Tropical Ecology Exam 2

How many biogeographic realms and biomes are there?

8 biogeographic realms and 14 biomes

How many forest types are there in tropics?

moist broadleaf forests. coniferous forests. dry broadleaf forests

What other tropical biomes are there?

tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands. flood grasslands and savannas. montane grasslands and shrublands. deserts and xeric shrublands. mangroves

How many ecoregions are there?

867

What biomes are there in Kenya?

grasslands, savannas, and shrublands. deserts and xeric shrublands. moist broadleaf forests. montane grasslands and shrublands. mangroves. lakes.

Who is Holdridge and what did he create?

created Holdridge Life Zones. father of rain forest science in Costa Rica. established La Selva in 1954 (sold to OTS). co founded Tropical Science Center (1962). author of a simple global bioclimatic scheme

Where are Holdridge Life Zones typically used more?

The Americas

what do the life zones of the tropical rain forest include?

tropical moist forest. tropical wet forest. tropical rain forest

Guineo Congolian belt

tropical rain forest belt running across Africa

what is the biggest rain forest in the world?

Amazon rain forest. historically and presently

according to holdridge life zones what is a rain forest

nonseasonal forest. broad leaved evergreen trees. abundant and consistent rainfall. more than 8000 mm (315 in) rain a year

how much rain does a tropical moist broadleaf forest biome receive a year

2000 mm (79 in) rain a year. relatively even rainfall from month to month

do tropical moist broadleaf forests have variation in rainfall and how much rain do they get per month

most have some degree seasonal variation of rainfall. receive no less than 100mm of rain in any month for 2 out 3 years

what is the annual avg temp of tropical moist broadleaf forest

24 C (75 F) or more

what type of trees are in tropical moist broadleaf forest

evergreen or partly evergreen

physiognomy

physical structure of an ecosystem

what are the different levels of the rain forest strata

canopy. emergent (outgrows everything). forest floor, mid canopy. understory (mostly shrubs)

describe the tree stature in rain forests

wide and lofty. 25 to 45 meters (80-150 ft). extreme @ 90 meters (300 ft)

tree crowns

portion of tree where branching occurs. crown shape may change with age

crown shape of a canopy tree

spreading and flattened

crown shape of a mid canopy tree

lollipop shaped

how does crown structure relate to tree height?

canopy trees have smaller crowns. mid canopy trees have larger crowns. mid canopy trees have greater crown depth. has to deal w/access to sunlight

tree trunk (boles) in rain forest

tall and slender. impressively vertical

tree bark in rain forest

vary in texture from smooth to rough. vary in color from light to dark. most will have splotchy appearance b/c of epiphytes

decomposition of tree roots

happens quickly. decomposition of biomass happens in shallow soil.

nutrients and tree roots, make sure to mention the problem

most nutrients present only just below the surface. advantage to surface rather than tap roots. causes potential structural instability

what are buttress roots

adaptation of surface roots. increased stability in response to surface level roots, wet soil, strong wind storms. reduce likelihood of a tree falling

how big are buttress roots

2 to 3 meters (6 to 10 feet). radiate like stabilizing feet

what do buttress roots add to structural complexity

provide habitats. increased niche space for organisms to take advantage of

identify surface roots

identify buttress roots

identify prop roots (stilts)

prop roots

"walking palm"- Socratea exorrhiza- Family Arecaceae. structural adaptation of shallow roots

how are vines important in rain forests

structural component. in tropics they are prolific. represent a high level of biomass in the forest. taxonomically represented by large # of families

vines and the nutrients and chemicals

provide substrate for animals and other plants. provide essential food sources. exhibit variety of growth forms. important factor of competition for light, H2O, and nutrients

name the 3 types of vines

lianas. bole climbers. stranglers

describe the type of vine a liana is and the life path it has

woody vine. begin as shrubs rooted in ground. tendrils seek trees and begin to climb upward. eventually reach tree crown. spread horizontally once penetrate crown

Panama study of liana and understory shrubs

43% of canopy trees contained a liana. 22% of understory shrubs

what family do you mostly find bole climber vines in?

Family Araceae-aroids

describe life path of a bole climber vine

seed germinates in soil forest floor. tendrils climb up tree trunks and tightly attach. anchors to tree w/aerial roots.

bole climber vines exhibit skototropism (T/F)

true

Skototropism

some vines have stems that grow towards darkness, not light

bole climber vines are hemi-epiphytic (T/F)

true

hemiepiphyte

a plant which starts growing as an epiphyte but, as it matures, becomes rooted to the soil.

what family does the strangler vine belong to

Family Moraceae- mulberry, only place come from

describe life path of strangler vines

seed germinates in canopy. drops tendrils down trunk to ground roots in ground. crude mesh of tendrils fuse together. often kills host trees by out competing or constricting.

how many Ficus species are there throughout the tropics (strangler vines)

750

what does the word epiphyte come from and what is another name for it?

Greek: epi (upon) and phyton (plant). "airplants"

are epiphytes parasitic and how much of plant richness do they represent?

not parasitic by strict definition. represent up to 25% plant richness

what does epiphtyes do?

trap soil and dust particles; create epiphyte mat. epiphytic load on a tree can be harmful

what are the examples of epiphytes

algae. fungus. lichens. liverworts. mosses. ferns. orchids- Family Orchidaceae. bromeliads- Family Bromeliaceae. pineapple (fruit from bromeliad). cacti- Family Cactaceae

describe the shape of leaves in tropical rain forests

very similar in shape across diversity. oval (longer than wide). unlobed. waxy. smooth margins

what pressures has caused these characteristics of leave shapes?

adapted keep water shedding off them. maximize exposure to light

what are the two physical characteristics described of leaves in tropical rain forests?

generally larger and longer than temperate leaves. commonly have trip tips

describe flowers in tropical rain forests

colorful. fragrant. large. pollination so large there have been adaptation for the above characteristics

describe the size of fruits and seeds in the tropical rain forest

exhibit range from small to large

what does the presence of fruits and seeds indicate according to animals

presence of large fruits suggests significant large animal dispersion. wind dispersion also occurs along with dispersion by animals

caulifory

flowers and fruits are produced directly from a wooded trunk

ramiflory

flowers and fruits are produced directly from older branches

epiphyll community

miniature epiphytic community of surface of leaves in moisture stressed environments

how tall are the tree in a tropical rain forest?

some more than 30 meters (100 ft). from many species

describe the general shape of tree crowns in the tropical rain forest

umbrella like tree crowns

what types of trees are the moist trees in a tropical rain forest

evergreen

what are the types of roots that are most common

buttress and prop roots

describe the fruits and flowers found in a tropical rain forest

mostly animal pollinated flowers. at least some flowers and fruits are available year round

what are the leaves like in tropical rain forest

typical leaves are oval, waxy, have drip trips, and some are very large

what is the understory like in a tropical rain forest

deeply shaded understory with scattered sun flecks

describe the tree canopy and forest gaps for a tropical rain forest

emergent trees give canopy an uneven look. frequent forest gaps. poorly delineated forest strata

what is the bark like in tropical rain forest

no generalized patterns of bark color or texture

describe vines and epiphytes in a tropical rain forest

large number of epiphytes. many vines

what is the soil like in tropical rain forest

variable soil types and qualities

monopodial construction

lolli poped shape. lateral branches from trunk. main growth off of primary axis. monolayered foliage. mid canopy and understory trees

sympodial construction

spread/flattened crown. primary branches radiate like spokes of umbrella. increased branching oof of primary branches (secondary axis). multilayered foliage. canopy and emergent trees

crown shyness

what is the biome for a tropical dry forest

tropical dry broadleaf forest

what are the life zones for a tropical dry forest

tropical dry forest and tropical very dry forest

how much rain does a tropical dry forest get a year

500 to 2000 mm

describe the soil in a tropical dry forest

nutrient rich soil

seasonality in tropical dry forest

pronounced to extreme seasonality

species in tropical dry forest

less species richness than rain forest

describe the general idea for plants in tropical dry forest

plants are adapted to tolerate hot and periodically dry climate. deciduous to semi deciduous trees

what is the physiognomy in tropical dry forest

shorter trees. fewer epiphytes. less buttressing. varied trunk forms. mass flowerings. smaller leaves.

when do mass flowerings take place in tropical dry forest

rainy to dry season transition

describe the adaptations of leaves in tropical dry forest to survive the dry season

small leaves, less H2O loss. curling leaves, creates microclimate. thick and waxy leaves, thicker they are the less H2O loss

adaptations of leaves in tropical dry forest: stomata & spines

stomata open @ night, won't lose as much water. spines protecting them from potential grazers to eat H2O filled plant

adaptations of leaves in tropical dry forest: growth, leaves, and bark

selective growth. seasonally dropping leaves. photosynthesizing bark

what are the 3 types of tropical forests in Costa Rica

dry. wet. moist

what are the 3 types of tropical premontane forests in Costa Rica

moist. wet. rain

what are the 3 types of tropical lower montane forests in Costa Rica

moist. wet. rain

what are the 2 types of tropical montane forests in Costa Rica

wet. rain

what is the type of tropical subalpine forest in Costa Rica

rain

what is the precipitation and elevation for tropical savannas, grasslands, and shrublands

500 to 2000 mm precipitation a year. low elevations (<1200 meters)

general characteristics of tropical savannas, grasslands, and shrublands: soil, seasonality, grasses, and fire

nutrient poor soil (mostly sandy). pronounced to extreme seasonality. dominated by grasses. typically dominated on fire and herbivory for maintenance

what are the 3 basic types of savannas

nonseasonal savanna. seasonal savanna. hyperseasonal savanna.

nonseasonal savanna

nutrient poor soil. white sandy soil w/rapid drainage where climate is wet most of year

seasonal savanna

nutrient poor soil (sandy). stressful dry season. dependent on fire. most common throughout tropics

hyperseasonal savanna

nutrient poor soil. extreme seasonality leads to either too little or to much H2O (waterlogged)

how big are Afrotropical Savanna

27 African countries w/large expanses of Afrotropic savanna

megafauna and Afrotropical Savanna

intact megafauna. other savannas have lost Pleistocene megafauna

forests/studied and Afrotropical Savanna

most bordered by dry forest (acacia dominated). most extensively studied