Topic 7 Different Biomes Flashcards
(56 cards)
What is the climate like in a tropical rainforest?
Hit and humid
Same all year round
There are no distinct seasons
What is the temperature like ina tropics rainforest?
20-28ºC and only varies by a few degrees as the sun is overhead all year round
Why is the day length like in tropical rainforests?
Very consistant 12 hours
There is plenty of sun all year round
What is rainfall like the Tropical rainfoests?
Very high
About 2,000mm per year
Often rains in the afternoon every day
What plants may you find in the Tropical Rainforest?
Most are evergreen (to take advantage of the continues growing season)
Plants usualy grow rapidly and have addapted to take in maximum light (plants are dark green)
What are animals like in Tropical Rainforests?
The dense vegetation provides lots of food and habitats therefore there are lots of different species of animals
Gorillas, jaguars, tree frogs, sloths. There are also many different types of birds and insects
What is the soil like in a Tropical Rainforest?
Plants grow and shed leaves all year around
These leves decompose quickley due to the hot and humid climate so there is a constant flow of nutrients in the soil
These nutrients are cycled quickley
However there is a lot of rain therefore occasionaly the nutrients may be leached from the soil leading to low soil fertility in some areas although this is not common.
Where are Tropical rainforests found in the world?
Near the equator near the between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn
Give an example of where Tropical rainforests can be found?
South America, Africa, South East Asia
Brazil, Indonesia, Sri Lanka
An anomaly is Madagascar
What is the temprature like in Temperate forests?
There are 4 distinct seasons
Summers are warm
Winters are cool
What is rainfall like in Temperate forests?
Very high up to 1,500mm a year
There is rainfall all uear round
What are the days like in tempreate forests?
Winter has shorter days
Summer has longer days
Hours or sunlight vary throught the year
What are plants like in Temperate Forests?
The mild and wet clmate supports fewer plants than the tropical rainforests, but there are more than boral forests.
Often made up of broad trees that drop their leaves in the Autumn
There are also shrubs and undergrowth
What are animals like in Temperate forests?
The climate provides food and habitats for animals like mammals, birds and insects
What is the soil like in temperate forests?
Plants loose their leaves in the Autumn and leaf litter decomposed quickly due to the climate
Therefore the soil is relativly thick and nutrient rich
Where are temprerate forests found in the world?
Roughly between 25º and 50º in both hemispheres
Give an example of where temperate forests are found?
North America, Europe, East Asia
USA, UK, France and Japan
What is the temprature like in Boral forests?
In the winter avarages of about -20ºC
In the summer avarges of about 10ºC
What is rainfall like in Temperate rainforests?
Generaly low
Less than about 500mm a year (a lot of this falls as snow)
What are the day lengths like in Boral forests?
Lots of sunlight in the summer months
None or little in the winter months
There tend to be little clouds so in daylight there is plenty of sunshine
What are plants like in Boral forests?
Most plants are evergreen so they can grow whenever there is sunlight
Coniferous trees such as pine of fir are commen
Low growing mosses and lichen are also common
What are the animals like in boral forests?
Reletivly few animals as they need to be adapted to the harsh winters and there is less food avaliable
Examples include: wolves, elks, egals and black bears
What is the soil like in boral forests?
The dool and dry climaye means that it takes a while for the needles dor the trees to decompose.
Therefore soils are quite thin, nutrient poor and acidic
In some areasmthe ground is frozen for most of the year
Where are borel forests found in the world?
Between 50º and 60º
