Tropical Rainforests L1 Blind Brainscape Flashcards
What makes up the larger biomass store?
Layers of vegetation and huge trees store large amounts of nutrients.
Why is the litter store small?
In hot, wet conditions bacteria and fungi decay dead matter quickly, returning nutrients to the soil.
What happens in the larger growth transfer stage?
Plants grow all year so draw nutrients up from the soil rapidly.
Why does weathering lead to a large input of nutrients in rainforests?
Chemical weathering processes are faster in hot, wet climates, so release nutrients into the soil from rocks.
What does leaching do?
Heavy rain provides nutrients but the constant flow of water through the soil absorbs and removes them by solution.
What is the basic energy source for all food webs?
Sunlight
What happens when food webs are disrupted?
Biodiversity is reduced
Give examples of primary producers in the rainforest?
Orchids, banana plants, bamboo, trees
