TOPICS: The living world Flashcards
Why are rainforest soils surprisingly infertile
because heavy rainfall dissolves and carries away nutrients
What is the name for the highest level of the rainforest
emergents
What is the name for the second highest layer in the rainforest
canopy
what is the name for the third highest layer in the rainforest
understory
what is the name for the bottom layer of a rainforest
forest floor
what is an ecosystem cascade
a diagram showing the effect of a change in a food chain
What are the 6 ecosystems
tundra
rainforest
desert
cold environment
grassland
temperate deciduous forest
Features of tundra
very cold, with low rain and not much life, only moss and grass
Features of grassland
very few trees, with a wet and dry season
Features of temperate deciduous forests
four clear seasons, with rain throughout the year
Features of tropical rainforest
hot and very humid, with lots of rainfall. Very dense with lifeforms
Features of hot desert
Almost no rainfall, very very hot int eh day and very cold at night. Only cacti and other similar plants can survive
Features of cold environments
freezing temperatures all year round.
What are examples of producers in a freshwater pond
Algae or pond weed
What are examples of consumers in a freshwater pond
Trout or similar fish
Examples of decomposers in freshwater ponds
maggots
temperature range of rainforests
21 to 30 degrees all year
How many mm a year of rainfall in the amazon
2,000
are most plants evergreen or not in rainforests
evergreen
What are Epiphytes
Plants which grow on other plants, (common in tropical rainforests)
What are buttress roots
Roots which are adapted so they spread a wide area and go deep underground.
Why do buttress roots exist
They can absorb much more nutrients, and also give the tall trees more stability
What is pointed leap tips
makes the water run off the leaf easily, so the leaf is not damaged by the heavy rainfall
Why do trees in tropical rainforests have smooth and thin bark
To let the water run easily off the tree, so it doesn’t absorb too much