Question

For each pair of terms, explain how the meanings of the terms differ. 6. Understory and canopy 7. Latitude and altitude 8. Chaparral and desert 9. Tropical rain forest and temperate deciduous forest

Answer 1

Answer and Explanation:

• Understory: vegetation, mainly herbs, bushes, and shrubs, that grow under the trees in a forest. It is the lowest stratum in a forest, nearest the floor, and under the canopy. Young small trees migh also be found in the understory, among the other plants. Limited solar radiation reaches this stratum. It also characterizes by its high humidity level.

• Canopy: Refers to the areal part of a tree occupied by the branches and foliage. This area might be projected ground to study its size and the area occupied by them. In general, the canopy interrupts the pass of light to the ground, shading it. Under the canopy there is a special environment where smaller plants might grow, composing the understory vegetation.

• Latitude: Refers to the distance, measured in degrees, from the equator to the north or to the south.

• Altitude: Refers to the distance from the sea level to the top of a certain place or object.

• Chaparral: Biome that characterizes for precipitations between 250-1000 mm. and temperature between 10-20ºC. The dry season occurs during the summer, while the wet season occurs in winter. The dry season is very hard due to the elevated temperatures. Fanerophits dominate the vegetation. There are low forests, with sclerophyllous shrubs and trees.

• Desert: This is the hottest biome in the world, characterized by very limited precipitations that oscillate between 0-500 mm. and elevated temperatures. There is a hydric deficit almost the whole year. There are different kinds of deserts according to the temperature and the precipitation degree. Different species are adapted to live in this environment, such as cryptophytes, pterophytes, and deciduous phanerophytes. All of them avoid dehydration by developing different strategies. Succulents, sclerophytes, and phreatophytes resist elevated temperature and lack of water.

• Tropical rain forest: The tropical rainforest as a biome is located in areas near the equator, where precipitations are abundant and the average temperature is elevated most of the year. As a result of the climatic conditions, this biome gives shelter to a huge number of living organisms. Also, the canopy structure provides many refuges for plants and animals and is an important source of food. It also favors interactions between species. There are too many species in the rainforest that have not been discovered.

• Temperate deciduous forest: Template forest biome characterizes for having deciduous trees such as oaks, maple, or olms, among other phanerophyte species. These plant species lose their leaves every year during the cold and dry autumns and winters, as it is the most limiting period over the year. Foliage resprout again during the warmer wet season when it rains more often, during spring and summer. These forests are located between 30º and 60º latitude in both hemispheres. Precipitations might be over 1000mm. Soils are very fertile and deep, due to the leaves´ loss that provides nutrients to the soil and protects it from erosion.