Influence of Climate on Biomes:

Introduction:
1. The biome that I have studied is the Amazon Rainforest
biome.
2. The tropical climate has influenced the vegetation, soil and
fauna of the region.

Vegetation:
1. The high temperatures, high rainfall and 12 hours of daily
sunshine means Tropical Rainforest biomes are ideal for the
growth of vegetation.
2. The region experiences an average temperature of about 27
along with high humidity levels, averaging between 77% and
88%.
3. It is estimated that a typical patch of rainforest measuring just
6 km contains as many as 1,500 species of flowering plants
and 750 species of tree.
4. The forest floor occupies the lowest 2 metres or so of the
rainforest and, as only 1% of the sunlight reaches the ground,
vegetation has adapted in order to survive.
5. Trees have developed a shallow root system because all the
nutrients are close to the surface.
6. Buttress roots form an aboveground root system to increase
the surface area from which trees can draw their nutrients.
7. The understorey reaches 2 to 20 metres above the forest floor
and has vegetation made up of mainly vines and epiphytes
which have large leaves to trap as much light as possible.
8. Lianas have their roots on the ground but climb high into the
canopy layer to reach available sunlight by wrapping around
trees for support.

9. The highest layer of forest vegetation is the emergent layer

which contains the tallest trees in the forest, e.g. mahogany
which is up to 70 metres high.
10. The tallest trees have small leathery leaves and waxy bark
to cope with wind and sunshine.

Soil:
1. Tropical red soils, or latosols, make up the zonal soil that has
developed beneath tropical rainforests.
2. The soil is a red/orange colour as a result of the laterisation
process, a form of intense chemical weathering and leaching
that occurs in hot climates.
3. The heavy rainfall washes the nutrients in the humus into the
soil where it is taken up by shallow roots of the rapidly
growing plants before it is washed too deeply into the soil,
giving the rainforest a very short nutrient cycle.
4. The soil has a thin O-horizon due to intense bacterial which
rapidly decomposes dead organic matter.
5. A study of the Amazon forest showed 99% of the nutrients in
the soil are held in the root mats of the forest floor.
6. The high levels of iron oxide and aluminium oxide in the Ahorizon, along with the laterisation, means the soil has a
yellow/orange colour.
7. In many places latosols are so rich in aluminium that they are
termed bauxite, and have to be mined and processed to get
the aluminium out of them.
8. High temperatures can also bake the A-horizon, turning it into
a hard brick-like soil called laterite, which cannot be
cultivated.
9. The B-horizon can be up to 40 metres deep and is uniform in
texture due to intense leaching in the high temperatures.

Fauna:
1. Animals have adapted to the tropical climate indirectly, by
becoming tree living (arboreal).
2. Each forest layer has different animals, some of which can
survive without ever having to touch the ground, and many
have evolved camouflage in order to survive in the forest.
3. Frogs such as the Giant Leaf Frog have adapted to the forest
environment by having green skin and a body with an
irregularly shaped outline which makes them resemble a leaf.
4. The Brazilian Tree Sloth lives its life completely in the
canopy and eats leaves.
5. It has adapted to this life by moving very slowly and having a
very slow metabolism which enables it to survive on the low
energy content of the leaves it eats.
6. The fur of the Tree Sloth is camouflaged to look green
because it allows moss and lichen to grow on it.
7. The Tree Sloth has large eyes to see in the shady conditions
of the forest and their paws have long hooked claws to allow
them hang easily from the tree branches.
8. Other animals have also adapted to life in the trees, with
animals who live in the canopy layer often being able to fly
or jump from tree to tree.
9. The Spider Monkey has a prehensile tail that can curl around
branches and give extra support as the animal moves amongst
the trees.
10. Some animals such as the Sugar Glider, a type of possum,
have flaps of skin between their front and hind legs to help
them glide as they jump from tree to tree.