What Is The Climate In Tropical Rainforests

Question 1

What is the climate in tropical rainforests

Answer 1

equatorial climate

Question 2

What is the characteristic of the equatorial climate

Answer 2

Hot and wet all year

Question 3

What is the characteristic of the temperatures in equatorial climate

Answer 3

High annual mean temp
Small Annual range of temp
No distinct cold season

Question 4

What is the reason behind the high temps

Answer 4

The angle of the sun is large throughout the year, inputs of solar radiation are large

Question 5

What is the characteristic of the rainfall in rainforests

Answer 5

High annual rainfall
Convection rain
Evenly distributed

Question 6

What is the cause of the high rainfall

Answer 6

Large energy inputs create a turbulent and unstable atmosphere

Question 7

Formation of convection rain

Answer 7

Question 8

What is the typical type of soil found in tropical rainforests

Answer 8

Oxisol

Question 9

What are the four layers of oxisol

Answer 9

Thin humus layer
Reddish and acidic
Infertile
Thick soil profile

Question 10

What is the humus layer

Answer 10

Dead plants materials, waste and dead bodies accumulate on the ground, forming a dead organic matter called litter, when litter decay, it form a layer of humus

Question 11

What are the characteristics of humus

Answer 11

Due to the hot and wet climate, humus are quickly decomposed

Question 12

What are reddish and acidic

Answer 12

Heavy rain causes leaching and soluble minerals are mashed down deep in the soil, except iron and aluminum oxides, which makes the soil acidic and give the soil red colour

Question 13

What is infertile

Answer 13

Nutrients released from litter of humus through decomposition concentrate in the topsoil

Question 14

What is thick soil profile

Answer 14

Intense weathering is f the bedrock leads to a thick soil profile of 30-50m deep

Question 15

What are the characteristics of vegetation in tropical rainforests

Answer 15

Luxuriant and evergreen
Layered stratified structure

Question 16

What is luxuriant and evergreen

Answer 16

The hot wet climate allow tropical rainforest to grow luxuriantly throughout the year and tree remain all green year round

Question 17

What is the five layer structure

Answer 17

Emergent layer
Canopy layer
Young tree layer
Shrub layer
Undergrowth and ground layer

Question 18

What is the characteristic of emergent layer

Answer 18

• It consists of the tallest trees that grow up to 50 metres or above, known as emergent

• The trees need much sunlight

• The trees are widely spaced, have high branches, broad and umbrella-shaped crowns, and are supported by thick and straight trunks and buttress roots

• The tall height and broad crowns help the trees to get maximum sunlight

Question 19

What is the characteristic of canopy layer

Answer 19

• It consists of tall trees ranging from 20 to 35 metres high
• The trees need much sunlight, are closely packed, have high branches, oval-shaped crowns, and are supported by straight trunks and buttress roots
• The dense crowns form a close and continuous canopy
• It houses over 70% of the species found in a rainforest
• Little sunlight can penetrate to the lower layers

Question 20

What is the characteristic of young tree layer

Answer 20

It consists of short trees that seldom exceed 15 metres
• The trees are sparse, have conical crowns and slender trunks. They are adapted to grow in the shade of the canopy layer
• Some trees in this layer are the saplings of emergent and canopy trees. They will finally replace the old trees

Question 21

What is the characteristic of shrub layer

Answer 21

• It consists of short shrubs, ferns and other plants, mostly less than 5 metres high
• As this layer is fairly dark, most plants there do not need much sunlight
• The plants are sparse

Question 22

What is the characteristic of undergrowth and ground layer

Answer 22

• As the canopy layer blocks most of the sunlight, only about 1-2% of sunlight reaches the forest floor. The forest floor is thus dark and damp
• There is little undergrowth, except in the opening gaps produced by fallen trees where more sunlight can reach the lower layers
• Only species that do not need much sunlight, such as mosses and lichens, can survive
• There is a layer of litter on the ground

Question 23

What are the four levels of food chain

Answer 23

Producer
Primary consumer
Secondary consumer
Tertiary consumer

Question 24

What is producer

Answer 24

All green plants are producers, they can produce their own food through photosynthesis

Question 25

What is consumers

Answer 25

All animals are consumers, they cannot produce their own food . There are three types of consumers :
Primary consumers
Secondary consumers
Tertiary consumers

Question 26

What is primary consumers

Answer 26

It is animals that are herbivore and only feed on producers

Question 27

What are secondary consumers

Answer 27

Animals that are carnivorous and feed on other consumers at the same and lower levels

Question 28

What are tertiary consumers

Answer 28

Animals that feed on other consumers

Question 29

What is decomposer

Answer 29

Fungi, bacteria and some other animals can break down dead organic matter on the ground into inorganic matter , that can be readily absorbed by plants

Question 30

Where does energy come from

Answer 30

Sun