Where are tropical forests found
Low lying areas near the equator
With a hot and wet climate
What’s is the climate like throughout the year for tropical forests
Consistently hot and rainy and 12 hours of light all year round
Characteristics of plants in tropical forests
Plants are evergreen (don’t drop leaves in a particular season)
Characteriscts animals tropical rainforests
Vast amounts of different species due to a lot of vegetation
Characteristics of soil tropical rainforests
Plants shed leaves all year round so there’s a constant supply of nutrients in soilthey have decomposed
Climate of temperate forests
Four distinct seasons
High amounts of rainfall
Days shorter in winter longer in summer
Example of temperate forests
Deciduous woodlands
Characteristics of plants in temperate forests
Fewer than tropical forests but more than boreal forests
Broad leaved trees which drop leaves in autumn eg. Oak
Shrubs eg, brambles
Undergrowth
Characteristics of plants boreal forests
Evergreen trees or coniferous trees such as pine low growing mosses
Characteristics of animal in boreal forests
Fewer due to less food
But have bears wolves eagles
Characteristics of soil in boreal forests
Slowly decompose due to cool dry climate
Soils thin and nutrient poor
Ground frozen most of the year
Climate in boreal forests
Short summers and long winters can be below -20c in winter in summer average 10c
Low precipitation
Long daylight in summer
Very little to none in winter
Climate in deserts
Rainfall very low
Very hot in day (45c) to (0) at night
Get more daylight in summer
Are all deserts hot
No some are cold and some mild
Plant characteristics desert
Sparse due to lack of rainfall
Some that grow include cacti and thorn bushes
Many plants grow went in rains but have a short life cycle
Animal characteristics desert
Relatively few
Some are adapted to cope eg. Lizards snakes, insects
Soil characteristics desert
Little leaf litter due to sparse vegetation
So thin and nutrient poor
Tropical grasslands climate
Quite low rainfall
Distinct wet and dry seasons
Between 35c and 15c
Fires common during the dry season
Near the equator so have lots of sun all year round
Near equator
Tropical grassland plants characteristic
Grass, shrub and small plants a few scattered trees
Tropical grassland animals
Lots of insects grasshoppers, beetles and termites
Also lions giraffes zebra etc
Tropical grassland soil
Grass dries back after burnt in dry season
Thin Nutrient rich soil
Nutrients washed out in wet season
Temperate grassland climate
Hot summers up to 40c and cold winters -40c
Low amounts of rainfall per year
Temperate grasslands plants
Grasses and small plants
Not enough rainfall to support large plants
Very few trees
Temperate grassland animals
Fewer animal than tropical grasslands
Bulls, horses and rodents
