A conservation team is comparing two sections of tropical rainforest in Borneo. Fig. 1 is a diagram based on their canopy survey. One section has an unbroke...
Question 1 Report
A conservation team is comparing two sections of tropical rainforest in Borneo. Fig. 1 is a diagram based on their canopy survey. One section has an unbroken canopy and several vegetation layers. The other has a narrow cleared route for a pipeline, which lets more light and hot, dry air reach the forest floor. The team is considering whether to restore native trees along the route. Use the figure when answering.
(a) Which layer in the intact forest receives the greatest amount of sunlight? [3]
(b) Outline how leaves in the canopy differ from leaves near the forest floor. [4]
(c) Explain why restoring a continuous canopy could increase biodiversity in this tropical forest. [8]
Answer Details
(a) Canopy layer [1]; it is above lower layers [1]; it is least shaded by other vegetation [1]. (b) Any four: canopy leaves may be smaller [1]; may have waxy surfaces [1]; may have drip tips [1]; are adapted to intense light/high temperatures [1]; lower-layer leaves tend to be broader [1]; lower-layer leaves are adapted to capture limited light [1]. (c) Award up to [8]: trees reconnect separated habitat patches [1]; animals can move safely between patches [1]; greater access to food/nesting sites [1]; reduced edge effects such as wind and drying [1]; more humid microclimate [1]; shade reduces growth of some disturbance-loving plants [1]; more plant species provide more niches [1]; food webs become more complex/more species can persist [1].
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