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Characteristics of the tropical rainforest GapFill
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Tropical rainforests are located near the equator - usually within
°. Examples include the Amazon, western Africa, Indonesia / South East
and northern Australia. Here, the temperature is fairly constant all year round, barely changing by more than a couple of degrees - in the mid 20s, and rarely above
°C. Precipitation is very high, upwards of 2,000 mm - that's 2 metres. Convectional rainfall often falls in the
. The further from the equator, the greater the seasonality in terms of rainfall.
The in the tropical rainforest have ideal growth conditions - they have a year-round growing season and have ample warmth, water and light (although they all have to compete for that light!). This means that most of the nutrients within rainforests are stored as . In the warm and humid conditions, the layer is quickly broken down and nutrients are taken back up by the trees via the soil, or downwards into the subsoil by the heavy rainfall. While the soils are very thick (plenty of chemical weathering of the bedrock), they are relatively infertile and the topsoil layer is thin.
The number of species living in rainforests is the on Earth! This is because there are a wide variety of niches, and the plants and animals are highly adapted to the conditions. This variety allows there to be complex . There are lots of interconnections and dependencies between the plants and animals. The trees provide the habitats for many species, while animals can help out the trees - for example, by spreading . Trees provide dead material for decomposers, which release the nutrients back to the trees. There are also interdependences between the living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components of the rainforest. An example is the effects of on the plants, animals and people who live there.
Rainforests are in a delicate balance, called an equilibrium. There are many threats to a forest. Some are not so obvious - such as , which may increase the risk of drought and forest die-off in the Amazon. There are many direct threats including deforestation for timber, crops (including palm oil in Indonesia), ranching and mineral extraction, which can ultimately affect the water cycle. Small-scale tribes have lived in the forests for many generations. Their use of it is sustainable; however, modern exploitation is unsustainable.
The in the tropical rainforest have ideal growth conditions - they have a year-round growing season and have ample warmth, water and light (although they all have to compete for that light!). This means that most of the nutrients within rainforests are stored as . In the warm and humid conditions, the layer is quickly broken down and nutrients are taken back up by the trees via the soil, or downwards into the subsoil by the heavy rainfall. While the soils are very thick (plenty of chemical weathering of the bedrock), they are relatively infertile and the topsoil layer is thin.
The number of species living in rainforests is the on Earth! This is because there are a wide variety of niches, and the plants and animals are highly adapted to the conditions. This variety allows there to be complex . There are lots of interconnections and dependencies between the plants and animals. The trees provide the habitats for many species, while animals can help out the trees - for example, by spreading . Trees provide dead material for decomposers, which release the nutrients back to the trees. There are also interdependences between the living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components of the rainforest. An example is the effects of on the plants, animals and people who live there.
Rainforests are in a delicate balance, called an equilibrium. There are many threats to a forest. Some are not so obvious - such as , which may increase the risk of drought and forest die-off in the Amazon. There are many direct threats including deforestation for timber, crops (including palm oil in Indonesia), ranching and mineral extraction, which can ultimately affect the water cycle. Small-scale tribes have lived in the forests for many generations. Their use of it is sustainable; however, modern exploitation is unsustainable.