Weather & Climate Flashcards

Question

What are typical plant adaptations in deserts?

Answer 1

- **Small leaves** - These ensure that less water is lost from the plant by transpiration because the leaf has a smaller surface area. - **Tap roots** - These are long roots (7-10 metres long) that reach deep under the ground to access water supplies. The tap roots are much longer and bigger than the plant which is visible at the surface. - **Spines** - Some plants have spines instead of leaves, eg cactuses. Spines lose less water than leaves so are very efficient in a hot climate. Spines also prevent animals from eating the plant. - **Waxy skin** - Some leaves have a thick, waxy skin on their surface. This reduces water loss by transpiration. - **Water storage** - Some plants, known as succulents, store water in their stems, leaves, roots or even fruits. Plants which store water in their leaves and stems also have a thick waxy skin so that they lose less water by transpiration.

Answer 2

- Nocturnal desert animals keep cool by being active at night - Other desert animals get away from the sun's heat by digging underground burrows - Some animals have big ears with many blood vessels to lose heat and help keep them cool - Some animals have light-coloured coats to reflect rather than absorb sunlight and to protect them from intense heat - Some creatures get the moisture they need from their food, e.g. succulents, so they don't need to drink much water - Kidneys concentrate urine to reduce water loss - Large feet to stop sinking into the sand - Evolved to survive for long periods without water or food

Answer 3

A an area that recieves less than 250 mm of rain per year

Answer 4

- It spreads throughout the USA and Mexico. - It is located in a subtropical region of North America - Located between 25 - 33 degrees from the equator

Answer 5

- The Sonoran is the hottest desert in both the USA and Mexico, and rarely freezes - Summer air temperatures regularly exceed 40°C, and often reach 48°C. - High diurnal temperature range - diurnal swings of 15°C or more are common. This is because there is low humidity and little cloud cover, which allows for rapid heating during the day and rapid cooling at night. - A very dry climate for most of Arizona and New Mexico. - Annual precipitation in the Sonoran Desert ranges from 75-500 mm depending on location. - The Sonoran desert has a bi-seasonal rainfall pattern. - From December to March frontal storms from North Pacific Ocean occasionally bring widespread, gentle rain to the northwestern areas. - From July to mid-September, the summer monsoon brings surges of wet tropical air and frequent but localized violent thunderstorms.

Answer 6

- High diurnal temperature range because there is low humidity and little cloud cover, which allows for rapid heating during the day and rapid cooling at night. - Intense dryness - The climate of the Sonoran Desert is the result of global air circulation patterns that keep it dry most of the year. It is located between 25-33 degrees north of the equator. At this location, high pressure predominates - this means that cool air is sinking and warming up resulting in cloudless skies and a lack of rainfall. - Another reason why the American south-west includes extensive areas of desert is due to the rainshadow effect. As winds blow over the Pacific Ocean they pick up moisture, which builds up in the form of clouds. As the clouds are blown towards the mountains on the Arizona-California border, moisture falls on the land as rain. Air crossing the mountains descends as dry, hot winds. - Sonoran is on the western edge of the continent the presence of cold ocean currents, in this case the California current, bring dry weather to the west of continents as they cool the air and make it harder for the air to hold moisture

Answer 7

- The plant is called a xerophyte, meaning it resists very hight temperatures - They are succulents meaning they store water in their tissues - They have spikes to deter animals from eating them - These spikes have a very low surface area to reduce transpiration - Deserts bloom suddenly after rainfall and complete their life cycle quickly - They have a waxy surface to reduce water loss due to tranpiration - Their seeds can remain dormant for long periods of time, and germinate rapidly after rainfall - They have taproots, 7 - 10m deep, to search for water

Answer 8

- **Palo verde** - Loses it's leaves during dry season to reduce water loss, and is green so it can photosynthesise without leaves, and has tap roots - **Saguaro cactus** - Huge cacti wth taproots, spines and waxy surfaces that store water in their skin - **Prickly pear** - Reduced leaves to spines to reduce water loss and to protect the cactus, pads of the cactus store water

Answer 9

- Thin, sandy, rocky and grey in colour - Very dry, and soak up rain water quickly - Tend to be infertile because there is not much organic material

Answer 10

**Gila Woodpecker** - Gila woodpeckers have strong beaks so that they can hollow out a hole in the Saguaro Cactus. - They build their nests inside the hollow as it provides a safe, cool place for the woodpeckers to raise their young. - The spines of the cactus also provide protection from predators. **Kangaroo Rat** - Kangaroo rats are nocturnal, meaning they are active at night. This is to avoid the hot desert heat during the day. - Able to get some of the water they need from the food they eat. - Special digestive system is able to get enough water from the seeds they eat for them to survive.

Answer 11

The movement of air around the Earth to try and balance the temperature.

Answer 12

- The Earth revolves around the sun over the course of 1 year, an is tilted on its axis, so the equator recieves sunlight during the entire year - Close to the poles, the sun has to pass through a larger area of atmosphere. More energy is lost and so the air is cooler. - The sun’s rays are concentrated at the Equator, but spread out at the poles.

Answer 13

- Rainforests are found along the equator. - This is because the equator receives more solar insolation than any other place on earth. - Intense solar radiation results in high evaporation rates, creating areas of low pressure and resulting in heavy rainfall. - Rainforests are located in a tropical air pressure cell called the Hadley Cell, where warm moist air rises, leading to the development of clouds and rain.

Answer 14

- High rainfall (over 2000 mm a year) - High temperatures (averaging about 27°C) - More than two thirds of the world’s plant species are found in these forests

Answer 15

- Emergents - Canopy - Under Canopy - Forest Floor/Shrub level

Answer 16

- **Camouflage** allows some animals to blend in with the surroundings to escape becoming prey - **Bright colours** to warn predators to leave them alone as they are poisonous e.g. the poison dart frog - **Mimicry** - sometimes animals mimic the characteristics of harmful animals to ward off predators e.g. the mimic poison dart frog - Some animals are **nocturnal** as fewer species are active at night so their is less competition for food - Some animals have **long, strong limbs** to help them climb trees - **Prehensile tail** - Some primate shave this tail which functions almost as a fifth limb, increasing their proficiency at swinging through trees

Answer 17

- **Buttress roots** - wide ridges at the base of the tree to help keep it stable Waxy leaves so water runs off - **Drip trips** - to shed excess water - Waxy leaves to prevent water from entering leaves at a too high rate, which could damage it - **Shallow roots** to aid absorption of nutrients - **Epiphytes** e.g. orchids use other plants/trees as a growing surface. They are adapted to climbing up other plants to reach sunlight in the rainforest canopy. - **Carnivorous plants** e.g. the Venus fly trap have adapted the ability to catch and digest insects. These plants also make food through photosynthesis but do not depend on soil for nutrients, relying instead on consumed animal proteins. - **Parasitic species** to absorb nutrients from other plants - **Fast Growing** to reach the sunlight and rise to the canopy

Answer 18

- Birds living in the canopy feeding on nectar from flowers. - Mammals like monkeys and sloths are well adapted to living in the trees. - Animals like deer and rodents live on the forest floor.

Answer 19

- They have plenty of water - Thee is plenty of food - The temeratures are very regular - There is a lack of sunlight on the lower levels - There is a lack of nutrients as there is so much compertition for them

Answer 20

- Trees take up wter from the ground - Water evaporates via evapotranspiration - Heavy convectional rain occurs - Trees intercept rain and stor a part of the water in their leaves - Some rain reaches the ground by stem flow and drip flow | Repeats

Answer 21

- Shallow roots take up nutrients into their biomass - Trees grow rapidly - Trees shed their leaves al year round - Decaying vegetation decomposes rapidly - Nutrients enter the soil | Repeats

Answer 22

- Nutrient cycling is very rapid in rainforests as the environment is hot and humid and this is the perfect conditions for decomposition. - The tree roots in rainforests are shallow allowing them to absorb nutritious material quickly, this helps to prevent the loss of nutrients by leaching (this is when rain washes nutrients out of the soil).

Answer 23

- Tropical soils are very deep, some of the deepest in the world. - This includes the Latosol, a typical tropical forest soil. - The soils have been underneath tropical rain forests for millions of years and the high rainfall weathering the rock below and masses of vegetation allow deep soils to form. - Tropical soils can be several metres thick BUT are often very nutrient poor as you go down through the soils. - This is because the rainwater washes out or leaches the nutrients and minerals out of the soil. Soils are often red in colour as they are rich in iron. - This leaching means that the lower layers of the soils lack the nutrients and minerals needed by the lush vegetation. - It is a huge system of nutrient cycling that allows the vegetation to grow. - This is a good example of the interdependent (where things rely upon each other) nature of the forest. - As vegetation dies it is quickly decomposed by insects, bacteria and fungi. This releases nutrients into the surface of the soil which is taken up quickly by the plants.

Answer 24

- Deforestation - Reduced interception - Rainwater strikes the ground and leaches away nutrients - Reduced transpiration due to fewer trees - Less condensation and rainfall - Desertification as forest becomes dry and useless | Repeats

Answer 25

- Deforestation - Fewer twigs and leaves fall to the forest floor - Fewer nutrients enter the soil - Soil becomes infertile | Repeats

Answer 26

- In tropical rainforests, as in any ecosystem, there is competition for resources and sunlight. - Many of the animals and plants are in competition with one another and, in many cases, they are also reliant upon one another. - Changes in one part of the ecosystem, either the living or nonliving, could be very damaging for this ecosystem. - The loss of some tree cover to deforestation or fire would affect both the water and nutrient cycles for example, and cause soil erosion, increased loss of nutrients from the soils via leaching and extra flooding. - Similarly, if one of the elements of the tropical forest food web, shown opposite, were to change, there would be knock-on impacts throughout that food web.

Answer 27

- Little seasonal variation – rainforests are warm and wet throughout the year - Consistently high temperatures throughout the year – daily temperatures range between 20 -25°C - Annual temperature range is very low: less than 5°C - Rainfall – Typically convectional, amount exceeds 2000mm - Rainfall – biseasonal distribution: The Amazon rainforest has a wet season and a dry season - Wind: low, Cloud: heavy, Humidity: high, Pressure: low

Answer 28

- Rainforests are warm because the powerful sun is overhead most of the time which heats the ground intensely. - Intense solar radiation results in high evaporation rates, creating areas of low pressure and resulting in heavy rainfall. - Rainforests are located in a tropical air pressure cell called the Hadley Cell, where warm moist air rises, leading to the development of clouds and rain. - Biseasonal rainfall due to a period of intense rainfall when the equatorial low-pressure area is directly overhead.

Answer 29

- **Lianas** - Plants that climb others, developing strong and flexible trunk branches. They climb up trees toward the light. This helps them attain higher heights, where light is available, without the same amount of support or energy needed. - **Strangler Figs** - These figs grow on top of another tree and send aerial roots back down to the ground, suck up the nutrients of their victim, then strangle their host. This allows them rapid access to light and nutrients without using too much energy.

Answer 30

- Uses camouflage and moves very slowly - These factors make it harder to be spotted by predators - Long, strong limbs with strong toes, like claws - This makes them more agile among the trees - Hairs grow from the stomach outward - This makes water run off of the fur - Nocturnal - Avoids predators, reduces competition | They live in the canopy

Answer 31

- Long, strong limbs and Prehensile tail- To swing through the branches - Highly developed larynx - Can communicate across the trees for long distances. | They live in the canopy

Answer 32

- Bright colour and can excrete poison - Some of these frogs excrete poison and are colourful to warn predators of this poisonous - Mimicry - Others in this family mimic the bright colours but are in fact not, so they don't waste recources in toxin production but still keep predators away | They live on the forest floor

Answer 33

- Long, large bill - Allows it to reach for berries on branche that are to thin to support it’s weigh | The live in the canopy

Answer 34

- Green, providing camouflage - Able to hide from predators - Detachable tail - Able to escape from predators more easily - Large, sticky pads on fingers - Able to climb smooth rainforest trees

Answer 35

- The sun heats the ground, and warm air rises. - As the air rises, it cools, and water vapour condenses to form clouds. - When the condensation point is reached, large cumulonimbus clouds are formed. - Heavy rainstorms occur. These usually include thunder and lightning due to the electrical charge created by unstable conditions. Convectional rainfall is widespread in areas where the ground is heated by the hot sun, such as the Tropics. This is why areas, such as the Amazon Rainforest, experience heavy rainfall most afternoons.

Answer 36

- Rainforests are found along the equator and between the tropics - The main areas are northern South America (e.g., the Amazon), Central Africa (e.g., Congo) and SouthEast Asia. - The Amazon Rainforest is the world’s largest rainforest located in northern South America. The largest portion of the Amazon rainforest is located in the north of Brazil.

Answer 37

- Logging - Mining - Cattle ranching - Farming - Building dams - Building transport links

Answer 38

- Logging is the first step in the conversion of forest land to other uses - Timber companies are most interested in trees such as mahogany and teak, and sell them to other countries to make furniture (selective logging). Each tree obtained damages an average of 28 other trees - Smaller trees are often used as wood for fuel or made into pulp or charcoal. Vast areas of rainforest are cleared in one go (clear felling).

Answer 39

- Minerals that developed countries need are found beneath stretches of tropical rainforest - In the Amazon, mining is mainly about gold - In 1999, there were 10,000 hectares of land being used for gold mining. Today, the area is over 50,000 hectares. - The rainforest suffers badly as it is clear-felled. The same applies to the extraction of another mineral, bauxite, from which aluminum is made.

Answer 40

- An unlimited supply of water and ideal river conditions have encouraged dams to be built to generate hydroelectric power (HEP) - This involves flooding vast areas of rainforest for the construction of the reservoir - Often the dams have a short life, as the submerged forest gradually rots, making the water very acidic, corroding the HEP turbines. - The dams also become blocked with soil washed down deforested slopes by the heavy rain.

Answer 41

- Hunting, poaching and trafficking in wildlife and animal parts are still big business in Brazil - Although this is not a direct cause of deforestation, it is endangering species such as the jaguar, the golden belled capuchin and the golden lion tamarind - It is also upsetting the natural balance of the rainforest ecosystem and therefore degrading it.

Answer 42

- Large areas of the amazon rainforest have been cleared to make way for livestock rearing - The rearing of cattle is believed to account for 80% of tropical rainforest destruction in Brazil. - However, the land cannot be used for long as he quality of pasture quickly declines, so the cattle farmers then have to move on and destroy more rainforest to create new cattle pastures.

Answer 43

- The forest is being cleared to make way for vast plantations, where crops such as bananas, palm oil, pineapple, sugar cane, tea and coffee are grown. - The cultivation of soybean has also caused much forest clearance in Amazonia - The amount of rainforest cleared for this crop doubled between 1990 and 2010. - As with cattle ranching, the soil will not sustain crops for long. After a few years, the farmers have to cut down more rainforest for new plantations. - Growing sugar can for biofuel is beginning to become a major crop.

Answer 44

- Roads are needed to bring in equipment and transport products to markets, but road building means cutting great swathes through the rainforest - Additionally, a road built for one commercial activity makes the forest accessible to other exploiters of the tropical rainforest resources. - The Trans Amazonian Highway began construction in 1972 and is 4,000 kilometers long. Although only a small part of it is paved, it has played an important part in opening up remote areas of the Amazon rainforest.

Answer 45

- We are losing 137 plant, animal and insect species every single day due to rainforest deforestation - While 25% of Western pharmaceuticals are derived from rainforest ingredients, less that 1% of these tropical trees and plants have been tested by scientists - European colonists have destroyed more than 90 indigenous tribes since the 1900's

Answer 46

- They absorb CO2 and emit oxygen - They provide a lareg variety of raw material - Unique indigineous groups live here - The compounds of rainforest plants are used to create medicine e.g. Cinchona Tree, from which quinine can be extracted, is an effective treatment of malaria

Answer 47

- 46% of all forest shave been ut down due to global activity, 17% of the Amazon has been destroyed in the alast 50 years - Deforestation threatens the territory of indigenous groups - It destroys biodiversity - 137 species are lost every day to deforetation

Answer 48

- Monitoring of illegal actiities - Sustainabe farming e.g. selective logging - Raise wawareness and get the public involved - Afforestation - Establishment of nature reserves - Eco-tourism

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Weather & Climate Flashcards

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