Tropical rainforests section B(p1)

Question 1

Describe the soil in the tropical rainforest

Answer 1

_Infertile_. Very top layer of soil is where nutrients are. Due to high levels of rainfall, nutrients are washed away (leaching).

Question 2

Describe the plants and animal life in the tropical rainforest

Answer 2

Very diverse. Huge biodiversity. Range of plants, insects, reptiles, mammals and rodents.

Question 3

What does ‘biodiversity’ mean?

Answer 3

The variety of plants and animal species in a given location

Question 4

Give 3 examples of how the tropical rainforest is highly interdependent

Answer 4

1.The nutrient cycle where decomposing plant matter enriches the soil.
2. Animals help with seed dispersal
3. Trees play a vital role in regulating the climate.

Question 5

Name the four layers of the rainforest

Answer 5

1. Shrub layer
2. Lower canopy
3. Upper canopy
4. Emergent layer

Question 6

Identify some tropical rainforest plant adaptations

Answer 6

1. Liana
2. Buttress roots
3. Drip tips
4. Waxy leaves

Question 7

What is a buttress root?

Answer 7

• Large tree roots that help stabilise the tree in the ground.
• They also facilitate the exchange of oxygen and CO₂.

Question 8

What is a liana?

Answer 8

Climbing vines that start life on the forest floor. They grow upwards, around trees to reach sunlight.

Question 9

What is an epiphyte?

Answer 9

Plants that grow on tree branches high in the canopy. They do not require soil to gain nutrients.

Question 10

What is a drip tip?

Answer 10

Leaves have adapted to deal with high levels of rainfall. The drip tip allows rainfall to run off the leaf surface.

Question 11

Describe how animals have adapted to the rainforest

Answer 11

• Most animals live in the canopy so they have long limbs to help climb
• Camouflage - many animals blend in with the colours of the forest floor
• Many animals have good hearing as the forest floor is so dark.
• Suction cups for climbing trees
• Nocturnal - sleep to avoid heat of the day
• Many can swim due to large amounts of rivers in the rainforest

Question 12

What is ‘deforestation’?

Answer 12

Removal of trees from the earth’s surface

Question 13

What are the main causes of deforestation in tropical rainforests?

Answer 13

1. To make space for housing
2. Mineral extraction
3. Build dams to generate energy
4. Farming / Cattle Ranching
5. Road building

Question 14

What is happening to the rate of deforestation?

Answer 14

High but slowing down.

Question 15

What are the effects of deforestation?

Answer 15

1. Trees remove CO₂ from the atmosphere so with less trees, there is more CO₂ in the atmosphere.
2. Soil is more exposed to rainfall which means valuable nutrients in the soil are washed away
3. More landslides and flooding as a result of less roots holding soil together.

Question 16

Why do rainforests need protecting?

Answer 16

1. ‘Green lungs of the earth’ - they provide a large proportion of the Earth’s oxygen
2. They are home to many indigenous tribes
3. Rainforest provide a wealth of important nature resources e.g. wood, fruits medicines
4. Source of clean water
5. home to the most species of animals

Question 17

List some strategies used to protect tropical rainforests

Answer 17

1. Selective Logging
2. Replanting trees
3. Conservation/education
4. Ecotourism
5. International agreements
6. debt relief

Question 18

How does ‘selective logging’ protect the tropical rainforest?

Answer 18

A strategy used to protect tropical rainforests. Only the oldest or poor condition trees are removed meaning large amounts of trees are not removed, maintaining the forests structure.

Question 19

How does ‘replanting’ protect the tropical rainforest?

Answer 19

Replanting trees when others are cut down means that trees are available in the future.

Question 20

How does ‘ecotourism’ protect the tropical rainforest?

Answer 20

• Ecotourism educates tourists about protecting the natural environment.
• It only allows a few visitors to an area at one time
• encourages use of local tour guides so money stays in area
• encourages reduction of litter and pollution.

(Socially, economically and environmentally sustainable)

Question 21

How do ‘international agreements’ protect the tropical rainforest?

Answer 21

The FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) is an organisation that encourages manufacturers and consumers about building sustainable hardwood by marking products with a FSC logo.

Question 22

How does ‘education’ protect the tropical rainforest?

Answer 22

• it encourages individuals to change their consumer habits (i.e. buying sustainable hardwood).
• It may also change the local communities strategies to make money without destroying the forest.

Question 23

How does ‘debt reduction’ protect the tropical rainforest?

Answer 23

Many tropical rainforests are found in LICs. By reducing debt, these countries are less likely to use the rainforest for economic gain.

Question 24

Why is it hot and wet in the tropical rainforest?

Answer 24

• Hot temperatures: Toprical rainforests are found around the equator where the suns rays are most concentrated
• High rainfall: low pressure cell means air can rise, creating lots of clouds

Question 25

Describe the **climate** in the tropical rainforest

Answer 25

* Constantly high temperatures throughout the year (28-30°c) * High levels of rainfall (~2000mm per year)

Question 26

Where are **tropical** **rainforests** located?

Answer 26

Generally around the equator - South America, South East Asia, Central Africa.

Question 27

what effects does **logging** have on the **amazon** rainforest?

Answer 27

- this accounts for 3%. Timber companies are interested in trees such as mahogany and teak and sell them to other countries to make furniture (selective logging). - Smaller trees are often used as wood for fuel or made into charcoal. Vast areas of rainforest are cleared in one go (clear felling)

Question 28

what effects does **mineral extraction** have on the **amazon** rainforest?

Answer 28

The Amazon is rich in Gold - in 1999 10,000 hectares of land being used for Gold mining - it is currently 1.9 million hectares - (this has doubled since 2019)

Question 29

what effects does **energy development** have on the **amazon** rainforest?

Answer 29

- An unlimited supply of water and ideal river conditions have encourage dams to be built to generate hydroelectric power. the Balbina dam - this dam was built in the 1980's and during its production it flooded large areas of the rain forest, destroying thousands of habitats and displacing tribes. - The dam is the least efficient in Brazil in terms of the area flooded for each megawatt generated.

Question 30

what effects does **commercial farming** have on the **amazon** rainforest?

Answer 30

- This accounts for 80% of tropical rainforest destruction in Brazil. However, the land cannot be used for long. - The cultivation of soy bean has also caused a lot of clearance in the Amazon. The amount of rainforest cleared for this crop doubled between 1990 and 2010. - Growing sugar cane is a bio fuel beginning to become a major crop.

Question 31

what effects does **road building** have on the **amazon** rainforest?

Answer 31

- The Trans-Amazonian highway began construction in 1972 and is 4000km long. - It has played a major part in opening up remote areas of the Amazon.

Question 32

what are the impacts of **deforestation** on the Amazon rainforest?

Answer 32

Global warming Loss of biodiversity Local climate change Soil erosion and fertility River pollution Decline of indigenous (native) tribes

Question 33

what are the impacts of **global warming** on the Amazon rainforest?

Answer 33

trees burnt = the carbon stored in the wood returns to the atmosphere. felled trees = less CO2 removed from the atmosphere

Question 34

what are the impacts of **loss of biodiversity** on the Amazon rainforest?

Answer 34

- individual species will become endangered or extinct (It is estimated that 137 plant, animal and insect species are being lost every day. This amounts to 50,000 species a year. ) - loss of many cures and medicines for life threatening diseases. - New research shows that parts of the Amazon could lose between 30 and 45% of their species by 2030.

Question 35

what are the impacts of **local climate change** on the Amazon rainforest?

Answer 35

deforestation disrupts the water cycle this means there will be less rainfall and the temperatures will increase this will be most impactful on farming

Question 36

what are the impacts of **soil erosion** on the Amazon rainforest?

Answer 36

when the forest is cleared, the soil is more susceptible to leaching. leaching leads to infertile soil from infiltration if the soil is infertile, there is little hope of anything growing

Question 37

what are the impacts of **river pollution** on the Amazon rainforest?

Answer 37

the mercury used during gold mining enters the rivers this poisons the fish and people living in near by towns

Question 38

what are the impacts of **decline in tribes** on the Amazon rainforest?

Answer 38

There are now only around 240 tribes left compared with over 330 in 1900. Many have been forced out due to the construction of infrastructure, logging, and the creation of ranches and the opening of mines.