Deforestation/ tropical rainforests

Question 1

What are the 7 causes of deforestation?

Answer 1

-commercial farming
-subsistence farming
-population growth
-road building
-energy development
-selective / clear cut logging
-mineral extraction

Question 2

Describe … commercial farming

Answer 2

Commercial farming is when farmers clear forests to make space for agricultural uses to produce a product that can be sold and traded on a large scale.

Question 3

Describe … subsistence farming

Answer 3

Subsistence farming is when poorer farmers clear a small area of forest to make space for their own produce that sustains them and their family. They use this area until the soil is fully exhausted then move on.

Question 4

Describe … population growth

Answer 4

Many people migrate to settlements near the rainforest for work associated with its resources. As they earn money through the growing business they settle and have families making these settlements develop near the rainforest.

Question 5

Describe …road building

Question 6

Describe … energy development

Answer 6

The rainforest has lots of rivers and tributaries running in its basin, providing the area a chance of accessing renewable energy. HEP is very common, however this can cause habitats and forests above the dam to be prone to flooding, disrupting the environment. HEP is a very affordable and convenient energy source for countries like Brazil as it powers other development schemes such as mine extractions.

Question 7

Describe … selective / clear cut logging

Answer 7

Selective logging is when a specific species or quality of tree is harvested, leaving some of the forest behind which later can recover eventually. Clear cut logging is when trees are harvested despite quality and species, resulting in mass deforestation.

Question 8

Describe … mineral extraction

Answer 8

Lots of rare minerals happen to be under the Amazon rainforest, resulting in mass deforestation occurring to access these valuable minerals such as iron and gold which can be exported to other countries (like in Asia where most NEE’s and LIC’s are)

Question 9

Where are most tropical rainforests located?

Answer 9

Between the tropics Cancer and Capricorn in the equatorial region.

Question 10

Describe and explain tropical rainforest conditions:

Answer 10

Rainforests are very hot and humid due to their latitude on the globe, due to being on the equator, the region of land receives most insolation from the sun at a higher concentration and is one of the low pressured areas, resulting in a wetter climate as water evaporated due to the extreme heat, it condenses and forms clouds.

Question 11

Describe the steps of the rainforest nutrients cycle: (5)

Answer 11

1. trees shed their leaves which fall to the ground, these leaves contain nutrients
2. the leaves quickly decay due to bacteria and fungi and the help of humidity and heat, releasing their nutrients
3. the nutrients reach only the top layer of the ground (litter layer)…
4. … before being absorbed by the shallow roots of the vegetation
5. this helps the vegetation to grow and thrive.