leaves made up of leaflets
Bi-compound, pinnate, bipinnate in trees
What are 2 adaptations dry tropical forests have against fire
Fire resistant bark
Can sprout easily from root after disturbance
What is the photosynthetic method of grasses in dry tropical forests
In what environments might this change
C3 grasses
Can be C4 in hot arid regions with more open canopies
Do dry tropical forests have palm species
Yes, but not in Africa
What kind of animals can be found in dry tropical forests
High bird diversity
Some primates
Some grazers e.g. Giraffes and elephants
Why might dry tropical forests be neglected in conservation efforts
Beaten by tropical rainforest or savanna
No major animal species that makes them important for ecotourism
