Topic 8 Flashcards
In what two conditions do plants grow best in
Warm and wet conditions
What does the lack of wind near the forest floor mean for the distribution of pollen for the pants
They have to rely on bees, butterflies or other animals to spread pollen
What does the animal ‘agouti’ do for the brazil nut tree and what will happened if they became extinct
Agouti are one of the only animals that can crack open the hard seed pod of the Brazilian nut to eat the nut inside. If the agouti became extinct the brazil nut trees would decline because agoutis sometimes bury the nuts which can sprout into new seedlings. This would also cause other animals to decline who live in or feed off the brazil nut trees. People who sell brazil nuts may also be affected
What are epiphytes
Plants that grown on other plants
What is a symbiotic relationship between plants and animals
Where the plants and animals each depend on one another to survive
Give one positive and negative of epiphytes
They get access to light by growing high up on other plants
They don’t have access to the nutrients in the soil- they are dependant on rainfall to provide water and nutrients
What are the 4 layers of a tropical rainforest from top to bottom and what metres do they cover
Emergents 30m - 40m
Main canopy 20m - 30m
Under canopy 10m - 20m
Shrub layer 0m - 10m
What are two features of the emergents layer in a tropical rainforest
Only have branches and leaves at the top so they can get light
They have big roots to support their trunks
What are two feature sod the main canopy level in a tropical rainforest
Continuous layer of trees
Dense layer of trees
Give 2 features of the under canopy level in the tropical rainforests
Young trees
Can only survive where there are breaks in the canopy for light
What are 2 features of the shrub layer in the tropical rainforest
Nearest to the ground
Large broad leaves to absorb as much as the sunlight as possible
What do drip tips of a leaf do and why
To channel the water to a point where it runs off so the weight of the water doesn’t damage the plant and theres no standing water for fungi and bacteria to grow on
What helps repel the rain on the plant
The waxy coating the leaves
Give two reasons why most trees in the rainforests have smooth thin bark
No need to protect the trunk from cold temperatures
Allows water to run off easily
Give 2 examples of features some animals may have
Some animals are camouflaged so they can hide from predators
Some animals have strong limbs so they can spend all day climbing from tree to tree
What are the three ways nutrients are stored in an ecosystem
Living organisms
Dead organic material
The soil
In what diagram can the store and transfer of nutrients be shown as
Flow diagrams
In a flow diagram what does the size of the arrows and circles show
The size is proportional to the amount of nutrients stored or transferred
Give three reasons why in tropical rainforests there most nutrients are stored as biomass and the transfer of nutrients is very rapid
Trees are evergreen so dead leaves fall all year round
The warm, moist climate means that fungi and bacteria decompose the dead organic matter quickly the nutrients released are soluble and dissolve in the soil
Dense vegetation and rapid plant growth means that nutrients are rapidly taken up by plants’ roots
What is biodiversity
The variety of organisms living in a particular area- both plants and animals
Give three reasons why rainforests have extremely high biodiversity
Rainforests have been around for a very long time without the climate changing much so theres been lots of time for plants and animals to form new species
The layered structure provides lots of different habitats so plants and animals become high specialised to their particular environment and food source so lots of different species develop
Rainforests are stable environments - its always hot and wet. Therefore the plants grow all year round meaning plants and animals font have to cope with changing conditions so theres always lots to eat
What do food chains show
What eats what in an ecosystem
What is the order of food chain from bottom to top
Producers
Primary consumers
Secondary consumers
Tertiary consumers / predator
How do producers consume energy
They make their own food by using energy from the sun
Give two reasons why food webs in tropical rainforests are complex
Many different species so theres many links
Some animals can be both primary and secondary consumers
Give an example of a food chain in a tropical rainforest
Plants
Insects
Snakes
Crocodiles
