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geography > Forests Under Threat > Flashcards

Forests Under Threat Flashcards

1
Q

Where are tropical rainforests?

A

Evolved at the equatorial climate so have wet weather conditions due to low pressure but also hot temperatures due to concentrated sun beams

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2
Q

What are the 5 rainforest levels?

A

Herb layer, shrub layer and young trees, under canopy, main canopy, emergent layer

  • different species are adapted to each layer
  • emergent layer is tallest as they get most rainwater and sunlight
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3
Q

What is the drip tip adaptation?

A
  • mound would grow on all wet surfaces

- this structure allows the leaves to channel water off to prevent rotting

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4
Q

What is the buttress root adaptation?

A

Large thick roots for stability and balance

  • this also means they can absorb more water
  • nutrients are concentrated in top layer of soil so these roots must be shallow
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5
Q

How are sloths adapted and wild cats adapted?

A
  • huge claws allow them to hand upside down while their fur grows away from their feet to help shed rain when upside down
  • green algae in their fur helps for camouflage from predators
  • wild cats have spots for camolfague as the area shifts between brings sunlight and shade due to overhanging trees
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6
Q

What is the rainforest nutrients cycle like?

A
  • the hot damp conditions of forest floors helps with rapid decomposition of dead plant material
  • this provides lots of nutrients that are easily absorbed
  • yet due to high demand they don’t remained in the soil for long and stay close to the surface
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7
Q

What does Gersheml’s nutrients cycle show?

A
  • 3 places where nutrients are stored (litter, biomass and soil)
  • nutrients can enter the soil store from rock weathering and decomposition
  • biomass store is huge due to dense vegetation
  • litter store is small as decomposition happens faster in warmer climates
  • soil store is small as nutrients in the soil are taken up rapidly
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8
Q

What is the tropical rainforest food web like?

A
  • high biodiversity leads to complex food chains as there is loads of different possibilities due to selective eating lead as animals feed particular plants and become pray of others. E.g.b an be both primary and secondary consumers
  • variety of tropic levels
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9
Q

What is a food chain?

A

Represents the succession of organisms that eat another organism and are in turn eaten themselves
-the number of steps an organism is from the start is a measure of its tropic level

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10
Q

How does climate change threaten the tropical rainforest?

A
  • northward shift in atmospheric system could bring constantly dry and hot weather
  • animals have adapted to constant temp conditions so can’t tolerate heat spikes so kills some and stresses survivors
  • stressed plants and animals have less resistance to disease
  • drier forests are at risk of forest fires which TRF is not adapted to
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11
Q

What are direct causes of tropical rainforest deforestation?

A
  • mineral exploitation for example palm oil and coltan/biofuel
  • hydroelectric power causes flooding of areas and also clearing of others for access routes, and starving of water downstream
  • subsistence agriculture
  • cattle farming 60%
  • wood and commercial logging
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12
Q

What are the impacts of deforestation in the tropical rainforest?

A
  • loss of habitats and biodiversity
  • loss of traditional culture and indigenous tribe land
  • less trees to transpire so drought and to regulate gas exchange
  • loss of potential medicinal use
  • yet, short term economic gains and country can use revenue to develop
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13
Q

What are CITES?

A
  • convention on international trade in endangered species
  • currently protects 35000 species and 181 countries that sign up to this agree to stop exports or imports of these species
  • provides info
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14
Q

What are pros and cons of CITES?

A
  • cites have a huge international influence (181 countries)
  • difficult to check and enforced e.g. poachers still kills rhinos in SA
  • requires international cooperation and increases illegal trade as demand stays high
  • also doesn’t protect their habitat so they may still go extinct
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15
Q

What is REDD?

A

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degrading

  • supports schemes to reduce rate of deforestation e.g. rewarding or paying countries that promote conservation
  • the UN monitors the schemes by the use of remote sensing and visits
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16
Q

What are pros and cons of REDD?

A
  • backed by UN so berry large sums of money are available for these projects
  • vague about what counts as a forest, e.g, in some areas funding has been given to projects that have replanted areas with oil palm plantations
17
Q

What is dept for nature swaps?

A
  • developing countries get art of the debt wiped and this money is used to set up conservation
  • yet the country clearing the debt has a big say in how much is invested so it might be there’s to gain
18
Q

How is biosphere reserve sustainable management?

A
  • creates different zones for different purposes like conservation or sustainable development
  • educates communities about replanting trees and safe hunting
  • agroforestry where crops are grown between trees and not cut down helping to protect soil form erosion
19
Q

How is ecotourism sustainable management?

A
  • visitors allowed to visit tropical rainforests and stay in environmentally friendly accommodation
  • provides income to support conservation and visitors are educated
  • yet has changed wildlife patterns due to presence of tourism
  • employs and provides income for small local communities
20
Q

What are the possible tensions of sustainable development?

A
  • economic as people want to make the most money but this often isn’t sustainable
  • social as may not benefit other communities of generations. It means consulting people on an equal basis yet this can lead to certain being prosperous and other nots
  • environmental protection is often expensive
21
Q

Where is the taiga climate?

A

Subarctic climate

  • long cold and dry winters
  • warm and wet yet shirt summers
  • coniferous trees grow close together to reduce wind damage
22
Q

How is the taiga tree adapted?

A
  • needle shaped leaves to maximise photosynthesis throughout year and are each to reduce water loss
  • cone shaped to shed heavy snow
  • thick layer of pine needles on forest floor are acidic so prevent growth of other plants and competitor
  • wide shallow roots as lower ground is often frozen
23
Q

How are taiga animals adapted?

A
  • most animals migrate in winter
  • non-migrating animal species often have coats of feathers that turn white in winter for camouflage and extra warmth
  • brown bear builds up fat layers in summer for hibernation in winter dens
24
Q

What is the taiga nutrients cycle like?

A
  • much slower than in TRF and smaller flows of nutrients between stores
  • most nutrients is in litter because pine needles decay slowly and cold temperatures release nutrients slowly
  • biomass store is small as trees on grow for a few months each year
  • soils are thin, low in nutrients and acidic
25
Q

What are direct and indirect threats to the taiga?

A
  • conifer trees produce softwood timber
  • logging for paper, softwood and pulp
  • mining for minerals, hydroelectric power and fossil fuels
26
Q

How do tar sands threaten the tiaga?

A
  • moisture of fossil fuel oil and sediment that can be mined and heated to separate the oil
  • extracted through deforestation or by steaming it out both of which produce toxic waste that contaminated water sources etc
  • tonnes of water and natural gas are used
27
Q

How is the taiga threatened by HEP dams?

A
  • water stored behind dams is used to generate electricity
  • thousands of kilometres flooded through construction
  • poisonous toxins released damaging food webs and water sourced
  • electricity pylons and roads have disrupted migration routes and caused further deforestation
28
Q

How do forest fires threaten the taiga?

A
  • thick carpet of lone needles is perfect tinder and coniferous trees contain sticky resin that burns easily
  • summers storms herniate lighting strikes
  • increases due to warmer summers so forests can’t regenerate properly as trees can’t mature between fires
  • fire tolerant species become tolerant whilst rest die away
  • leads to a fragmented forest which makes it harder for migratory species to find food and shelter
29
Q

How have invasive species effected the tiaga?

A
  • as temps rise increase in insect infestation that would otherwise be killed off by the cold
  • reduce commercial value of forest and kill other trees that aren’t resistance
  • alter food webs by killing species
  • has allowed new diseases and pests to spread killing biotic organisms that haven’t adapted to be resistance
30
Q

How has acid rain effected taiga?

A
  • aquatic life die by lowering PH of water sources
  • damages needles and their ability to photosynthesis
  • when taiga soil become too acidic aluminium compounds released that damage tree roots and holds less essential nutrients making them more vulnerable to disease
31
Q

How are tigers effected by threatens to the tiaga?

A

Heavy fur coats and Hugh levels of body fat to withstand cold winters
-this makes then heat intolerant

32
Q

Reasons to protect the tiaga

A
  • plants grow slowly due to lack of nutrients and cold winters so pollution remains in ecosystem for decades
  • very few species so a disease that effects one effects many
  • animals and p,ants are very specialised so can’t adapt
  • much is undiscovered so may hold new medicines
33
Q

How do national parks protect the taiga?

A
  • areas that prevent ant exploitation of natural resources
  • conservation projects launches by restoring natural habitat and preserving food webs
  • scientific research finds out more about the eco system how best to protect it, this is used to educate visitors
  • generates incomes through tourism and raised info so they can adapt their way of life
  • takes into account needs of indigenous people allowing them to still hunt
34
Q

How does sustainable forestry help the taiga?

A
  • after trees are cut down there is replanting if native taiga species
  • forestry plots are carefully managed to conserve key species and chop down trees that minimise impact on ecosystem
  • limits can be placed on the number of trees that’s can be cut down
35
Q

Problems of national parks?

A
  • unless parks are big enough they can’t protect migrating species
  • taiga holds money in oil and gas and there is pressure to develop this for economic gain to help countries out of poverty
  • pollution as if too far from cities no one will visit them so no money yet if too busy can damage them and disrupt them
36
Q

Problems of sustainable forestry?

A
  • expensive and requires long term planning so is usually only possible with finding e.g. from international organisations
  • selective logging means secondary forest has less biodiversity than the primary so the whole ecosystem isn’t restored
  • leased to large companies which exploit rapidly in this short period to maximise profits
  • some countries struggle to enforce restrictions so lots of illegal activity

geography (13 decks)

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