Unit 1B Living World

Question 1

Characteristics of a rainforest

Answer 1

Warm and wet climate
Rich vegetation
Thin and poor soil

Question 2

How does nutrient recycling work

Answer 2

Nutrients fall to the ground where plants and animals die (Biomass to Litter)
Nutrients become part of the soils once they decompose (Litter to Soil)
Plants take in nutrients (Soil to Biomass)

Question 3

Plant adaptations in the rainforest

Answer 3

Drip tip leaves to avoid damage to leaves from heavy rain as it slides off easily due to waxy surface
Buttress roots for the trees so they can shoot up high in the race for sunlight
Epiphytes latch on to trees for their access to sunlight, they grow high up on the canopy to get sun

Question 4

Animal adaptations in the rainforest

Answer 4

Monkey - strong tail to swing from tree to tree avoiding the dangerous floor
Croc - camouflage to each prey on the floor
Poison Dart Frogs - colourful as they are poisonous

Question 5

What are the causes of deforestation

Answer 5

Subsistence Farming and Commercial Farming
Commercial Logging and Selective Logging
Mineral Extraction

Question 6

What are the impacts of deforestation

Answer 6

Trees remove Co2
Local rubber tappers lose their jobs
75% of Brazil Co2 emissions are from deforestation

Question 7

What are the management strategies for deforestation

Answer 7

Selective Logging
Ecotourism
Debt Reduction
International Agreements