Natural Vegetation Flashcards
What is natural vegetation?
Plants that grow naturally in a place without human interference
What is an ecosystem?
A community of living organisms within a physical environment and the interactions between them
What is a biome?
The living part of an ecosystem.Plants are often used to identify biomes
the growth of vegetation is influenced by…
the temperature and rainfall(precipitation)
what are the 5 layers of life in a rainforest?(answer from top to bottom)
emergent trees, canopy,understory,shrub,forest floor
what is the height of the emergent layer?
30m to 50m
what is the structure of a tree in the emergent layer?
The trees in the emergent layer have tall, thick and straight trunks
what is the height of the canopy layer?
20m to 30m
what is the structure of a tree canopy layer?
Its a continuous leaf cover called canopy is formed by umbrella shaped crowns
what is the height of the understory layer?
5m to 15m
what is a structure of a tree in the understory layer?
the trees in the understory have narrower, oval-shaped crowns as most sunlight is blocked by the canopy
what is the height of the shrub layer?
up to 6m
what does the shrub layer mainly consist of?
tree saplings and woody plants
what is the height of the undergrowth(forest floor) layer?
up to 5m
why is the plant growth in the undergrowth(forest floor) area so sparse?
its due to little sunlight
Rainforest have an abundance of…
epiphytes and parasitic plants
which layer are the parasitic plants found at
canopy and understory
what are epiphytes?
Plants which live above the ground on tree trunks and branches
how does epiphytes ensure rapid water intake?
By using their aerial roots
what are examples of epiphytes?
orchids and ferns
parasitic plants can…
cause the death of their host trees
parasitic plants compete with the host tree for…
Sunlight and nutrients
why is the topsoil of the tropical rainforest poor quality?
due to the large amounts of rainfall throughout the years leeching away nutrients
what provides most of the nutrients for rainforest vegetation?
The humus
how is evergreen formed?
Due to high rainfall
what is a characteristic of evergreen?
They do not shed leaves
what are examples of hardwood
meranti, Kapur and chengal
what is a characteristic of hardwood
They tend to be harder
what are some types of leaf surfaces?
Waxy with drip tips
Big and broad
Thick and leathery
what are waxy with drip tips leaf surfaces are for?
Allow rainwater to drain off easily
Prevents bacteria from growing on them
what are big and board leaf surfaces are for?
To maximize surface for photosynthesis
what are thick and leathery leaf surfaces for?
To withstand heat
what are examples of barks and branches?
Thin and smooth barks
Tree branches are only at the top half portion
The leaf litter decomposes quickly to form…
a layer of humus
what does the layer of humus provide?
It provides much nutrients to the rich diversity of vegetation in a rainforest
what is the purpose of thin and smooth barks?
The plant does not need protection against cold or dry conditions
why are the tree branches only at the top half portion?
Because of the lack in sunlight at the lower layers
what are some example of roots?
Shallow root which spread widely
Buttress roots
What is the purpose of shallow roots which spread widely?
The roots do not need to reach deep soil for nutrients and water
what are the conditions for shallow roots which spread widely?
1.High at the temperature and rainfall all year round
2. Leaf litter decomposes quickly to form humus at the uppermost layer of soil
What is the purpose of Buttress roots?
To support the great weight of the tall trees
Where in the rainforest is still air?
below the canopy
Still air does not…
Allow pollination to be carried by wind
Plants below the canopy use…
colorful and sweet smelling flowers and fruits to attract animals
Plants use ______ for pollination
Incests
Plants use_______for seed dispersal
Animals
what is the general density in rainforests?
Extremely dense as plants grow close to each other
