Deciduous Woodlands

Question 1

Soil?

Answer 1

1. Fallen leaves decompose quite quickly in mild, wet climate - forms thick layer of humus - enriches soil
2. Earthworms + other organisms in soil mix humus with minerals from weathered rocks - form rich, fertile soil called brown earth

Question 2

Plants?

Answer 2

1. Deciduous woodland dominated by tall, broad-leaved trees

Question 3

How are decidous woodlands interdependent?

Answer 3

1. Trees get water and nutrients from soil - release oxygen when photosynthesis - humans/animals breathe
2. When leaves fall from trees they decompose - return nutrients to soil
3. Animals rely on trees as habitats - animals eat fruit from trees and release seeds in poo - seeds grow into new plants

Question 4

How is herb layer adapted?

Answer 4

1. Plants are shade tolerant
2. Grow in spring when canopy still growing so more sunlight reaches woodland floor e.g. bluebells

Question 5

How is shrub layer adapted?

Answer 5

Plants adapted to lack of sunlight e.g. hazel - very wide leaves to get as much sunlight as possible

Question 6

How deciduous woodland trees adapted?

Answer 6

1. As weather gets cooler - deciduous trees conserve resources - draw food and nutrients back from leaves into stems - leaves stop capturing sunlight - fall off tree
2. This helps tree conserve water - usually lost through stomata - tree doesnt have to use energy to protect leaves from freezing
3. When temp. gets warmer in spring - signals sent to tree - it can produce new leaves - capture sinlight - growth

Question 7

Animal migrations?

Answer 7

1. Adapt to changing seasons
2. Many birds avoid cold weather through migrating in autumn - fly to warmer climates near equator - find food more easily
3. Some mammals hibernate during summer months - heatbeat/breathing slows down - can survive on fat stored in body

Question 8

Nutrient cycle in decidious woodlands?

Answer 8

1. Nutrients cycled more slowly than in tropical rainforests
2. Biomass biggest store due to lots of trees
3. Litter large store of nutrients - leaves fall from trees every autumn - broken down by decomposers to form a layer of humus
4. Soil store fairly large - lots of nutrients transferred from litter store through decomposition - uptake of soil nutrients quite low - only growing for part of the year

Question 9

Compare transfers in Deciduous woodland and rainforests?

Answer 9

1. Transfers in decidious woodlands smaller and slower - lower rainfall (less runoff and leaching) - litter decomposes more slowly in cooler climate
2. Less productive - much shorter growing season - less biomass - lower rates of nutrient uptake

Question 10

Reasons for moderate biodiversity in deciduous woodland?

Answer 10

1. Temperate climate - no extreme temperatures - plenty of rainfall - lots of plants/animals can survive the climate
2. Different plant layers in deciduous woodlands provide several different habitats - plants and animals adpat to become specialised to habitat - different organisms found in each layer
3. Very seasonal - summer - they are productive with high rate of nutrient cycling - winter not much growth - many species dormant - not much for animals to eat - plants and animals have top cope with changing conditions - its difficult for specialist organisms to survive

Question 11

What goods to deciduous woodlands produce?

Answer 11

1. Timber - hardwood for construction
2. Fuel - use wood for fuel to heat homes and cooking

Question 12

How are deciduous woodlands threatened by climate change?

Answer 12

1. Structure - temperate areas - more extreme weather events e.g. droughts/storm - tree species may grow more slowly or die if they do not have enough water - storms can knock trees down - important for habitat
2. Functioning - animals may come out of hibernation too early before enough sources of food - some animals could starve - higher rainfall in winter can cause leaching - decreases amount of nutrients in soil - trees grow more slowly
3. Biodiveristy - insects that damage trees could increase with climate change - many of these die during winter - warmer winters more pests can survice - higher temperatures - more invasive species move into deciduous woodland - loss of existing species - loss in biodiveristy

Question 13

How does coppicing manage forest of Dean sustainably?

Answer 13

1. Traditional woodland management technique - invoves cutting trees at the base above roots - tree puts out new shoots that are harvested
2. More sustainable than chopping down trees and replanting them - coppiced trees keep root systems
3. Project called New Leaf - training young people to coppice trees in forest of dean - tackle youth unemployment and ensure wood is harvested sustainably

Question 14

How does education manage forest of Dean sustainably?

Answer 14

Programme - Foresters’ forest focuses on outreach - raising awareness about woodlands - encourages people to participate in forest management

Question 15

How does recreation manage forest of Dean sustainably?

Answer 15

1. Forestry commission made cycle and walking trails in the forest
2. Stop people damaging the forest floor and keep destructive activities like mountain biking away from sensitive habitats

Question 16

How does wildlife management manage forest of Dean sustainably?

Answer 16

Forestry commission have been culling the wild boar as it was being destructive - rooting around in undergrowth damaging habitat