Tropical Rainforests WIP Flashcards
What is the climate like in tropical rainforests?
- Same all year round
- hot (20-28°C)
- high rainfall (2000mm per year)
What are plants like in tropical rainforests?
- Most trees are evergreen
- Trees are tall and vegetation is dense
- Many epithytes (orchids and ferns)
What is the soil like in tropical rainforests?
Infertile
What animals are in the tropical rainforests?
- Gorillas
- Jaguars
- Anacnodas
- Tree frogs
- Sloths
What is biodiversity?
The variety of organisms living in a particular area.
What is the biodiversity like in rainforests?
They contain about 50% of the world’s plant, animal and insect species.
Why are rainforests stable and productive environments?
Because it’s hot and wet all the time.
What makes it easy for plants to grow in the rainforest?
The warm and wet climate helps fungi to decompose dead plants rapidly. This makes the surface soil rich in nutrients.
What symbiotic relationships exist in the rainforest?
Agouti and Brazil nut, Cecropia trees and Azteca ants
What is the relationship between agouti and brazil nut trees?
Agouti are the only animals that can crack brazil nuts. Sometimes they bury them which causes them to sprout.
What is the relationship between cecropia trees and Azteca ants?
Cecropia trees have hollow stems and produce foodstuff at the base of their leaves. This is an ideal home for Azteca ants. The ants fight off other insects and lianas.
How do plants adapt to conditions in the rainforest?
- Trees grow tall
- Leaves have drip-tips
- Lianas use tree trunks to reach the sun
- Trees have smooth, thin bark
- Large buttress roots
- Plants drop their leaves gradually
How do animals adapt to conditions in the rainforest?
- Strong limbs to move around
- Short pointed wings to manoeuvre around trees
- Suction cups
- Flaps of skin to glide
- Camoflauge
- Nocturnal
- Can swim
How large is the Amazon?
8 million km^2
How much of the forest was lost between 2001 and 2012?
18 million hectacres.
