Rainforest Flashcards
(34 cards)
What is a biome?
A large scale ecosystem
Where are rainforests situated? And why , also give example rainforests.
They are situated through in parts of Africa, Indonesia and Malaysia. 5 degrees north and south. They are here because these countries run through the equator, where it is hot and humid- the rainforest species wouldn’t thrive anywhere else. The sun rays are very concentrated here with maximum coverage over the forests. Amazon basin , Manaus And zaine basin.
What is a tropical rainforest?
A tropical rainforest is a vegetation situated in hot, wet and humid locations.
Describe and explain the season distribution of temperature and rainfall.
The graphs are almost flipped around. The coldest months receive the most rainfall, those being from July to September. And the hottest months have the lowest rainfall.
Describe the process of the water cycle
- Condensation ,water vapour in the air turns into liquid and forms clouds.
- Precipitation , water falls to the earth as rain or snow.
- Runoff, water moves across the ground into rivers or ponds.
- Evaporation, heat from the sun changes water into gas that goes up into the air.
Describe the process of the nutrition cycle
- The rainforest nutrient cycling is rapid.
- The hot damp conditions on the floor allow for rapid decomposition of dead plant material.
- The provides plentiful nutrients that are absorbed by plant roots.
- However these nutrients are in high demand from rain-forests many fast growing plants, they do not remain in the soil for long and stay close to the surface of the soil.
- If vegetation is removed the soils quickly become infertile and vulnerable to erosion.
What is conventional rainfall?
Rainfall that is caused by lots of warm air rising which causes heavy rainfall and sometimes thunder and lightning.
What is an emergent?
A very tall tree that grows above the main canopy to a height of about 50 m. They receive the most sunlight being the closest to the sun.
What is the canopy?
This is a continuous layer of tree tops.
What is the under canopy?
It is the second level up from the ground. There is limited sunlight here and they eventually grow into the canopy when they find gaps to grow in.
What is the shrub layer?
It is dark and gloomy here, with very little vegetation between the trees. During heavy rainfalls this area can flood.
What are buttress roots?
Wide roots at the base of the tree that support the very tall tress.
What are lianas?
Vine like plants that root in the ground but grow upwards using the tree as support as they grow towards the sunlight.
What are epiphytes?
Plants that grow in the branches of a tree. They act like parasites and feed off the tree. Examples are lichens and orchids.
What is decomposition?
The breakdown of dead organic matter by living organisms.
What is meant by photosynthesis?
When green plants convert the suns light energy into food.
How are the leaves and plant roots adapted to the rainforest?
The roots have large deep root networks allowing the maximum water intake.
The leaves are thick and waxy to store lots of water
The leave tips are pointing enabling water to drop off onto the roots/ ground.
How could you help maintain the rainforest?
The Brazilian government want roads and infra structure projects in the rain forest. This would be good but it would only be best to have a few easy access roads for busy countries such as Brazil but not to overload the forest by putting a network of roads through it.
We should educate lots of people, giving them the effects of deforestation, we should also not buy luxury woods and reduce our firewood.
Hydroponics- indoor farming without the use of soil instead putting the plants into water with already dissolved nutrients. This can definitely help prevent deforestation.
Crop rotation- the same plot of land is utilised to grow seasonal crops one after another. This prevents cutting down of trees to get new land for cultivation. Crop rotation also increases the productivity of the solo and deal with the poor soil the locals are complaining about.
What are the effects of deforestation?
As large areas of forests are cut, there will be a loss in biodiversity therefore many species of animals will become extinct.
If the agricultural plants and trees are slashed then the scientists won’t be able to find potential cures for incurable diseases. There might be natural remedies.
1/4 of the worlds fresh water is in the amazon rainforest and this store will be reduced if the rainforest is cut.
Justify this:
Deforestation has an impact on the worlds oxygen supply as one third is stored in the rainforest.
Because due to the trees being cut down , there will be less opportunities to filter the oxygen back from the carbon dioxide in the trees. More co2 will be produced. This is had because it’ll affect the global warming. Meaning more energy in the atmosphere meaning more violent storms , dramatic sea rises and disturbed rainfall patterns.
Justify:
Hydroelectric power is an important renewable resource
Renewable so it can be used over again. Doesn’t pollute. Without this it’ll be a loss. For this energy to take place you need water. If the rainforest is cut down it’ll be bad because the locals won’t have a river and this is important because they won’t have shops to buy water bottles from.
Justify:
Deforestation had direct effect on global climates contributing to the green house effect.
Removing trees takes away the opportunities for co2 to filter back into oxygen. So it builds up and that contributes to the greenhouse effect. The co2 is stored in the atmosphere, and and changes climates. The consequences are dangerous but we can preserve the rainforest and lower the green house effects.
Why it deforestation happening?
Clearing for dam construction To build new housing Building roads Transport network Clearing land for mining For logging purposes- high demand in woods To farm land for cattle beef
Why do the loggers want to cut down tropical hardwoods?
They want to cut down hardwoods, like mahogany because there is a large demand for these woods in MEDCs. There is very little replanting. The felled timber provides an essential income for Brazil.
