Tropical Rainforests Flashcards
Define weather.
Weather describes what temperature, wind, rainfall and cloud cover are like over a short period of time, such as a day or two.
What are the four aspects of weather?
Temperature, precipitation (rainfall, snow, hail, sleet), wind speed and direction, cloud cover and visibility.
Define climate.
Climate describes what the weather is like over a long period of time, such as in summer or winter.
What affects the types of vegetation that grow in different parts of the world as well as the way people live there?
Variation of temperature and rainfall over the Earth.
Fill in the blanks:
Cape Town is in the ___ hemisphere, we have our summers in ___ and our winters in ___.
Southern, January, July.
Fill in the blanks:
London is in the ___ hemisphere, they have their ___ in January and their ___ in July.
Northern, winters, summers.
Where do tropical rainforests occur?
Between the tropics - Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
Which important line of latitude runs through most of the tropical rainforests?
The Equator.
Why are these rainforests called tropical rainforests?
They are found between the tropics - Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
What are the layers of the tropical rainforests called? Name them in order from the top layer to the bottom layer.
Emergents, canopy, shrub layer/understory, forest floor.
Name one fact about each layer of the tropical rainforest.
Emergents - tallest trees, canopy - most plant and animal life is found in this layer, shrub layer - leaves are broad to catch light and some leaves are arranged to catch water, forest floor - decomposition takes place at this level.
How have plants in tropical rainforests adapted to temperature, rainfall and light conditions?
- Leaves are small, leathery and shiny as protection from strong sunlight and heavy rain.
- Leaves have drip tips: water drips off the leaves so they do not get soggy and rot.
- Some plants grow high up, they get their food from the trees, not the soil.
- Lianas are ropy plants that climb up trees to reach sunlight.
- Buttress roots develop to support the tallest trees.
What have adaptations allowed animals in tropical rainforests to do? Name five things.
- Cope with the heat.
- Eat certain kinds of foods that others cannot.
- Hide from predators.
- Sneak up on prey.
- Move through trees.
