large scale ecosystems (rainforests) Flashcards
what is an ecosystem
where living and non-living things interact in their natural environment
what is a biome
a large scale ecosystem
where are deserts generally found
near the tropic of cancer and the tropic of capricorn
where are biomes found
in areas with similar temperature and similar rainfall
where are rainforests found
near the equator
what are buttress roots
Buttress roots grow on specialist trees where the soil is shallow and the nutrients are all near the surface. The roots grow out horizontally from the tree, with shallow vertical roots (which only penetrate the ground by a few metres at most).
what do buttress roots do
helps to stabalise the trees
Leaf litter collects between these buttress roots so the tree has access to more nutrients when the collected leaves decompose.
what are lianas
(also known as vines, climbing plants or climbers)
plants with long, flexible, climbing stems that are rooted in the ground, and usually have long dangling branches.
lianas avoid the dark ground and weave between trees to reach sunlight
what are driptips
driptips are an adaption on leaves in the rainforest, the leaves have a small funnel-shaped end so water can drip off them and into the soil below
what are epiphytes
any plant that grows upon another plant or object merely for physical support.
An epiphyte is a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another plant
how many species and plants in the world come from rainforests
50%
has the greatest biodiversity
how old are rainforests
more than 100 million years old
what are the rainforest layers
emergent trees
canopy
under-canopy
shrub layer
how much rainfall per year in the amazon rainforest
2000mm
the temperature rarely falls below __*C
25*C
what happens during the day in a rainforest
clouds build up and it rains during the afternoon
how much of the rain escapes down the river
20%
the rest is recycled
what is the ground like
not solid, broken down by rain
where are the roots
near the surface
the nutrients are at the surface
decomposing leaves, water
how big is the amazon rainforest
30 x the size of the uk
where do nutrients come from
decomposing leaves and trees
rainforest nutrient cycle=
trees shed leaves all year round >
decaying vegitation decomposes rapidly>
nutrients enter the soil >
shallow roots take up nutrients >
trees grow rapidly >
what happens if trees no longer shed leaves
there is no decomposition which means there is no nutrients meaning vegitation and animals cannot survive
