Tropical Rainforest Flashcards
(11 cards)
Describes the basic features of the TR
Hot
Humid
Lots of rain
With dense trees shrubs flowers and grasses
Home to enormous biodiversity like birds snakes insects monkeys apes etc
Describe the 4 layers of the rainforest
Lowest is the layer of shrubs
Then the under canopy
Then the canopy itself which is the top of the tree line
Lastly the emergent
What is the value of the TR to the planet?
It’s many trees store huge amount of CO 2 in its branches and roots and trunks
They absorb CO2 through its leaves
It stores 289m tonnes of carbon more than all the CO2 in the atmosphere
Without the CO2 the planet would not survive as it regulates our climate and helps the planet maintain heAlthy soul and rivers
What are the other values of the TR?
The rainforest provides rubber and timber sold all over the world. It’s biodiversity also provides the base for many medicines and drugs
The rainforest still has indigenous tribes and attracts eco tourists
Case study in Madagascar
Where is it ?
An island in the Indian Ocean
What is Madagascar often hit by and why is it so damaging?
Cyclones - massive one in 2012 called hurricane Giovanni
They destroy rice harvests so people grow hungry
They destroy the infrastructure like houses schools churches
They increase disease as floods carry infection and contaminate the water
What has happened to tourism?
It has fallen due to political unrest
The island is run by a dictator and has very poor trade links with the world
So it’s isolated and it’s people are very poor
The dictator has scrapped free education so the future does not look good for Madagascar’s
What is the main threat to mkadagascars landscape?
90 percent of its dry and rain forests have been cut down. This is called deforestation and completely destabilises the island
Now they only have dry scrub and rice fields
When deforestation is this huge the biodiversity lessens and the creatures natural habitat is destroyed
How can sustainability help Madagascar?
Sustainability is threefold
Environmental
Economic
And
Social
Describe environmental sustainabilty
See you last exam
Same for social and economic stability
See exam
