Rainforests Flashcards
Where are rainforests located?
Along the equator between the tropic of cancer and the tropic of Capricorn
Mainly I Brazil Africa South Asia and North West australia
Describe the climate in the amazon rainforest
The climate in the amazon rainforest is very hot and wet all year round
Range of 2 (27 and 29)
Why is it so hot in the rainforest
The equator where most rainforests are located is the closest part of the earth to the sun
Why is the amazon rainforest so wet?
Dauky conventional rainfall at midday which is where the subhead up the ground causing the water to evaporate from trees and condenses
Describe the structure of the rainforest
Shrub layer- dark with little vegetation, often flooded
Under canopy-little sunlight so saplings grow in gaps
Canopy- upper layer where most trees are found
Emergent layer- tallest trees with buttress roots
Epiphyte adaptations
A plant which grows upon a tree to get the sunlight to survive
Orchids produce air roots to gain moisture from rainwater and air
Their roots also anchor them to the tree
Adaptations of rafflesia
A parasitic plant which attaches itself to another plant for water and nutrients
The rafflesia emmits a smell similar to rotting meat which attracts insects which pollinate the plant
The plant is also quite big to grab hold of any sunlight
Adaptations of poison dart frog
Bright colours warn predators from eating it and secretes poison out of its skin
Soke frogs in this family aren’t poisonous however have copied their appearance to prevent getting eaten
Adaptations of jaguars
Sharp claws to climb small trees and eat prey
Fur keeps it camouflaged
Strong to better slowly stall prey
Very fast
What does degradation mean
Th3 damage caused to ecosystems and the loss of biodiversity which fan lead to their destruction
What are Some local effects of deforestation
1.Indigenous people can lose their homes , culture and heritage
Contact eith outsiders lead to death as they have no immunity against diseases such as the common cold
2. Increased surfsce runoff and soil erosion causes silting of rivers which makes the waters undrinkable and more likely to flood . Which destroys animal habitats
What does epping forest ,london, lose nutrients to
Leaching
Where is epping forests nutrient cycle show
The biomass store is large because of the height of the trees and undergrowth
Characteristics of rainforests
High temperature and rainfall throughout the year
Dense vegetation cover - evergreen due to continual growing season
Soil isn’t very fertile as nutrients are washed away
Have more species than any other ecosyste.
How is mining contributing to deforestation in the amazon rainforest
The amazon rainforest is rich in precious materials like Iron and gold
These metals are underground and require large scale deforestation to reach them
The Carajas iron mine contains 7 billion tonnes of iron and uses an army of big machines and has destroyed 6 square miles of rainforest as well as polluting the local water supply
