Nutrient Cycling & Storage Flashcards
Most tropical forest soils are
Low in nutrients, therefore they are conserved and recycled efficiently.
Nutrient cycling in tropical forests in
Extremely efficient, losses from soils often low in nutrients is avoided.
There is a great quantity of
Biomass in mature tropical forests.
The loss of nutrients by soil erosion and leaching is minimised by having a high proportion of nutrients
Held in aerial parts of the forest, such as leaves and reproductive tissues.
The nutrient cycles are virtually
Leak proof.
In tropical forests, a much high proportion of nutrients are held by the living tissue, unlike in
Temperate forests where most resides in the soil.
Tropical trees tend to produce
Readily digestible litter, compared to other forests.
Many of the released nutrients are readily
Re absorbed back into trees through the dense network of fine roots, situated near to the soil surface.
The litter layer is often thin, despite the high
Productivity in the canopy, because it is rapidly consumed once it has fallen to the ground, thus preventing a build up of a thick litter layer.
