Ecosystems & the Tropical Rainforest

Key terms

Latitude- Imaginary lines on the globe that run from west to east.

Longitude- Imaginary lines on the globe that run from north to south.

Altitude- the height of the land above sea level

Equator- the most famous line of latitude that circles the centre of the Earth.

Tropic of Cancer- A line of latitude north of the equator

Tropic of Capricorn- a line of latitude south of the equator

What is a biome?

A biome is a large natural area with a distinctive climate, geology, set of water resources and group of plants and animals that are adapted from life there.

Biomes on the Earth

Biomes around the globe are special environments that each have distinctive features. There are four main climates :

• Polar region
• Sub-polar
• Temperate
• Tropical

These are then divided into biomes from tundras in the polar region to deserts in the tropical environment.

Ecosystems

Ecosystems- where plants and animals have close links with the physical environment. This forms an ecosystem.

Biomes- a large ecosystem containing the same types of vegetation and animal life. Examples include the tropical rainforest and savanna grasslands.

Living environment- The natural living environment consists of plants (flora) and animal life (fauna).

Non-living environment- the physical environment which has a close bond with a community e.g. water, rocks, soil, minerals etc.

Energy flows- the transfer of energy through an ecosystem by means of a food chain.

Photosynthesis- the process by which green plants turn sunlight into plant growth.

Nutrient recycling- the process by which minerals necessary for plant growth are constantly used. They are taken up from the soil by plants then returned when the plants shed their leaves or die.

Food chain- the transfer of energy through an ecosystem from primary producers to consumers and decomposers.

Decomposer- feeding on dead and decaying organisms, and on the indigested parts of plant and animal matter in faeces.

Nutrient recycling

It is fundamental for all animals and plants to have nutrients in their adapted environment. Nutrients are substances that provide energy and sustenance to living organisms.

The rainforest nutrient cycling is rapid. The hot, damp conditions on the forest floor allow for the rapid decomposition of dead plant material.

This provides plentiful nutrients that are easily absorbed by plant roots.

However, as these nutrients are in high demand from the rainforest's many fast-growing plants, they do not remain in the soil for long and stay close to the surface of the soil.

Animal adaptations

Toucan
Characteristics:

• Bright colours to attract a mate
• Strong bill to crack open nuts
• Large colourful birds to deter predators
• Strong claws to easily grip branches of trees.
• They nest in tree holes to keep themselves hidden from prey.
  Layer of the rainforest: The canopy layer

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