Which of the following statements about tropical rain forests are correct?
- 1. The soils of tropical rain forests are quite infertile.
- 2. The vegetation is evergreen, enabling photosynthesis to take place year around.
- 3. They have been described as ‘deserts covered by trees’.
- 4. They are most productive land-based ecosystem.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
2 and 4 only
1, 3 and 4 only
1, 2 and 3 only
1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer is Wrong!
Answer is Right!
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2021
1. The soils of tropical rain forests are quite infertile: Correct. High rainfall leads to rapid leaching of nutrients. Rapid decomposition returns nutrients, but they are quickly absorbed by the dense vegetation, leaving the soil itself poor in nutrients, especially mineral nutrients.
2. The vegetation is evergreen, enabling photosynthesis to take place year around: Correct. Tropical rainforests experience high temperatures and rainfall throughout the year, supporting continuous growth and photosynthesis, resulting in evergreen forests.
3. They have been described as ‘deserts covered by trees’: Correct. This phrase highlights the paradox of incredibly lush vegetation growing on nutrient-poor soil, contrasting the high biomass with the low soil fertility, much like how a desert is characterized by poor soil although it lacks the trees.
4. They are most productive land-based ecosystem: Correct. Due to favorable conditions of high sunlight, temperature, and water availability year-round, tropical rainforests exhibit the highest rates of primary productivity among all terrestrial ecosystems.
All four statements accurately describe characteristics of tropical rain forests.