Chen Wenli Research associate and master’s degree tutor Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences Forests are called the lungs of the Earth and the green treasure chest, whereas lakes are the treasure chests of resources in our lives. Forests and lakes are related to the reproduction and development of humans and other living creatures. They are related to the civilisation of the human society. There are many lush forests and beautiful lakes all around us, be it in our living environment or during our travel to other places. In their everyday learning and lifestyle, children often ask questions like: Since when did forests exist on Earth? How are forests classified? What interesting phenomena can be found in the forests? Which flora and fauna live in the forests? How are lakes formed? What types of lakes are there in the world? What are the mysteries of Lop Nur? Is the Caspian Sea a lake or sea? The Plants from the tower defence game Plants vs. Zombies will answer these questions one by one. Through these interesting comic stories, children will be able to enjoy reading and learn a lot of basic scientific knowledge. And with this in mind, they can explore the broad world of science. This is truly amazing indeed! Forests and lakes are not only closely related to our lives, but also important to the Earth’s ecosystem. It is important for us to know how to protect and utilise forest and lake resources as well as to coordinate the development of human and natural ecosystems. I sincerely hope that this book will help children to learn more about forests and lakes, fall in love with the amazing world of science, ignite their ability to seek for knowledge, and promote their awareness of the environment. Let’s strive to protect our home together! An Expert’s Recommendations
★ What is a forest? 8 ★ When did forests exist on Earth? 12 ★ Why are forests called the lungs of the Earth? 16 ★ Why are forests called the green treasure chest? 18 ★ What are the three major forest regions in China? 22 ★ Why is China’s northeast forest region known as the “green gold treasure chest”? 24 ★ How are forests classified? 26 ★ Do the leaves in needle leaf (coniferous) forests look like needles? 30 ★ Why is the soil in tropical rainforests infertile? 32 ★ What are the characteristics of tropical rainforests? 34 ★ What are the differences between subtropical forests and temperate forests? 38 ★ Why are forest trees tall and straight? 40 ★ How can we tell the age of forest trees? 42 ★ How do forest trees spend the winter? 44 ★ Are there any gender differences in forest trees? 46 ★ Are there any moving plants in the forests? 48 ★ Which plants in the forests like the sun and which ones do not? 50 ★ Which animal is the king of the forest? 54 Contents
★ How are lakes formed? 82 ★ Why are lakes important resources of water? 86 ★ Why is lake water sometimes salty and sometimes fresh? 88 ★ What are China’s largest freshwater lake and saltwater lake? 90 ★ How unique is Poyang Lake? 92 ★ What are the world's ten largest lakes? 94 ★ Which country is known as “the land of a thousand lakes”? 98 ★ Is there an unfrozen lake in the South Pole? 100 ★ Why is Lake Nyos called the “killer lake”? 102 ★ Are the plants in the forests dangerous? 56 ★ Will the forests get sick like us? 58 ★ What is the symbiotic relationship in the forests? 60 ★ Are there any forests under the sea? 62 ★ Can forests grow on rocks? 64 ★ How were fossil forests formed? 66 ★ Why can forests prevent land degradation? 68 ★ What are the dangers of deforestation? 70 ★ How do we preserve forests? 74 ★ How important are forest rangers? 78 ★ What is a lake? 80 Contents
★ What is the world’s oldest lake? 104 ★ Are there any glowing lakes in the world? 106 ★ Why do some lakes change their colour? 108 ★ Are crater lakes related to volcanoes? 110 ★ Do lakes experience over-nutrition? 112 ★ Which is the world’s largest subglacial lake? 114 ★ Why doesn’t the Crescent Lake dry up? 116 ★ How does Moshui Lake get its name? 118 ★ Is Lake Kivu flammable? 120 ★ How special are a lake on an island in a lake, lake under a lake and five-layer lake? 122 ★ Why does Lake George disappear? 126 ★ Why is Qinghai Lake called the sanctuary of birds? 128 ★ Why is salt lake an important mineral resource? 130 ★ Where does the hot water in Boiling Lake come from? 134 ★ What are the mysteries of Lop Nur? 136 ★ Is the Caspian Sea a lake or sea? 138 ★ Forests and Lakes Encyclopaedia 140 Contents
Bonk Choy Squash Cherry Bomb Tall-nut White Radish Sunflower Torchwood Jalapeno Wall-nut Peashooter Introduction of the main characters
Imp Pirate Zombie Cowboy Zombie Pirate Captain Zombie Zombie Bull Rider Buckethead Cowboy Imp Monk Prospector Zombie Pirate Zombie Qigong Zombie
8 Hello! We need to rent your car to release some animals in the forest! And we need a driver too! No problem! Sure! You can count on Crazy Dave! Stop putting any more animals on the car! It’s overloaded! What is a forest?
Yes. Alright then. That's a WOOD, not a forest. Is that the forest you wanted to go? Aren’t they the same? We rented a car of the same size as yours last year! The driver allowed us to put many things on it! 9
OK! Of course NOT! A forest is a complex that consists of trees, accompanying plants, animals, microorganisms and environment. It is an ecosystem. But a wood is just a place with some trees. Aaahh! Just follow our direction. Turn left at the junction in front. 10
Where are we? I recognise this place! And this stone too! This is the SAME place we crashed last year! Hey, where’s Crazy Dave? Over there. 11 A forest is a tree-based biological community. It is an overall ecosystem of a relative concentration of trees with other associated plants, animals, microorganisms and soil that are interdependent and interactive with the environment. Forests are important natural resources. They have many species, complex structures and diverse functions. They are regenerative and are widely distributed around the world. Trees of different characteristics form various types of forests. They are distributed in cold regions, temperate regions, subtropical regions, tropical mountains, hills, plains and other regions. Quick Facts
Captain, you brought back so many things! These are herbarium specimens that I bought during my trip. I’m studying the origin of forests and plants lately. Then do you know when forests existed on Earth? They existed about 300 million years ago. Customs 12 When did forests exist on Earth?
Plants vs Zombies: Are There Any Glowing Lakes in the World? Story & Comic by ｜ Xiao Jiangnan Layout by ｜ Chan Yin Yee Translated by ｜ Yap Fwee Yi Edited by ｜ Anthony Chan Yew Choong Published by ｜ G.Apple Studio Sdn. Bhd. (517085-P) Distributed by ｜ United Publishing House (M) Sdn. Bhd. (14620-K) (A wholly-owned subsidiary of Sasbadi Holdings Berhad) Endah Parade Shopping Mall Lot 3-055, 3rd Floor, 1, Jalan 1/149E, Taman Sri Endah, Bandar Baru Sri Petaling, 57000 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-9054 7272 Fax: 03-9054 7273 Email: [email protected] Website: www.uph.com.my Printed by ｜ Percetakan Advanco Sdn. Bhd. (45169-K) No. 19, 21, 23, Jalan Segambut Selatan, 51200 Kuala Lumpur W.P. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED First Printed February 2019 Plants vs Zombies·Science Comic Books Forests and Lakes Text Copyright © China Children’s Press and Publication Group First published in China by China Children’s Press and Publication Group This edition is published under licence by China Children’s Press and Publication Group, for sales in Malaysia and Singapore only and may not be bought for export thereafter. If there are problems of missing or torn pages, kindly return to the distributor for replacement. Plants vs. ZombiesTM © 2019 Electronic Arts Inc. PopCap is a trademark of Electronic Arts Inc. Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Xiao, Jiangnan PLANTS vs ZOMBIES : Questions & Answers Science Comic : Forest and Lakes : Are There Any Glowing Lakes in the World / Xiao Jiangnan. ISBN 978-967-2172-71-0 1. Comic books, strips, etc. 2. Science--Comic books, strips, etc. 3. Plants--Comic books, strips, etc. 4. Zombies--Comic books, strips, etc. I. Title 741.5