Tropical Rainforests Flashcards

1
Q

What % of the earth is tropical rainforest?

A

2%

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2
Q

What is temperature and rainfall like in a tropical rainforest?

A

High temperatures and high rainfall

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3
Q

What temperatures are tropical rainforests typically?

A

27° throughout the year

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4
Q

What is the annual rainfall in a tropical rainforest?

A

Over 2000mm

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5
Q

Which climate do tropical rainforests thrive in?

A

Equitorial (along the equator)

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6
Q

What does high rainfall in TRF’s lead too?

A

Swelling of rivers, flooding, leaching

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7
Q

What is leaching?

A

When water soaks into the soil, nutrients are dissolved by the water and transported away

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8
Q

How do local rainforests tribes farm?

A

Subsistence farming, only hunting what they need to survive (SUSTAINABLE)

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9
Q

What is the fertility of soil like in TRF’s?

A

Not very fertile

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10
Q

Why do plants in tropical rainforests have shallow roots

A

Nutrients are concentrated in the topsoil, so when plants grow they take up the nutrients (shallow roots maximises nutrient uptake)

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11
Q

How do plants rely on soils in tropical rainforests (interdependence)?

A

They uptake nutrients from the topsoil

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12
Q

How do people rely on plants and animals in tropical rainforests (interdependence).

A

Tribes have to hunt for food

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13
Q

How do plants rely on the climate and water in tropical rainforests?

A

Plants need water and sunlight for photosynthesis

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14
Q

What resources are species competing for in a tropical rainforest?

A

Access to sunlight, food, soil and water

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15
Q

How are buttress roots an adaptation to climate in a tropical rainforests?

A

They have deep thin roots to help anchor trees in shallow soils and reach the emergent layer for sunlight

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16
Q

How are drip tips an adaptation to climate in a tropical rainforests?

A

The pointed end of the leaf makes it easier for water to run off them (adaptation to high rainfall)

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17
Q

How have poison dart frogs adapted to tropical rainforests? (2 ways)

A

-If they eat poisonous insects, their toxics get absorbed by their mucus
-They have suction cups on their feet to grip slippery branches

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18
Q

How have three-toed sloths adapted to tropical rainforests? (3 ways)

A

-Extra vertebrae in their necks allow them to turn 270° to check for predators
-They grow green algae in their fur to camouflage
-They can swim in floods (from high rainfall)

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19
Q

What % of the world medicines come from rainforest plants?

A

25%

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20
Q

How does a rainforest provide electricity?

A

High rainfall allows hydroelectric power to be supplied to locals

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21
Q

How do TRF’s provide employment?

A

Tourist guides, farming, mining

22
Q

Which resources are found in rainforests?

A

Wood, nuts, minerals, spices, cocoa

23
Q

What percentage of the worlds freshwater is supplied by the Amazon basin?

A

20%

24
Q

What is biodiversity a measure of?

A

How many different species live in an ecosystem

25
Q

What is a social threat facing biodiversity?

A

New roads and settlements are being build –> areas chopped down

26
Q

What is the threat of mining to biodiversity?

A

Toxic metals contaminate water supplies from runoff

27
Q

What is an environmental threat facing biodiversity?

A

Slash and burn culture releases CO2

28
Q

If biodiversity declines, which two issues does this lead to?

A

Scarce supplies or extinction of medicinal plants
Animals becoming extinct

29
Q

Why do rates of deforestation vary?

A

-Level of development –> NEE’s and LIC’s have a lot of deforestation to make space for growing migration
-Government policy –>less strict rules on deforestation makes it more common

30
Q

What is our case study for causes and impacts of deforestation?

A

The Amazon Rainforest - Brazil

31
Q

Which road was build in Brazil which led to deforestation? (cause of deforestation)

A

Trans-Amazonian Highway which stretches for 4000km through the rainforest

32
Q

Which dam was build in Brazil (cause of deforestation)?

A

Belo Monte dam as a source of hydroelectric power

33
Q

Which iron ore mine was build for mineral extraction in Brazil(cause of deforestation)?

A

Carajas which is the largest iron ore mine in the world

34
Q

What other things does mineral extraction lead to?

A

Scars in the landscape

35
Q

Why have settlements been formed in the Amazon (cause of deforestation)?

A

Provide temporary housing for people working at mines and population growth

36
Q

What is logging?

A

The process of harvesting trees

37
Q

Which materials found in the rainforest are valued for furniture (cause of deforestation)?

A

Mahogany and Teak

38
Q

What are smaller trees found in the rainforest used for (cause of deforestation)?

A

Fuel or made into charcoal

39
Q

What percentage of deforestation does cattle farming account for?

A

80%

40
Q

Why does deforestation lead to soil erosion and infertility?

A

Chopping down trees leaves the thin topsoil exposed —> topsoil removed by heavy rain –>difficult for vegetation to grow

41
Q

How long does it take for 1cm of soil to regenerate?

A

100 years

42
Q

Why does deforestation lead to climate change?

A

Trees act as a carbon sink, and when chopped down, the carbon is released
Less co2 absorbed from photosynthesis
Slash and burn combustion releases co2

43
Q

What was the 2006 International Tropical Timber agreement?

A

An agreement which restricted trade in tropical rainforest hardwoods, so they were difficult to sell and profit from

44
Q

Why was the 2006 agreement important?

A

Many people illegally chopped down timber to make a hefty profit, but this agreement meant buyers saw where their timber was sourced via a tag

45
Q

What is selective logging?

A

Only chopping down trees which are fully grown (30 years)

46
Q

What is agroforestry?

A

Planting trees and crops in the same space, which controls soil erosion and runoff

47
Q

What is replanting?

A

Trying to recreate forest cover which had been lost.

48
Q

How were debt reductions used to aid deforestation?

A

Debt is converted into conservation programmes

49
Q

What was the debt agreement between the USA and Brazil?

A

The USA let Brazil convert its $13.5 million debt into an agreement to protect areas in the Amazon

50
Q

What is ecotourism?

A

Educating visitors of rainforests on wildlife and local cultures

51
Q

What does ecotourism benefit?

A

Local communities, and protects the environment

52
Q

Who runs ecotourism?

A

Local people –> jobs created for locals, no economic leakage