Tropical rainforests Flashcards
Describe climate of tropical rainforets?
Climate is same all year round
usualyy 20-28 degrees celcius as it is near equator
rainfall is high 2000mm per year.
Describe the soil of the rainforest
soil is infertile heavy rain washes away nutirents.
nutrients on surface due to decayed leaf fall (thin), but decay is fast in hot/moist conditions.
Describe plants in tropical rainforest.
most trees are evergreen to tak advantage of continuak gowth season.
trees are tall vegetation cover is dense.
sunlight does not reach forest floor.
lots of ephiphytes that take nutrients and moisture from air.
Describe animals in rainforest.
most animal species than any other ecosystem.
eg. tree frogs, anacondas, jaguars
birds and insects
brightly coloured animals that make a lot of noise.
Describe people of rainforest.
people have adapted to rainforest over many generations
they hunt and fish
gather nuts and berries and plant vegetables.
What is an inderpeendant ecosystem?
climate,,water, soil plants, animal and people are dependant on eachother.
Explain the interdependance of the rainforest.
warm and wet climate- dead plant material can be decpmposed quickly by fungi and bacteria on fores floor. Leaving soil high in nutrients for plants to grow quicker.
Plants pass nutrients to animals when eaten. Animal population high- vegetation provides food. Animal and plants have a symbiotic relationship (depend on eachother
people changing tree cover by deforestation- less CO2 absorbed from atmosphere- greenhouse effect.
Trees intercept water- release back into atmosphere for further rainfall by adding moisture. _ deforestation leads to climate change an increase in drought. affect animals and plants.
Defenition of biodversity.
variety of organism living in a particular area. -plants and animals
What are some adaptations of Plants?
Tall trees compete for sunlight- butress roots to support their trunk.
Plants have thick waxy leavs and a pointed tip- water runs off to prevent daming plant from heavy weight of water. no standing water for fungi and bacteria to grow.
waxy cuticle to repel water.
trees have smooth thin bark as no need to protect trunk from cold temps. Smooth surface for water to run off.
Emergents have branches at crown to absorb sunlight- undercanopy layer has big leaves to absorb much sunlight as possible.
Plants such as lilianas clime up trees using tree trunks to reach sunlight.
Tress drop leaves gradually through year to grow all year round.
What are the for distinct layers of plants.
emergents
canopy
under canopy
shrub layer
What are some adaptations of animals?
Some animals have strong limbs to climb and heab between trees. eg. howler monkey
some animals have flaps of skin to glide between trees - flying squirrles.
some animlas have sucntion cups to climb trees eg. tree frog.
some birds have short point wings to easily manouvere between branches.
some animlas camaflouge to hide from preadators. chameleon.
some animals can swim eg jaguaurs- allows them to cross river channles.
