Tropical Rainforest

Question 1

Rainforest climate?

Answer 1

Same all year round
Temp 20 - 28
High rainfall around 2000 mm per year

Question 2

Rainforest soil?

Answer 2

Isn’t very fertile as heavy rain washes nutrients away, there is surface nutrients due to decayed leaf fall, very thin as decay is fast in warm conditions

Question 3

Rainforest animals?

Answer 3

Rainforest ecosystems are believed to contain more animal species than any other ecosystem e.g. gorillas, jaguars sloths

Question 4

Rainforest plants?

Answer 4

Most trees are evergreen so they take advantage of continual growing season

Tall trees dense vegetation cover, little light hits ground, lots of epiphytes (plants that grow on other living plants and take nutrients and moisture from air

Question 5

What is bio diversity

Answer 5

The variety of organisms living in a particular area

Question 6

What issues is there relating to biodiversity?

Answer 6

Deforestation- and uncontrolled development of rainforest are likely to lead to the extinction of many species and the loss of biodiversity

Question 7

Tropical rainforest Animal adaptation?

Answer 7

Adapted to finding food and escaping predators

Sloths feed at night when it’s cooler to save energy

Ant eaters have sharp sense of smell, detect predators without seeing them

Howler monkeys live up in the canopy, have strong limbs so that they can move around quickly and easily

Question 8

Tropical rainforest plant adaptation?

Answer 8

Adapted to high rainfall, high temperatures and competition for light.

Trees compete for sunlight by growing tall

Large stable buttress roots support the tall tree trunks

Plants have thick waxy leaves with pointed drip tips, encouraging run off, so weight of the water doesn’t damage the plant.

Question 9

The four layers of the rainforest?

Answer 9

Shrub layer - 10m

Under canopy - 20m

Main canopy - 30m

Emergent trees - 40m

Question 10

How are tropical rain forests valuable to people

Answer 10

Many products including rubber, coffee, chocolate and medicines are sourced from the rainforest if species become extinct, it’s harder to discover new medicines and develop new products

Question 11

How tropical rainforests are valuable to the environment?

Answer 11

Protecting rainforests may reduce greenhouse effect by reducing C02 emissions and allowing trees to continue absorbing C02.