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Unit about Unit about Fragile Fragile

environmentsenvironments

Lesson 1Lesson 1

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What do you think the dark green shaded parts What do you think the dark green shaded parts are? What do you notice about their are? What do you notice about their

distribution?distribution?

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The dark green is tropical rainforestThe dark green is tropical rainforest

Which continent is this part of?What is this rainforest called?Which countries is it in?

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Look at the background colour to Look at the background colour to each layer – look at the sun symbol – each layer – look at the sun symbol –

what do you think they mean?what do you think they mean?

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A bit more about themA bit more about themEmergents are the tops of the tallest trees in the rainforest. These are much higher, and give the trees an advantage (in terms of light) than the average trees that populate the forest canopy. Canopy is where the upper parts of most of the trees are found. The canopy is typically about 65 to 130 feet (20 to 40 metres) tall. This leafy environment is full of life such as insects, arachnids, birds and some mammals.

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A bit more about themA bit more about themUnder canopy is the second level up. There is limited sunlight. Saplings wait here for larger plants and trees to die, leaving a gap in the canopy into which they can grow. Woody climbers called lianas avoid having to wait for gaps by rooting in the ground and climbing up trees to get to the sunlight.The shrub layer is at ground level in a tropical forest. It is dark and gloomy with very little vegetation between the trees. During heavier rainfalls this area can get flooded.

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How do the plants survive?How do the plants survive?

Fan palms have large, fan-shaped leaves that are good for catching sunshine and water. The leaves are segmented, which allows excess water to drain away.

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How do the plants survive?How do the plants survive?Rainforests have a shallow layer of fertile soil, so trees only need shallow roots to reach the nutrients. However shallow roots aren't great for supporting huge rainforest trees, so many tropical trees have developed huge buttress roots. These stretch from the ground to two meters or more up the trunk, which help anchor the tree to the ground.

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How do the plants survive?How do the plants survive?

Lianas are woody vines that start at ground level, and use trees to climb up the canopy where they will spread from tree to tree to get as much light as possible.

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How do the plants survive?How do the plants survive?Strangler figs : The seed is dropped in a nook at the top of a tree where it starts to grow, using the debris collected there. Gradually the fig sends aerial roots down the trunk of the host, until they reach the ground and take root. As it matures, the fig will gradually surround the host, and start to strangle it. Meanwhile the figs branches will grow taller, dominating the sunlight.Eventually the host will die and decompose leaving the hollow, but sturdy trunk of the strangler fig.

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From what you From what you know what do you know what do you think the climate is think the climate is

like?like?

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Why is it hotter Why is it hotter near the near the equator?equator?

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Look at the sun’s rays as they hit Look at the sun’s rays as they hit the Earththe Earth

same width ray, more

spread out –not so hot

same width ray, not spread out at all, much

hotter

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Now lets see how the rays pass Now lets see how the rays pass through the atmospherethrough the atmosphere

Look how much thicker

the air is

As the rays from the sun pass through the atmosphere,

some of the heat is reflected back out into space. The thicker the air, the more

heat there is that never reaches

earth

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Why does it rain Why does it rain every day in the every day in the

rainforest?rainforest?

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Every morning

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Every Afternoon

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About 4 o’clock nearly every day

animated version of this is on http://ysgol-rhyngrwyd.wikispaces.com/Unit+2+Environmental+conditions

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So what have we done today?So what have we done today?

We have found whererainforests are – roughly where are theyThe Amazon rainforest is and in which countries it occurs – can you remember the continent? The countries?

We found outThe names of the 4 layers where the plants are – can you name them?And what are they are like – can you remember?Can you think of any plants that are specially adapted to their environment?

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So what have we done today?So what have we done today?

We decided what the climate was like – what was that?We found out that there were 2 reasons why one place might be hotter that another – can you remember them?And there was a special sort of rainfall – what was that called?

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Here are some mixed up sentences about convection rainfall – can you sort them out?

1 In cool air the water vapour condenses to form drops of water2 Sun shines on land and warms the air above it3 The heavy water drops in cumulonimbus clouds fall as heavy rain, often with lightening4 The water droplets get heavier making dark grey cumulonimbus clouds5 Warm air cools as it rises6 Warm air rises taking the water vapour with it7 Warmth from the sun evaporates the water on the ground8 Water droplets form into cumulous clouds

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HomeworkHomework

Equatorial rainforests cover only 6% of the Earth's surface but yet they contain MORE THAN ½MORE THAN ½ of the world's plant and animal species! Today, we looked at some of the special plants.Please find a picture of an animal (mammal, birds, reptile, amphibian, fish or an invertebrate) that lives in the Amazon and 3 things about it so the picture and the information will fit on one slideone slide onlyonly