Tropical Rainforest Flashcards
Define ‘Biome’
a large geographical area of distinctive plant & animal groups that are adapted to that particular environment.
What are the major biomes in the world?
Tropical rainforest, tropical grasslands, tundra & desert
Where is the tropics located?
near the equator between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn
What are the biomes in the tropics?
Tropical rainforest & tropical grasslands
What is another name for Tropical Grasslands?
Tropical Savannah
What are the 4 main characteristics of the tropical rainforest biome?
very high amount of rainfall, high average temperatures, nutrient-poor soil & high levels of biodiversity (species richness)
Why do the tropics have high temperatures throughout each year
since the tropics is located near the equator and the equator receives direct sunlight, this steady flow of radiation produces consistently high temperatures
Why are rainforest soils nutrient poor
because nutrients are not stored in them for a longtime
True or False?
Tropical rainforests are areas of extremely high biodiversity compared to other ecosystems
true
The tropical rainforest contains about __% of the world’s terrestrial plant & animal species
50%
What are the characteristics of the Vegetation of the Tropical Rainforest?
structure
Describe the structure of the Vegetation of the Tropical Rainforest
the vegetation grows in layers and is dominated by tall trees forming a canopy
What are the 5 layers of the structure of the Vegetation of the Tropical Rainforest?
emergent, canopy, lower-story (understory), shrub layer & ground layer (forest floor)
Which layer of the forest is the home of many birds and insects?
the emergent layer
Describe the emergent layer of the forest
It consists of trees that grow up to 50m tall & are the tallest trees with mushroom shaped crowns. They benefit the most from sunlight and are the homes of many insects & birds.
In which layer of the forest is MOST of the trees found?
The canopy layer
Which layer of the forest intercepts 70% of the sunlight & 80% of the rainfall?
The canopy layer
90% of the wildlife lives in this layer of the forest
The canopy layer
Describe the canopy layer of the forest
It is where most of the trees are found and 90% of the wildlife live there. The trees below the emergent layer are packed more closely together and form almost continuous layers. Trees grow up to 30.40m & intercept 70% of sunlight and 80% of rainfall. The branches grow up the trunk and on them grow epiphytes & lianas.
In which layer of the forest do palms and cocoa trees grow?
the understory (lower story)
Describe the understory of the forest
There is less light here, it’s humid and trees grow up to 10-20m. There are younger trees here and some grow to become apart of the canopy. Th trees are adapted to moist & shady conditions and some of these are palms and cocoas
Why don’t young trees grow quickly in the shrub layer?
because there isn’t enough light there for photosynthesis
Describe the shrub layer of the forest
Only 1%-2% of sunlight reaches here so young trees don’t grow quickly since there isn’t enough light for photosynthesis. The air is still & humid. The trees grow up to 5m & trees such as rubber are found here and ferns grow on the trees.
Which layer of the forest is covered with a lot of leaves?
forest floor (ground layer)
Describe the ground layer of the forest
Shade loving plants such as ferns that grow less than 1m grow on ground and the forest floor is covered with a lot of leaves. 90% of the sunlight is blocked out so there is very little undergrowth. There are some saprophytes such as mushrooms, bacteria, fungi .
Name the tropical rainforest located in South America and the country it’s situated in
Amazon Basin in Brazil
Name the tropical rainforest located in Central Africa
Congo basin
Name 4 of the locations of the tropical rainforest
Brazil, Indonesia & Malaysia, Guyana & Trinidad
Describe the seasonality of the tropics
there are no seasons as the temperatures are high all year round but the rainfall is heavy. Therefore plant processes occur all the time
Name a small area in which which hundreds of species can be found
acre
What type of trees are green all year round and do not lose their leaves
evergreen trees
How do plants adapt to vegetation in the rainforest?
Trees are tall and canopy is wide to reach maximum light for photosynthesis.
Leaves have drip tips with curved ends to allow water to run off easily. leaves are also thick & leathery to protect them from strong sunlight.
The trunks of the trees are slender with thin, smooth barks. These allow for easy removal of rain water through transpiration.
Roots are referred to as buttress roots which are wide in order to support the weight of the larger trees. The roots are also above ground / near the surface . It rains all year round and the nutrients are readily available on the forest floor. Extra roots/radicles grow down from the branches to make the roots more stable.
Epiphytes use dead remains of plants that collect in the fork of the trees as a place in which to grow.
Lianas which are climbing plants use the trees as support and hang from the trees
