tropical rainforests Flashcards
(45 cards)
What are the seasons like?
there are no seasons, the climate is the same all year
What’s the temperature like?
its generally 20-28 degrees celsius
why are tropical rainforests always hot?
because the suns energy is more intense near the equator as it is overhead all year round
What’s the rainfall like?
very high, around 2000mm per year
why are most trees evergreen?
to help them take advantage of the continual growing season
What’s the vegetation cover like?
dense
how much light reaches the forest floor?
very little because of the dense vegetation and tall trees
what does biodiversity mean?
a variety of organisms living in a particular area
how much of the earth’s plant, animal, and insect species do rainforests contain?
around 50%
why are rainforest stable and productive?
their climate is constant, it’s always hot and wet , plants and animals don’t have to cope with changing conditions and there plenty to eat.
what’s the soil like in rainforests?
isn’t very fertile because heavy rain washes nutrients watay
give three examples of animals that live in these environments.
howler monkeys, tree frogs, and anacondas
how does the climate help the soil?
warm and wet climate helps fungi and bacteria on the forest floor to decompose dead plant material .this makes the surface soil high in nutrients
what does symbiotic relationships mean?
where plants and animals depend on each other for survival
what are the four layers of the rainforest?
forest floor, under canopy, canopy, and emergent trees
what are plants in the rainforest adapted to?
high rainfall, high temperatures, and competition for light
why do trees grow tall?
because they have to compete for sunlight
why do plants have drip-tips and thick, waxy leaves?
so they can channel rainwater to the point, encouraging runoff so the weight of the water doesn’t damage the plant.
what do lianas do?
climb up tree trunks to reach sunlight
what do buttress trunks do?
support tall trees
give 4 factors that affect global ecosystems
mountains, ocean current, altitude, and land, and sea
how do mountains affect global ecosystems?
inland areas isolated from the sea have low rainfall, moist winds blowing over the oceans lose their moisture when they are forced upwards
how do ocean currents affect global ecosystems?
the ocean spreads heat to the equator, the gulf stream brings up warmer sea temperatures, if the ocean is cold then desert-like conditions are formed
how does altitude affect global ecosystems?
for every 100m, half a degree is lost
