Geography - TRF Climate affecting characteristics

Diurnal Temp

At day and night

11

35 day 24 night

Annual rainfall

2,000 to 10,000

How many rainy days

200

What is convection rain

Generated by high hear

Dry season how much rain

When

150mm monthly

Jun- Nov

Wet season how much rain

When

Dec-Mar

250mm monthly

Evapatranspiration

What is it

How much or rain does it cause

Water evaporated from plants, intense heat

Half of rain

Humidity range

77-88%

What is intertropical convergence zone

NE & SE trade winds meet

Water evaporated from ocean

Push up

Coold quick lots or rain

Causes of high temp

In equator

Sun rays focuses on small area

Avg temp

27

Aspect ID climate

Climate is hot wet humid all year round

Aspect ID animals

More animals species than anywhere else on earth

Each TRF has its own

How many fish birds insects

Fish 2,500

Birds 1,600

Insects 30 mil

Specific animal to Amazon

Jaguar

Specific animal to DRC

Gorilla

About flying squirrel

Arboreal tree living

Flaps of skin between limbs to glide between trees

About Spider monkey

Prehensile tail

Extra limb

About toucan

Avoid competition for food

Eats nuts

Hard beak to crack nuts

Sloths

Move slow to preserve energy

Long hair so water can run off easy

Jaguars

Retractable claws to climb wet trees

Can swim as habitat floods

Amphibians

Frogs and toads

Can’t regulate temp

Tress to heat up sleep under soil to cool down

Aspect ID plants

TRF split into 4 layers

Biodiversity

TRF promotes rapid growth

More biodiversity than any other biome

Layered structure

4 distinct layers

Avoid competition for moisture sooo nutriens

Shrub layer

0-15m

1-3% of sunlight

Very wide leaves

Understory

15-30m

Shaded

Leaves oily and holes to let water run of and not snap from weight

Canopy

30-40m

Have stilt and buttress roots for support

Emergent layer

40-70m

e.g mahogany

Sun hits layer directly

Leaves don’t need large surface area for sunlight

Emergent layer fast growth

Grow quick before sporuting 30m

Leaves dont sprout till 30m

Photosynthesis limited before this height

Aspect ID soil

latsol soil, called tropical red soil, zonal soil associated with TRF

Devolped from climate

Chemical weathering, cause and result

Caused by intense heat and rain

Breaks down bedrock grains, very deep soil, 30m

Humification, what is it

Breakdown of organic matter by micro organisms e.g. bacteria and fungi. Quick due to intense heat

Humification, result

Black substance, nutrient rich

Sits in O horizon, roots absorb quickly

TRF has short nutrient cycle

Leaching, what is it

Rain water pushing nutrients down to B or C horizon

Roots can’t reach

Leaching result

Humus gets leached

Plants have to be quick to absorb before out of reach

Hardpan, definition and cause

Leached nutrients accumulate, forms hard layer of soil

Water can’t pass

Soil is flooded, creates marshland

Laterisation

Iron and alluminium not leached well

Exposed to oxygen oxidises

Turns red, gives tropical red soil its colour

Deforestation

Larges areas with no leaf litter, humus, very unfertile

No tree cover, exposed to sun

Baked into hard bricklike soil

Unfarmable used for cattle grazing

Fed grains not grass