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Topic 8 - Coggle Diagram
Topic 8
Types of forests threatened
Interdependance
plants and animals
Animals get their nutrition (energy, food, nutrients, and minerals) by eating plants, or by eating animals that have eaten plants themselves.
The vegetation in tropical rainforests is very dense.This means that there is a lot of food for primary consumers and other plant-eating animals. There being a lot of food for plant-eating animals means that there are more of them alive, and therefore, more food for meat-eating animals higher up the food chain.
climate and soil
Decomposition happens rapidly because of the humid, warm, and moist climate in a tropical rainforest.
This rapid decomposition creates a nutrient-rich layer of soil and this can allow plants to grow very fast.
The speed of plant growth is tied to the soil and the nutrients within the soil.
effects of deforestation
Fewer trees absorb less carbon dioxide through photosynthesis.
Soil erosion increases, reducing the quality of the soil and reducing the ability of rainforests to support large animal populations. Trees that used to catch rainwater and protect the soil have been removed, leaving the soil exposed.
Plant adaptations
waxy coating + pointed leaf tips
waxy coating helps the plants to resist the rain. Without the waxy coating, the leaves could absorb the rain and become so heavy that they would be pulled off the tree.
The pointed leaf tips funnel the water off leaves in a single channel.
both stop heavy rainfall from damaging the plants
adapting to a particular layer
4 layers
emergent
captures most sunlight
tallest trees
main canopy
continouous layer of trees
trees only have leaves at the top creating a dense layer which protects the rest of the forest
undercanopy
made up of younger trees which haven't yet reached their full height
trees/plants can only survive where there are gaps in the main canopy otherwise they don't get sunlight
shrub layer
nearest to the ground
quite dark
shrubs have large leaves to absorb as much light as possible
Climbing vines/plants
Lianas and other climbing vines/plants try to compete for sunlight by growing up other trees' tree trunks. This conserves energy and allows them to reach the sunlight that they need to photosynthesise and survive.
A smooth layer of thin bark
helps rain run off easily so not too much water is absored