LIFE ON LAND Flashcards
nature’s most extravagant garden
Tropical rain forest
Tropical rain forests straddle the equator in three major regions:
Southeast Asia, West Africa, and South America
Most rain forest occurs within ____ of latitude north or south of the equator.
10°
The global distribution of __________ corresponds to areas where conditions are warm and wet year-round.
Tropical rain forest
Temperatures in __________ vary little from month to month and often change as much in a day as they do over the entire year.
Tropical rainforest
Average temperatures in tropical rainforest are about
25°C to 27°C
(Tropical rainforest) Annual rainfall ranges from about
2,000 to 4,000 mm
In a __________ , a month with less than 100 mm of rain is considered dry.
Rain forest
__________ soils are often nutrient-poor, acidic, thin, and low in organic matter.
Rain forest
occur where soils are very fertile such as along rivers.
Rainforest
Trees dominate the ___________ landscape and average about 40 m in height but some reach 80 m.
Rainforest
These rain forest giants are often supported by
well-developed buttresses
Primary production in ___________ is the highest of all terrestrial ecosystems
tropical rain forests
there are plants that cannot live without particular species of fungi, which help them absorb nutrients
Mycorrhizae
Life in the ____________444 responds to the rhythms of the annual solar cycle, which drives the oscillation between wet and dry seasons.
tropical dry forest
Make up approximately 42% of tropical and sub-tropical forest area
Tropical Dry Forest
(Tropical dry forest) dry season lasting to
6-7 months
(Tropical dry forest) abundant rainfall last to
5-6 months
soils of many __________ are of great age
- tend to be less acidic than those of rain forests and are generally richer in nutrients
- highly vulnerable to erosion
tropical dry forests
The plants of the ___________ are strongly influenced by physical factors.
tropical dry forest
The relatively fertile soil of tropical dry forests has attracted agricultural development, including (3)
cattle ranches, grain farms, and cotton fields.
more easily converted to agriculture compared to rain forests
Tropical dry forest
are found nowhere else, as many as 40% of the tree and shrub species found there are endemic
Dry forest species
