biomes - characteristics of biomes

Question 1

where is the tropical rainforest biome found

Answer 1

23*C north and south of the equator

Question 2

what type of climate

Answer 2

tropical climate that is hot and humid

Question 3

what is the average temperature

Answer 3

27*C

Question 4

what is the humidity

Answer 4

88%

Question 5

what are these conditions of heat and humidity due to

Answer 5

position of the biome across the equatorial region

Question 6

what is the equatorial zone

Answer 6

the region of maximum solar heating on the earths surface

Question 7

what happens at these latitudes

Answer 7

the suns rays are directly overheard and hit the earth at a high angle causing intense heating of the surface and high levels of evaporation

Question 8

what does the high rate of evaporation cause

Answer 8

heavy convectional rain

Question 9

what is the total rainfall per year

Answer 9

6,600 mm

Question 10

although there are no seasons in the rainforest biome, what happens to the areas that receive the most rain and high temperatures

Answer 10

slight drying and cooling at the edges of the rainforest biome region in June and December

Question 11

what conditions are in the tropical climate

Answer 11

warmth, moisture and sunlight

Question 12

what are these perfect for the growth of

Answer 12

living things

Question 13

what has the climate led to

Answer 13

high biodiversity in the tropical rainforest biome

Question 14

Vegetation

Question 15

what is the natural vegetation in the tropical rainforest biome

Answer 15

jungle or rainforest

Question 16

what do rainforests contain

Answer 16

highly specialised pants and trees such as mahogany

Question 17

what does every rainforest contain

Answer 17

four layers of vegetation

Question 18

what is the layering of rainforests

Answer 18

an adoption by plants to reduce competition for water, sunlight and nutrients

Question 19

what does the forest floor occupy

Answer 19

the lowest 2 metres of the rainforest

Question 20

why is it very dark

Answer 20

as only 1% of the sunligt that falls on the forest actually reaches the ground

Question 21

what happens as a result of this

Answer 21

few plants grow here unless a tree falls, creating a clearing where sunlight encourages rapid growth of vegetation

Question 22

what’s does the understory later reach to

Answer 22

2 to 20 metres above the forest floor

Question 23

what does it consist of

Answer 23

tall, non flowering shrubs, ferns, small trees and vines

Question 24

what is this area also

Answer 24

very shaded but trees receive more sunlight here and have large leaves to trap the sunlight

Question 25

what does the canopy layer extend to

Answer 25

20 to 40 meters above the forest floor

Question 26

what grows here

Answer 26

vines grow on the trees and other tree living plants called epiphytes(mosses or orchids)

Question 27

what do the leaves do

Answer 27

leaves are large to trap sunlight

Question 28

what do canopy trees have

Answer 28

shallow buttress roots

Question 29

what do butters roots do

Answer 29

capture nutrients in the O horizon of the soil and support the tree

Question 30

what is the emergent layer

Answer 30

highest layer of forest vegetation

Question 31

what does this contain

Answer 31

tallest trees in the forest e.g. mahogany

Question 32

how high is mahogany

Answer 32

70 metres

Question 33

why do they have smaller leaves

Answer 33

emergents trees are exposed to sunlight and breezes which decrease the humidity

Question 34

Latosol

Question 35

what soil is associated with this biome

Answer 35

latosol

Question 36

what does this soil have

Answer 36

thin O horizon (humus layer)

Question 37

what is this due to

Answer 37

intense bacterial activity which rapidly decomposes dead organic matter

Question 38

what does the A horizon contain

Answer 38

aluminium and iron oxides

Question 39

what is the B horizon

Answer 39

very deep and uniform in texture

Question 40

what is this due to

Answer 40

intense leaching in high temperatures

Question 41

what colour is the soil

Answer 41

red/orange or yellow

Question 42

what is that colour a result of

Answer 42

laterisation process

Question 43

what is latersiation

Answer 43

a form of intense chemical weathering and leaching that occurs in hot climates

Question 44

what are all the soluble minerals

Answer 44

washed out of the soil and only insoluble iron and aluminium oxides remainwh

Question 45

what do latosols have

Answer 45

low humus content

Question 46

what is this due to

Answer 46

rapid composition of dead organic matter which is quickly absorbed by plant roots or washed from the soil by heavy rain

Question 47

what do fast foreign plants do

Answer 47

rapidly use the humus so that it does not get much chance to be leached into the soil

Question 48

what does this short nutrient cycle do

Answer 48

gives the impression. that latosol is very fertile

Question 49

what happens once the forest is removed

Answer 49

the latest have very little fertility and crops fail after two or three years

Question 50

Specialist and camouflaged animals

Question 51

why are tropical rainforests unique

Answer 51

they contain a great variety of living thing found in different layers the forest

Question 52

what is this due to

Answer 52

availability of warmth, water and sunlight and therefore plants

Question 53

what does one hectare of the forest contain

Answer 53

up to 42,000 species

Question 54

what does the variety of life differ from

Answer 54

asian, African and South American forests

Question 55

where are orang-utans only found in

Answer 55

asian rainforests

Question 56

where are gorillas located

Answer 56

African forests

Question 57

why have animals become very specialised

Answer 57

in order to avoid competition for food and living space among other living things

Question 58

where may the live

Answer 58

in only one forest layer

Question 59

for example, where are found in the canopy ayer od the rainforest

Answer 59

mammas such as spider monkeys as well as snakes antbirds such as parrots

Question 60

what may animals be

Answer 60

nocturnal

Question 61

what do some forest animals and plant do

Answer 61

live in association with each other - they depend on each other for food and reproduction

Question 62

what is a good example of this

Answer 62

swordbill hummingbird which feeds only from datura flowers, its bill cannot reach nectar in any other plant

Question 63

what does it do in turn

Answer 63

the birds passes pollen from one datura flower to another, ensuring its reproduction

Question 64

what have many plants and animals done

Answer 64

adapted to the rainforest by using camouflage to hide form predators

Question 65

what do insects do

Answer 65

disguise themselves to look like twigs(stick insects) or leaves