UPSC Prelims 2021 · Question 60 of 97
UPSC Prelims 2021 question on Tropical Rainforest Biome
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2021
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectGeography
- TopicClimatology
- DifficultyEasy
- TypeDirect
"Leaf litter decomposes faster than in any other biome and as a result the soil surface is often almost bare. Apart from trees, the vegetation is largely composed of plant forms that reach up into the canopy vicariously, by climbing the trees or growing as epiphytes, rooted on the upper branches of trees."
This is the most likely description of
Show answer
Answer: D. tropical rain forest
The tropical rainforest is a hot, moist biome found near Earth's equator. The hot and humid conditions make tropical rainforests an ideal environment for bacteria and other microorganisms. Because these organisms remain active throughout the year, they quickly decompose matter on the forest floor.
In other biomes, such as the deciduous forest, the decomposition of leaf litter adds nutrients to the soil. But in the tropical rainforest, plants grow so fast that they rapidly consume the nutrients from the decomposed leaf litter. As a result, most of the nutrients are contained in the trees and other plants rather than in the soil. Most nutrients that are absorbed into the soil are leached out by the abundant rainfall, which leaves the soil infertile and acidic.
Epiphytes – these are plants which live on the branches of trees high up in the canopy. They get their nutrients from the air and water, not from the soil. Epiphytes are found throughout rainforests.
Hence option (d) is the correct answer.