DAY 6

BIOTIC COMPONENTS IN BIOMES

They are considered as outputs

Equatorial rain forests

Vegetation
The trees are evergreen because rainfall is received throughout the whole year.
The trees are tall because of competition for sunlight.
The tree leaves are broad to provide a large surface for evapotranspiration.
The leaves have drip tips to shed off water from the daily heavy rainfall.
The tree stem are straight, slender and have no braches because of quick growth
due to competition for sunlight.
The trees have buttress roots to support them.
There is little or no undergrowth on the forest floor because it dark and damp.
There are lianas which are climbing plants that uses other trees as support to reach
out for sunlight.
The forests are layered with
1 Emergents which are the oldest trees that tower above the forests reaching
heights of 60metres
2 Upper layer at 45metres which has an umbrella shaped canopy because of
plenty of light.
3 Bottom layers forming the under canopy averaging 15=30metres which are
the young trees growing to be the future big trees

The diagram below shows the forests (DO NOT DRAW IT BUT LEAVE GAP
OF TEN LINES)
There is a large biodiversity of plants and animals because of plenty of
foods.Birds are found in the upper layer because it is safe for their breeding.
Small climbing animals like monkeys and snakes in the upper bottom layer
whilst large climbing animals like gorillas and leopards are found in the lower
bottom layers
QUESTIONS
1 Identify the lianas and the buttresses on the diagram?
2 Explain why there is dense vegetation?