Climate

Question 1

How does latitude impact ecosystems and rainfall?

Answer 1

Drying gradient as you go north and south

Question 2

How doe altitude impact ecosystems?

Answer 2

Species diversity decreases and canopy height decreases (or disappears)

Question 3

What is the result of varying altitudes and latitudes in the tropics?

Answer 3

Gradients in ecosystems (from taller

Question 4

What are structural components of rainforests?

Answer 4

Productivity

Question 5

What is Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)?

Answer 5

All energy captured by species or community per unit time (g/m2/yr)

Question 6

What is Net Primary Productivity?

Answer 6

All energy store per unit time (g/m2/yr)

Question 7

How does temperature affect productivity?

Answer 7

Plant are more productive at warm temperatures (unless over 30 deg. C)

Question 8

How does the amount of water affect productivity?

Answer 8

Productivity increases with more water (up to 4m)

Question 9

What does the effect of water and temperature on productivity mean for the tropics?

Answer 9

The most productive forests are found in the tropics

Question 10

How does the length of the growing season relate to productivity?

Answer 10

A longer growing season (found close to equator) is more productive

Question 11

What two types of forests have the highest NPP?

Answer 11

Tropical rain and seasonal forest

Question 12

What type of forest represents almost _ of the Earth’s NPP?

Answer 12

Tropical rain forest (even though its only a small % of Earth’s surface)

Question 13

What is biomass?

Answer 13

Total mass of standing

Question 14

How are measurements for biomass and productivity?

Answer 14

Biomass is a measure at a set time

Question 15

Which type of ecosystem has the most biomass?

Answer 15

Tropical rain forest

Question 16

Where does most productivity in tropical forests come from?

Answer 16

Leaves (not wood)

Question 17

Why is there so much production of leaves in tropical rain forests compared to other forests?

Answer 17

Higher canopies

Question 18

What are the requirements of plants?

Answer 18

CO2 and h2o from atmosphere, (Ca, Mg) micronutrients (B, Co etc.) (?)

Question 19

Why are macronutrients (likely P) often deficient in the tropics?

Answer 19

Rain water will wash away nutrients (especially those that are water soluble)

Question 20

What are occlusions?

Answer 20

“Rocks” made of soil that are high in aluminum and iron (toxic for plants)

Question 21

How does tropical soil conditions affect root systems of trees?

Answer 21

Not many deep roots

Question 22

What does soil in lowland tropical rain forests provide for plants?

Answer 22

Water and support (really no nutrients)

Question 23

Why is soil quality not as poor in seasonal forests?

Answer 23

Drying season will draw nutrients back up

Question 24

Why do higher altitudes have better soils?

Answer 24

Temperature lowers rate of weathering (often also results from volcanoes)

Question 25

How have tropical plants adapted to low fertility?

Answer 25

More nutrients stored in living plants, more biomass as roots, more roots at surface, smaller

Question 26

What organisms make up the rich decomposer community of a tropical rain forest?

Answer 26

Termites, slime mold, protists

Question 27

What is the benefit of Mycorrhizal fungi?

Answer 27

90-95% plant roots associated with fungi

Question 28

What is the recycling efficiency in tropical rain forests?

Answer 28

60-80% (compared to 40% in temperate forests)

Question 29

How does rain compare to throughfall?

Answer 29

Throughfall is richer in nutrients because it passes through the canopies

Question 30

Where do the outside nutrients come from?

Answer 30

Volcanoes

Question 31

What factors affect soil drainage?

Answer 31

Topography

Question 32

What types of soils are good in wet places? In dry places?

Answer 32

Wet= sand /gravel

Question 33

Why are plants and soils releasing more carbon than they store?

Answer 33

Deforestation

Question 34

Which is increasing faster: the carbon from fossil fuels or the carbon from burning rainforests?

Answer 34

The carbon from burning rainforests

Question 35

Can intact tropical forests utilize excess carbon in the atmosphere?

Answer 35

Yes

Question 36

What is REDD?

Answer 36

Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation- payment for countries to not mess with forests