tropical rainforest Flashcards
describe the seasons in tropical rainforests
there aren’t any distinct seasons
what does the temperature in rainforests range between throughout the year?
all year, the temperature is in the range of 21 degrees celsius to 30 degrees celsius
how much rainfall is there each year in a tropical rainforest?
roughly 2,000 mm each year
what is the soil like in tropical rainforests?
infertile
why are tropical rainforest soils infertile?
heavy rain washes away minerals and nutrients from the soil
why do plants grow all year in the tropical rainforest?
the climate is very similar in all months throughout the year
what word describes plants in the tropical rainforest?
evergreen (always green): the leaves do not shed in winter
why is there competition for sunlight for trees in the tropical rainforest?
trees block sunlight for each other and create shade
how do trees counter the competition for sunlight in the tropical rainforest?
they grow very tall
how tall can trees grow in the tropical rainforest?
up to 46 metres high
what are epiphytes?
plants that live off and grow on other plants
describe the biodiversity of species in tropical rainforests
extremely biodiverse
which humans inhabit tropical rainforests?
tribal communities
tropical rainforests are highly interdependent. What does this mean?
all the different parts depend on one another
what happens if there is a change to an interdependent ecosystem?
there will be knock-on effects for the rest of the ecosystem
what are the effects of deforestation in tropical rainforests?
fewer trees absorb carbon dioxide (environmental effect),
soil erosion increases
how does soil erosion increase after deforestation and what is the effect?
Trees that used to catch rainwater and protect the soil have been removed, leaving the soil exposed, reducing the quality of the soil and reducing the ability of rainforests to support large animal populations
why does decomposition of dead animals on the forest floor occur quickly in tropical rainforests?
because of the humid, warm, and moist climate in a tropical rainforest
what is the effect of rapid deposition on forest floors in tropical rainforests?
a nutrient-rich layer of soil is created, allowing plants to grow very quickly
what is the speed of plant growth dependent on?
the soil and the nutrients within the soil
where do animals get their nutrition from in tropical rainforest?
by eating plants, or eating animals that have eaten plants already
the vegetation in tropical rainforests is very dense. What does this mean?
there is a lot of food for primary consumers and other plant-eating animals, meaning more plant-eating animals are alive, providing food for meat-eating animals higher up in the food chain
how much of the Earth do rainforest cover and how much of the worlds species come from rainforests, what does this suggest
rainforests cover 6% of the Earth’s surface area, but are home to about 50% of the world’s animal and plant species: shows that rainforest are very biodiverse
