Tropical Rainforests

Question 1

Climate?

Answer 1

same all year round - no definite seasons
HOT!!! - 20-28 degrees all year
Rainfall is very high (2000mm per year)
rains everyday

Question 2

Soil?

Answer 2

Not very fertile as heavy rainfall washes nutrients away

nutrients are found at surface due to decayed leaf fall

Question 3

Plants?

Answer 3

Most trees are evergreen to take advantage of continual growing season
vegetation cover is dense

Question 4

What is an epiphyte?

Answer 4

a plant that grows on other living plants and takes up nutrients and moisture from the air e.g. fern

Question 5

Animals?

Answer 5

rainforest ecosystems contain more animal species than any other ecosystem

Question 6

People?

Answer 6

make a living by hunting and fishing and growing vegetables in small garden plots.

Question 7

rainforests are ….. ecosystems?

Answer 7

interdependent - i.e all parts of the ecosystem (climate,soil,plants,animals etc…) depend on each other

Question 8

e.g. of how rainforests are interdependent??

Answer 8

The warm and wet climate means that dead plant material is decomposed quickly by fungi and bacteria on the forest floor. This makes the surface soil high in nutrients , meaning plants can grow quickly and easily.

Question 9

what % of worlds plants and animal species live in the rainforest?

Answer 9

50%

Question 10

name 5 plant adaptations to the rainforest…

Answer 10

1. Buttress roots - big roots that support the tree without reaching far into the soil (as nutrients are at surface)
2. Drip tip leaves - thick, waxy leaves with pointed tips channel to a point so it runs off the plant, an there is so standing water for fungi and bacteria to grow in. wax coating helps repel the rain
3. Smooth thin bark - on trees to allow water to run off easily
4. Climbing plants - e.g. Lianas, use tree trunks to climb up to sunlight
5. Dropping of leaves - throughout the year, meaning they can go on growing all year round

Question 11

name 5 animal adaptations to the rainforest…

Answer 11

1. howler monkeys for example have strong limbs so they can leap from tree to tree - and spend their time in the canopy
2. flying squirrelly for example have flaps of skin that allow them to glide between trees
3. tree frogs have suction cups for climbing
4. some animals are camouflaged to hide from predators
5. many animals are nocturnal, so they can get food in the colder night, this helps them save energy e.g. sloths

Question 12

Why are tropical rainforests cut down? ( 5 reasons)

Answer 12

population pressure - land for new settlements
Mineral extraction e.g. iron ore
Energy development e.g. dams
commercial logging - trees are felled for money
commercial farming - cattle grazing

Question 13

What are the environmental impacts of deforestation?

Answer 13

No trees to hold soil together leads to landslides and flooding
Without the tree canopy soil gets flooded and nutrients get washed away
Tress remove co2 - so deforestation = more co2

Question 14

What are the economic impacts of deforestation?

Answer 14

logging farming and mining creates jobs
money is made from seeing timber
less tourists due to decrease in attractiveness

Question 15

What is the rate of deforestation?

Answer 15

130 000km squared per year

Question 16

three ways of managing deforestation?

Answer 16

1. Selective logging - only inferior or older trees are felled
2. Replanting - new trees are planted to replace felled ones
3. Ecotourism - only a small number of visitors allowed at a time