Question

Stratification is found in?
A. Tropical rain forests
B. Deciduous forest
C. Desert
D. Both A and B

Answer 1

Stratification is the branch of ecology in which different vegetation and habitats are divided into different layers. In this system layers are generally divided into the vertical heights of the plant's growth. And different layers consist of different animals and plants belonging to those particular layers.

Complete answer:
Forests according to the stratification are divided into forest floor, herbs, shrubs, understory and canopy layers. These layers are particularly divided on the bases of heights of plants under that particular layer.

Forest floor: This layer includes moss and rhizosphere having elements like bulbs and tubers. And moss includes soil organisms like bacteria, fungi, algae and other varieties of microorganisms.
Herb layer: This layer consists mainly of non-woody plants. Ground plants having height above the ground approximately one meter above the ground. This layer consists of herbaceous plants including therophytes, geophytes, etc dwarf plants and grasses. In the forest, this layer has reduced the amount of sunlight.
Shrub layer: This layer of forest consists of young trees and bushes. This can further be divided into the first and second shrub layer. This layer needs little amount of moisture and sunlight unlike forest floors which need large amounts of water. This layer receives sunlight from canopy, semi-shade of the sunlight and plants under this layer do not tolerate bright sunlight.
Understory layer: In this layer plants having more height then shrub layer, undergrowth comes under this layer. Small amount of sunlight comes from the canopy to the understory.
Canopy: This layer consists of long woody plants, which have highest vegetation in woodlands and made up of crowns of tallest trees in the forest. This layer has maximum exposure to the sunlight.
Tree layer: This vegetation layer consists from height above five meters from the ground. It consists of a top stratum having phanerophytes. These trees are about forty-five meter high.

Thus, we can say that stratification is present in tropical rain forests as well as deciduous forests. And option ‘D’ is the correct answer.

Note: Presence of these different layers and vegetation helps in growing a balanced ecosystem. Each little plant or tallest tree has a great role in this ecosystem. And these layers are divided on the bases of photosynthetic organs, that is, leaves.