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Tropical Rainforest Biome
Sammy Jo, Shannen & Emily (Wet humid and…
Tropical Rainforest Biome
Sammy Jo, Shannen & Emily
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Average temp between 27•c and 2•c greater difference between daytime and night-time temps than seasonal
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12hrs of sunshine everyday, high humidity of 77-88% which comes from intense rainfall, evaporation and transpiration
200 rainy days per year, falls in torrential downpours
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Due to hot humid conditions of Amazon, chemical weathering of parent material is rapid causing deep soild
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Heavy rainfall causes leaching to occur, the rainwater washes away nutrients beyond the reach of most plant roots
Iron oxide and aluminium oxide escape the leaching process, these give the soil a red colour
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Soils ability to support vegetation is due to the large supply of humid from decaying plants and animal litter
Warm, humid conditions cause bacteria and fungi to quickly break down organic matter into humus
Humus is quickly absorbed by the roots of plants so it does not accumulate in the soil it has a short nutrient cycle
If the vegetation is removed soil loses its supply of humus and quickly becomes infertile which causes soil to back into laterite
Natural vegetation of Amazon is rainforest, climate is ideal for rapid plant growth, high temperature and frequent rainfall create humid conditions for plants to thrive
Emergent Layer
highest layer of rainforest vegetation, usually between 40 and 70m high
Does not sprout leaves until high as there is little sunlight the leaves are small and waxy as to prevent drying due to intense heat and warm winds
Canopy Layer
its layer underneath the emergent layer 30-40 m high these are tree living plants leaves are large to trap as much light as possible, the root system acts as an anchor and prevent the trees from being blown down
Understory layer
the understorey layer is the middle layer, which grows to heights of 15-30 m
adaptations: the trees have very large leaves to capture as much sunlight as possible as it is quite dark.
Shrub layer
the layer has tall non-flowering shrubs, ferns,small trees and vines that grow to heights of between 5 and 15m
adaptations:the area receives very little sunlight so plants have very large leaves to capture as much light as possible. Some young trees ‘lie in waiting ‘ here. When a large canopy or understorey tree falls or dies,the young tree quickly grows in order to tar advantage of the light and space .
Forest floor layer
the forest floor rises from the floor to 5m high. Only 1-3% of sunlight reaches this layer.as a result of this darkness, very few plants grow here unless a tree falls and makes a clearing. Where this occurs, sunlight can reach the floor clearly and encourage rapid growth.
adaptations:the plants have large leaves to capture as much light as possible.
In the Amazon rainforest there is nearly 30 million species of insects, 1600 species of bird and 2500 of fish.
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The canopy layer attracts birds due to its wide variety of fruit, seeds and flowers.
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Monkeys have adapted to the canopy by developing muscular tails which allow them to hang off branches while they reach for food.
Sloths eat fruits, leaves and twigs and spend years hanging upside down on the same tree.
Larger animals like a jaguar live on the forest floor. The jaguar has long retractable car that allow it to run up trees and make escape difficult for its prey.
The Amazon is also home to a diverse Collection of amphibians, reptiles, insects and arachnids
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