Living world Flashcards
(21 cards)
Why do Tropical rainforest have high primary productivity?
Due to its climate; So many plants quickly growing+all year round growing conditions as well as more animal species than any other ecosystem
Why do Tropical rainforest have high primary productivity?
Due to its climate; So many plants quickly growing+all year round growing conditions as well as more animal species than any other ecosystem
Describe the climate in a rainforest(amazon)
— hot all year round; 26-29 degrees
— wet and dry season ; low sore pressure + close to equator
—more than 2000mm of rain
Why is the soil red in an rainforest?
Due to oxides from iron and aluminium stained soul
Why is the soil not fertile? and why is the the litter layer deep?
heavy rainfall caused less leaching.
Deep litter layer due to lots of plans being dropped and optimal climate
What’s the ground layer of the rainforest like?
—Dark and steamy
— 2% of light reaches
— 0-10m decomposing litter (a lot)
what’s the canopy layer like?
— umbrella like ; 20-30m tall trees with a few branches to reach light
explain the nutrient cycle?
Biomass - plants and animals —> fall to ground
Litter- deep due to constantly falling plants—> due to high humidity and temp leaf litter decomposes rapidly
Soil- deep, nutrients only at top layer but leached by heavy rainfall —>
plants take up nutrients quickly
Name one adaptation in the rainforest by plants and explain the adaptation
leaves; drip tips and angle
drip tip — sheds water quickly to avoid growth of bacteria, rotting and fungi
Angle— to avoid shading other leaves on the same tree, maximising sunlight
Name and explain one animal adaption in the rainforest
Camouflage; many animals change colour to blend in and avoid predators done by the amazon tree sloth
Describe the location of the case study of a rainforest done
The amazon rainforest is found in south america, but a vast majority of it is found within brazil, although the edges of the rainforest spread into 8 other countries such as Ecuador, bolivia and peru
Describe the rate of deforestation in the amazon rainforest
Deforestation rates in the amazon rainforest dropped to its lowest level in 2012, 4500 kmsquared down from 27000km squared in 2004. since 2012 it’s increased
Name and explain one human activity and how it’s destroying the amazon
One human activity which is destroying the amazon rainforest is cattle ranching. In the rainforest land is cleared to make way for cattle- farmers who sell cattle need more space to put their cattle which is exploited internationally and nationally, this human activity takes up 70% of deforestation in the rainforest, the most signicant cause.
How much money did Brazil make from trading cattle in 2009
$6.9 billion dollars
Name one social effect of deforestation and evaluate
a social effect is the loss of homes and lively hoods for indigenous communities, within the rainforest. In the achur tribe there is over 11,000 people living in small communities. They are dependant on the rainforest so the help maintain the stable ecosystem, when the rainforest is cut down these communities are forced to relocate elsewhere within the rainforest , where they have been living for thousands of years meaning their way of life is tempered with.
Name one social effect of deforestation and evaluate
a social effect is the loss of homes and lively hoods for indigenous communities, within the rainforest. In the achur tribe there is over 11,000 people living in small communities. They are dependant on the rainforest so the help maintain the stable ecosystem, when the rainforest is cut down these communities are forced to relocate elsewhere within the rainforest , where they have been living for thousands of years meaning their way of life is tempered with.
Name one method of a managing rainforest sustainability and explain
Selective logging and replanting;
- a tree sensual is carried out, then they pick certain tress to cut down and one is planted in its place
- generally it’s trees that are moving towards the end of their lives and it’s a variety of species.
socially; maintains lovely hoods for indeginous people’s as forest still exists
economically; can sell felled trees
environmentally; ground covered so protected from soil- eriosion , still maintains biodiversity
Name two values of tropical rainforest to people
1) Medicine; 25% of all medicine comes from rainforest, 2,000 plants have anti- cancer properties less than 1% have been tested for international qualities
2) rescourses; rainforest rich in reserved in wood etc and all everyday items and food.
Name two values of the rainforest to the environment
1) Biodiversity; contains 50% of all the worlds plants and animals
2) climate; ‘lungs of the world’, contributes to 28% of the worlds oxygen—> moisture through transpiration —> water cycle and evaporation of water helps air to cool
Name one positive economic effect of deforestation
When areas of land are deforested they can be used for farming, for example cattle ranching, meaning there is more jobs for people, the leather, meat or milk can be exported/ traded nationally, increasing brazils business abroad increasing the economy, however farming reduced soil fertility meaning it will become less profitable in the future
Name one negative environmental effect on deforestation
A loss of biodiversity, the rainforest are home to 3 million species, as the rainforest is cut down many of the species are lost directly or lose their homes or food supply so are also reduced in number or become extinct, that a major environmental effect as exposed are forced to the brink of extinction there are now more than 600 species in the rainforest that are endangered
