Topic 8 - Forests Under Threat

Question 1

Where are Tropical Rainforests located?

Answer 1

Around the equator
Low pressure - rises - ccc - rain
But also hot due to the the sun straight overhead

Question 2

Tropical rainforest structure

Answer 2

Shrub layer
- forest floor
- few plants
Under canopy
- densest layer
Canopy
- tree reaches 35m 
- uneven
Emergents
- individual trees
- 50m high

Question 3

Plant adaptations

Answer 3

Drip tip leaves:
Thick, waxy leaves with drip tips
Shed water quickly to prevent leaves rotting

Butteress roots:
Tall slender trunks
No branches
Triangular roots
Support enormous weight of the trees

Question 4

Animal adaptations:

Answer 4

Sloths:
Huge claws to hang from branches
Camouflage
Fur grows away from feet to help shield rain
Big cats:
Camouflaged fur
Dark and light fur patches blend with shade and sunlight on the floor

Question 5

Nutrient cycle has 3 stores

Answer 5

Soil
Litter
Biomass
Rapid because of the hot, damp weather

Question 6

Two ways nutrients can enter the soil

Answer 6

Decomposition

Rock weathering

Question 7

Which are the two smaller stores and why

Answer 7

Litter and soil

Because they have 2 ways the nutrients can be lost

Question 8

Consumer

Answer 8

Something that eats something

Question 9

Producer

Answer 9

Plants

Question 10

Herbivores

Answer 10

Plant eaters

Question 11

Carnivores

Answer 11

Meat eaters

Question 12

Decomposer

Answer 12

Dead things

Question 13

Tropical rainforests have complex web systems - why?

Answer 13

Because most animals are quite selective about what they eat

Question 14

Deforestation

Answer 14

The deliberate cutting down of forests to exploit forest resources

Question 15

Forest lost causes

Direct threats

Answer 15

Poverty, resource demand, debt, economic development

Mineral exploitation’s, HEP, biofuels

Question 16

Forest lost causes

Indirect threats

Answer 16

Climate change causing temperatures to rise

Climate change causing climate stress (extreme droughts)

Question 17

Why we should manage the rainforest

Answer 17

Manage CO2 levels
Cash crops
To get medicine ingredients
Climate stress

Question 18

How to preserve the tropical rainforest

Answer 18

Forest regeneration - preserve older trees
Scientists - monitor areas
Ecotourism - know all materials are local
Shifting cultivation - slash and burn
Selective Logging

Question 19

CITES

Answer 19

The convention on international trade in endangered species is an international treaty
Positives: many countries have signed up
Wide variety of protected species
Negatives: species have to be under threat to get ‘on the list’
Protects species not ecosystems- does not prevent deforestation

Question 20

REDD

Answer 20

Purpose is to stop deforestation
Positives: sustainable management of forests
Negatives: offsetting is an easy way for developed countries to appear to reduce their CO2 pollution, without actually reducing it

Question 21

Local scale sustainability of rainforests

Answer 21

Costa Rica
Small scale farming and forestry
Positives: tourist attraction - income
Negatives: only small scale

Question 22

Taiga biome

Answer 22

North of the Tropic of Cancer
Climate is cool and dry
Short summers = 10°
Long winters = -20°
Snow
Few animals
Evergreen coniferous trees

Question 23

Animal and plant adaptations in the taiga biome

Answer 23

Coniferous forest
Cone shaped - helps shed winter snow
Needles - prevented by a waxy coating which prevents damage by frost and limits water loss during dry periods
Tree roots are shallow - to avoid the frozen ground below
Branches - flexible and bend downwards to shed winter snow and not break

Question 24

Yellow rumpled warbler

Answer 24

During winter - disperse in loose flocks

Sing from the high canopy of trees

Question 25

Arctic ground squirrel

Answer 25

Huddled in an underground burrow for 7 to 8 months | Body temperature drops and all metabolic functions slow way down

Question 26

Difference between the nutrient stores in the taiga and rainforest biome

Answer 26

Taiga Rainforest •slow nutrient cycle •fast nutrient cycle •big litter store •small litter store •small biomes •large biomes

Question 27

Wildfire

Answer 27

Uncontrolled burning through a forest, gras,lands or scrub Thick carpet of pine needles is perfect to help start a fire Summer storms generate lightening strikes Coniferous trees contains sticky resin, which burns easily Positives of fire: allows forest to regenerate Negatives of fire: fire tolerant species begin to dominate reducing biodiversity

Question 28

Pests

Answer 28

A plant, animal or disease introduced from one area to another which causes ecosystem damage Negatives: reduce commercial value of the forest Change the landscape from more dense trees to fewer trees Example: white pine blister rust A fungal disease that attacks white pine trees

Question 29

Acid rain

Answer 29

Negatives: makes lakes and wetlands so acidic gah Trisha and aquatic planets die Damages needles and their ability to photosynthesise Damaged souls contain less calcium and magnesium (these are essential plant nutrients)

Question 30

Future for fires, pests and acid rain

Answer 30

Fires - global warming will mean drier and warmer conditions and therefore the frequency of fires will increase Pests - warming by climate change is making it easier for pests and disease to attack Acid rain - more fossil fuels = more burning = more acid rain

Question 31

Conserving taiga biomes | For

Answer 31

Environmentalist, many indigenous groups, many scientists - taiga is one of the last untouched biomes - the forests are vital global carbon sinks to help combat global warming - culturally important - exploitation causes deforestation, degradation and pollution

Question 32

Conserving taiga biomes | Against

Answer 32

Businesses, government, local and some residents - Brings jobs and income - resources can be exported, boosting national GDP - exploitation affects only a tiny fraction of the vast biome - some exploitation is renewable e.g. HEP

Question 33

RAMSAR sites and work heritage sites

Answer 33

Give areas of global importance to give them an extra level of protection However protecting them from threats of global warming and illegal deforestation, mining and hunting is difficult

Question 34

National parks

Answer 34

These areas prevent commercial development of the taiga within their boundaries Aim to preserve the taiga ecosystems and biodiversity Often parks and protected wilderness areas are not big enough

Question 35

Sustainable forestry

Answer 35

Trees that are cut down are replanted with native taiga species The whole forest is carefully managed so that biodiversity is not damaged Allow the migration of animals Very expensive Only for large companies Long term planning

Question 36

Selective logging

Answer 36

Only removes large, vulnerable trees and leaves some of the forest intact