Tropical Rainforest

Question 1

What are the biotic components of rainforests?

Answer 1

The biotic components include plants, animals, and people.

Question 2

What are the abiotic components of rainforests?

Answer 2

The abiotic components include climate, soils, and water.

Question 3

How are the components of rainforests interdependent?

Answer 3

If one component changes, the others are affected. For example, the warm and wet climate allows plants to grow quickly.

Question 4

What role do agoutis play in the rainforest ecosystem?

Answer 4

Agoutis can crack open Brazil nut seed pods and help in the growth of new seedlings by burying the nuts.

Question 5

What are epiphytes?

Answer 5

Epiphytes are plants that grow on other plants to access light but depend on rainfall for water and nutrients.

Question 6

What is the impact of deforestation on the rainforest ecosystem?

Answer 6

Deforestation reduces CO2 absorption, contributing to the greenhouse effect and changing the climate.

Question 7

What is the structure of tropical rainforests?

Answer 7

Tropical rainforests have a layered structure, including emergents, main canopy, undercanopy, and shrub layer.

Question 8

What adaptations do emergent trees have?

Answer 8

Emergent trees have straight trunks, branches and leaves at the top for light, and buttress roots for support.

Question 9

How do undercanopy trees survive?

Answer 9

Undercanopy trees survive where there are breaks in the canopy that allow light to reach them.

Question 10

What adaptations do shrubs have in the rainforest?

Answer 10

Shrubs have large, broad leaves to absorb as much light as possible in the dark shrub layer.

Question 11

What are drip-tips on leaves?

Answer 11

Drip-tips are pointed tips on leaves that channel water to prevent damage and reduce standing water for fungi.

Question 12

Why do many trees have smooth, thin bark?

Answer 12

Smooth, thin bark is sufficient as there is no need for protection from cold temperatures and allows water to run off easily.

Question 13

How do climbing plants like lianas adapt?

Answer 13

Climbing plants use tree trunks to reach sunlight.

Question 14

How do rainforest plants manage leaf loss?

Answer 14

Plants drop their leaves gradually throughout the year, allowing continuous growth.

Question 15

What is the climate like in tropical rainforests?

Answer 15

The climate is warm and moist, which supports rapid nutrient cycling.

Question 16

How do many animals adapt to find food and escape predators in tropical rainforests?

Answer 16

Many animals spend their entire lives high up in the canopy, using strong limbs to climb between trees, e.g., howler monkeys.

Question 17

What adaptation do flying squirrels have?

Answer 17

Flying squirrels have flaps of skin that enable them to glide between trees.

Question 18

How do red-eyed tree frogs adapt to climbing?

Answer 18

Red-eyed tree frogs have suction cups for climbing.

Question 19

What is an example of camouflage in rainforest animals?

Answer 19

Leaf-tailed geckos look like leaves to avoid predators.

Question 20

What is a nocturnal adaptation seen in sloths?

Answer 20

Sloths are active at night and sleep during the day to save energy.

Question 21

How do anteaters adapt to low light levels on the rainforest floor?

Answer 21

Anteaters have a sharp sense of smell and hearing to detect predators.

Question 22

Which rainforest animal is known for its swimming ability?

Answer 22

Jaguars can swim, allowing them to cross river channels.

Question 23

What is the nutrient cycle?

Answer 23

The nutrient cycle is the way that nutrients move through an ecosystem.

Question 24

In what three ways are nutrients stored in the ecosystem?

Answer 24

Nutrients are stored in living organisms (biomass), dead organic material (litter), and the soil.

Question 25

How are nutrients transferred in the ecosystem?

Answer 25

Nutrients are transferred between biomass, litter, and soil.

Question 26

What is the primary storage form of nutrients in tropical rainforests?

Answer 26

Most nutrients are stored as biomass.

Question 27

Why is nutrient transfer rapid in tropical rainforests?

Answer 27

Trees are evergreen, and the warm, moist climate allows for quick decomposition by fungi and bacteria.

Question 28

What happens to dead leaves and organic material in tropical rainforests?

Answer 28

Dead leaves and organic material fall all year round, contributing to nutrient cycling.

Question 29

What role does soil play in nutrient cycling?

Answer 29

Soil absorbs soluble nutrients released from decomposed organic matter.

Question 30

What is the impact of dense vegetation and rapid plant growth on nutrient uptake?

Answer 30

Dense vegetation and rapid plant growth mean that nutrients are quickly taken up by plant roots.

Question 31

What is biodiversity?

Answer 31

Biodiversity is the variety of organisms living in a particular area - both plants and animals.

Question 32

What percentage of the world's species do rainforests contain?

Answer 32

Rainforests contain around 50% of the world's plant, animal, and insect species.

Question 33

Why do rainforests have high biodiversity?

Answer 33

Rainforests have been around for tens of millions of years, allowing time for species to evolve, and their layered structure provides diverse habitats.

Question 34

What are the conditions like in rainforests?

Answer 34

Rainforests are stable environments that are hot and wet all year round, leading to high productivity and nutrient cycling.

Question 35

What is a consumer in an ecosystem?

Answer 35

Consumers are organisms that eat other organisms.

Question 36

What is a food chain?

Answer 36

Food chains show what's eaten by what in an ecosystem.

Question 37

What are primary consumers?

Answer 37

Primary consumers are the first consumers in a food chain, which are eaten by secondary consumers.

Question 38

What do producers do?

Answer 38

Producers make their own food using energy from the Sun.

Question 39

Can you give an example of a food chain in a rainforest?

Answer 39

Producers are eaten by primary consumers (e.g., fruit bats and insects), which are then eaten by secondary consumers (e.g., snakes), and tertiary consumers (e.g., crocodiles and jaguars).

Question 40

What is a food web?

Answer 40

Food webs show how all the food chains overlap in an ecosystem.

Question 41

Why are food webs in tropical rainforests complex?

Answer 41

Food webs are complex due to the many different species and numerous links between them.

Question 42

What is an example of an animal that can be both a primary and secondary consumer?

Answer 42

Fruit bats can be both primary consumers (eating fruit) and secondary consumers (eating mice).

Question 43

What is the relationship between nutrient cycling and biodiversity?

Answer 43

High rates of nutrient cycling lead to high biodiversity and complex food webs.

Question 44

What is deforestation?

Answer 44

Deforestation is the removal of trees from forests, occurring on a large scale in tropical rainforests.

Question 45

What are some reasons for deforestation in tropical rainforests?

Answer 45

Reasons include local demand for fuel wood, commercial hardwood logging, mineral resource extraction, commercial farming, subsistence farming, building dams for hydroelectric power, and demand for biofuels.

Question 46

How does local demand for fuel wood contribute to deforestation?

Answer 46

Local people chop down trees to use as fuel for cooking or to burn to make charcoal.

Question 47

What is commercial hardwood logging?

Answer 47

Commercial hardwood logging involves felling trees to make furniture and for construction.

Question 48

How does mineral resource extraction affect tropical rainforests?

Answer 48

Minerals like gold, copper, and iron ore are often found in tropical rainforests, leading to the use of explosives or deep pits to reach deposits.

Question 49

What is the impact of commercial farming on tropical rainforests?

Answer 49

Commercial farming clears forests for cattle grazing or large palm oil and soya plantations.

Question 50

What is subsistence farming?

Answer 50

Subsistence farming involves clearing forest so farmers can grow food for themselves and their families.

Question 51

How does hydroelectric power generation threaten tropical rainforests?

Answer 51

Building dams for hydroelectric power floods large areas of forest behind the dams.

Question 52

What is the impact of biofuels on tropical rainforests?

Answer 52

Growing crops for biofuels requires large amounts of land, leading to tree removal.

Question 53

What are the environmental impacts of deforestation?

Answer 53

Deforestation leads to soil erosion, reduced soil fertility, and increased CO2 in the atmosphere.

Question 54

How does deforestation contribute to climate change?

Answer 54

Trees remove CO2 from the atmosphere, and burning vegetation during deforestation produces CO2, increasing greenhouse gases.

Question 55

What is a major indirect threat to tropical rainforests?

Answer 55

Climate change is a major indirect threat, impacting temperature and rainfall patterns.

Question 56

How does climate change affect tropical rainforests?

Answer 56

Climate change can lead to increased temperatures and decreased rainfall, resulting in drought.

Question 57

What are the consequences of drought in tropical rainforests?

Answer 57

Drought leads to ecosystem stress, potential extinction of species, and increased risk of forest fires.

Question 58

What are the goods provided by tropical rainforests?

Answer 58

Tropical rainforests provide valuable goods such as medicines and chocolate, and they help regulate the climate and global water cycle.

Question 59

What is the rate of rainforest deforestation globally?

Answer 59

The rate of rainforest deforestation is roughly 130,000 km² per year.

Question 60

What factors are contributing to rising deforestation rates in areas like Borneo and Nigeria?

Answer 60

Factors include poverty, foreign debt, and economic development.

Question 61

How does poverty contribute to deforestation?

Answer 61

Population growth and poverty lead to more small-scale subsistence farmers and greater use of fuel wood.

Question 62

What role does foreign debt play in rainforest deforestation?

Answer 62

Poor countries exploit rainforest resources to generate income to pay back debts to richer countries.

Question 63

What is an example of economic development leading to deforestation?

Answer 63

Road and rail projects in Borneo open areas of the rainforest to logging, mining, and farming.

Question 64

What measures are being taken in Costa Rica and Brazil to reduce deforestation?

Answer 64

Government policies, international condemnation, and monitoring systems are helping to reduce deforestation rates.

Question 65

What is REDD?

Answer 65

REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) is a scheme that rewards forest owners in poorer countries for preserving forests.

Question 66

What are the benefits of REDD?

Answer 66

REDD addresses climate change, protects biodiversity, and is a relatively cheap option for reducing emissions.

Question 67

What are some concerns regarding REDD?

Answer 67

Aspects of REDD may allow cutting down forests if replaced with low-biodiversity plantations, and it may affect local communities dependent on agriculture and mining.

Question 68

What is CITES?

Answer 68

CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an agreement to control trade in wild animals and plants.

Question 69

How does CITES raise awareness of biodiversity threats?

Answer 69

CITES raises awareness through education about the threats to biodiversity.

Question 70

What are some limitations of CITES?

Answer 70

CITES protects individual species but not their habitats, and some rules are unclear, such as those regarding ivory trade.

Question 71

What is a challenge faced by CITES?

Answer 71

Not all countries are members, and some promote the trade of materials from endangered species.

Question 72

100

Question 73

Tropical Rainforests - Conservation

Question 74

When it comes to conservation you don't have to go global — a little can go a long way

Answer 74

or so they say...

Question 75

Achieving Sustainable Forest Management is a Challenge

Question 76

Sustainable forest management is when a forest is used in a way that prevents long-term damage

Question 77

whilst allowing people to benefit from the resources it provides in the present and in the future.

Question 78

Techniques include selective logging (where only certain trees are removed

Answer 78

rather than large areas

Question 79

being cleared) and replanting (where the trees that have been removed are replaced).

Question 80

There are lots of challenges involved in successful sustainable forest management:

Question 81

Есолотіс

Question 82

The economic benefits of sustainable management

Question 83

are only seen in the long-term - this affects

Question 84

poorer countries who need income immediately.

Question 85

2)

Question 86

Sustainable forestry is usually more expensive

Question 87

so it can be difficult to persuade private

Question 88

companies to adopt sustainable methods.

Question 89

Environmental

Question 90

1)

Question 91

If trees are replanted

Answer 91

the new forest

Question 92

may not resemble the natural forest

Question 93

— the trees are replaced but the

Question 94

entire ecosystem may not be restored.

Question 95

2)

Question 96

Trees that are replanted for logging in

Question 97

the future can be very slow growing

Question 98

3)

Question 99

Many sustainable forestry schemes are funded by

Question 100

— companies may chop down more

Question 101

government departments and NGOs (see p.28).

Question 102

natural forest whilst they are waiting

Question 103

If the priorities of these organisations change

Question 104

for the new trees to mature.

Question 105

funding could stop quite quickly.

Question 106

3)

Question 107

Even selective logging can damage

Question 108

lots of trees in the process of

Question 109

removing the target trees.

Question 110

Social

Question 111

2)

Question 112

Sustainable forest management generally provides

Question 113

fewer jobs for local people than conventional forestry

Question 114

so many locals won't see the benefits. Some may turn to illegal logging

Answer 114

which is difficult to police.

Question 115

If the population of a forest area increases

Answer 115

the demand for wood and land from the forest increases.

Question 116

Sustainable forestry is unlikely to provide enough resources to match the increasing demand.

Question 117

Alternative Livelihoods Might be a Better Long-Term Option

Question 118

The best way to protect tropical rainforests may be to encourage alternative ways of making

Question 119

a living from the rainforest that don't involve large-scale deforestation. For example:

Question 120

Ecotourism

Question 121

Sustainable Farming

Question 122

Ecotourism is tourism that minimises damage to the

Question 123

Sustainable farming techniques protect

Question 124

environment and benefits the local people.

Question 125

the soil so that the land remains

Question 126

Only a small number of visitors are allowed into an area

Question 127

productive - there is no need to clear

Question 128

at a time. Environmental impacts are minimised

Answer 128

e.g. by

Question 129

new land every few years. They include:

Question 130

making sure waste and litter are disposed of properly to

Question 131

• Agro-forestry - trees and crops are

Question 132

prevent land and water contamination.

Question 133

planted at the same time

Answer 133

so that the

Question 134

Ecotourism provides a source of income for

Question 135

tree roots bind the soil and the leaves

Question 136

local people

Answer 136

e.g. they act as guides and provide

Question 137

protect it from heavy rain.

Question 138

accommodation and transport. It can also raise

Question 139

Green manure - plants which add

Question 140

awareness of conservation issues and bring in

Question 141

nutrients to the soil as they grow are

Question 142

more money for rainforest conservation.

Question 143

planted to maintain soil fertility.

Question 144

If local people are employed in tourism

Answer 144

they don't have

Question 145

•

Question 146

Crop rotation - crops are moved

Question 147

to log or farm to make money

Answer 147

meaning fewer trees are

Question 148

between different fields each year

Question 149

cut down. If a country's economy relies on ecotourism

Question 150

with one left empty

Answer 150

so the soil has

Question 151

there's an incentive to conserve the environment.

Question 152

time to recover.

Question 153

Sustainable management of revision — exam success now and forever...

Question 154

And that's about it for rainforests. Make sure you understand how the rainforest ecosystem works

Answer 154

the negative effects

Question 155

of cutting down trees

Answer 155

and how it can be managed sustainably. Now make like a tree and get out of here...

Question 156

Topic 8 - Forests Under Threat