Watching and listening. Planet earth part V, episodes 5–6 different kinds of forests

Decide if these statements are true or false.

1. In the boreal forest, in taiga, the needle-shaped leaves of conifers are virtually inedible. So this forest supports very little life in winter. T/F

2. This vast taiga forest circulating the globe contains a third of all the trees on Earth and produces so much oxygen that it changes the composition of the atmosphere. T/F

3. The broadleaf forests are bustling with life in summer. T/F

4. In winter the inhabitants of a broadleaf forest must migrate, hibernate or starve. T/F

5. The are only 400 amur leopards left in the wild and the number is falling by means of hunting and destroying the habitats. T/F

6. The tilt of the Earth axis creates seasons. T/F

7. There are tropical parts of the world where there are no seasons. T/F

8. Tropical forest covers only 3% of the planet surface but it contains more than 50% of all its plants and animals. T/F

9. Less than 22% of sunlight reaches the floor of the tropical rainforest but even here there is extraordinary variety. T/F

10. In the great island of New Guinea there are 32 different species of birds of paradise each more bizarre than the last. T/F

Key: 1. T; 2. T; 3. T; 4. T; 5. F (40 leopards, not 400); 6. T; 7. T; 8. T; 9. F (2%, not 22%); 10. F (42 species, not 32)

Part IV, seasonal forests, episode 11 trees pollinators of madagascar

You are going to read a story about tropical pollinators. Choose the most suitable headings from the list A–F for each part 1–5 of the story. There is one extra heading which you do not need to use.

A. Awaking of smallest hibernating primates

B. Prey and predator relations

C. A pollinator or a pest?

D. A baobab tree starts to attract its pollinators

E. The witness notices the prehistoric shape of the trees

F. An unforgettable display of a real magic

1. _______________________________________

Tropical Madagascar. The wet season.

It’s now that the baobab trees regrow their leaves and collect water to store in their huge trunks ready for the dry season ahead. The prehistoric shape of these trees is rightly famous. But few have ever witnessed that the baobabs have real magic. For that happens at night high in the treetops. Flush with water the baobab prepares for an unforgettable display. Once started the foot-long flowers can open fully in less than a minute.

2. ________________________________________

As the flowers open the creatures of the forest wake. The mouse lemurs have been hibernating throughout the dry season and now with a return of rains it’s time to get busy. A dozen share this tree hole, but there’s plenty of room. The world’s smallest primate is no bigger than your hand.

3. ________________________________________

Higher in the branches above, the baobab’s nectar is starting to flow. A drink of this sugary energy-packed liquid is ideal way for the lemurs to start their day. Liquid oozes from the flower center and trickles down the petals. But the nectar is not intended for lemurs. These giant hawk moths are the drinkers the tree needs to attract. As they sip they move from tree to tree so they transfer the pollen to fertilize the flowers.

4. ________________________________________

Nectar was an excellent first course for the lemurs, but moths are the main dish. The moths are very important to the lemurs for they will replenish their fat reserves that the lemurs need to survive the dry season.

5. _________________________________________

The lemurs might seem to be a pest for the baobab; they kill their pollinators and rob it of its nectar, but they do give something in return. For as they’re wrestling with the moth, their fur inevitably becomes dusted with pollen, so they too become pollinators.

Key: 1. F; 2. A; 3. D; 4. B; 5. C; E. is an extra heading