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AQA GCSE Geography > 3.1.2.2 Tropical Rainforests > Flashcards

3.1.2.2 Tropical Rainforests Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the temperature like in tropical rainforests?

A

temp = high and constant throughout the year due to sun overhead most of the time

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2
Q

What is the rainfall in tropical rainforests like?

A
  • rainfall = high due to global atmospheric circulation causing an area of low pressure to form, the rising air creates clouds and triggers heavy rain, 2000mm of rainfall per yr
  • rainfall varies throughout the year, with distinct wet season lasting 6 months due to period of intense rainfall when the equatorial low pressure area is directly overhead
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3
Q

How many mm of rainfall are there per yr?

A

2000mm

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4
Q

What climates do TRF’s thrive in?

A

warm and wet/equatorial climate

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5
Q

What temperature do TRF’s experience throughout the year?

A

experiencing high temps of approx. 28 degrees C throughout the year

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6
Q

What is the soil quality of TRF’s?

A

infertile

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7
Q

Where are most nutrients found in the soil in a TRF?

A

Most nutrients are found at the surface, where dead leaves decompose in hot and humid conditions - humus layer of soil

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8
Q

What % of nutrients from plants are found in the humus layer?

A

80% of nutrients from plants found in this layer

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9
Q

How does leaching affect soil quality?

A
  • Heavy rainfall can quickly dissolve and carry the nutrients away – known as leaching
  • It leaves behind an infertile, iron-rich (browny-red) soil known aslatosol
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10
Q

What stores are nutrients found in, in the TRF?

A
  • The biomass – living vegetation and animals
  • The litter – dead wood and leaves and animal remains
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11
Q

What do warm, humid conditions cause in the TRF?

A

Warm, humid conditions cause litter to decompose very quickly

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12
Q

What does the little rain that reaches the RF floor do?

A

washes away the nutrients

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13
Q

What specific plants are nutrients stored in?

A

Nutrients are stored in the trees

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14
Q

What are the layers of a TRF?

A
  • Forest Floor/Shrub Layer
  • Under Canopy
  • Canopy
  • Emergents
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15
Q

What % of sunlight reaches the forest floor/shrub layer?

A

Less than 2% of sunlight

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16
Q

Describe the climate conditions in the forest floor/shrub layer of a TRF:

A
  • Little grows except plants adapted to low light
  • High humidity
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17
Q

Describe the decomposition that takes place on the forest floor/shrub layer of a TRF:

A
  • On the floor is a thin layer of fallen leaves, seeds, fruits and branches that vey quickly decompose
  • Only a thin layer of decaying organic matter is found, unlike in temperate deciduous forests
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18
Q

Describe the trees in the under canopy of a TRF:

A
  • Relatively open and containsyoung trees (20m) and leafy herbaceous plants that tolerate low light
  • Many popular house plants from this layer
  • Only along rivers, roadways and in only in tree fall cut areas is sunlight sufficient to allow growth to become thick and impenetrable
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19
Q

What is the approximate height of trees in the under canopy in a TRF?

A

20m

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20
Q

What % of light reaches the under canopy in a TRF?

A

Receives 2-15% of sunlight that falls on canopy

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21
Q

Describe the climate conditions of the under canopy in a TRF:

A
  • Dark place
  • Lower temps
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22
Q

Describe the trees in the canopy layer: of a TRF

A

Broad, irregular crowns of these trees form a tight, continuous canopy

23
Q

What is the approximate height of trees in the canopy layer of a TRF?

A

60-90 ft

24
Q

What are branches in the canopy layer of a TRF covered with?

A

Branches often densely covered with plants (epiphytes) and tied together with vines (lianas)

25
Q

What % of organisms in the RF is the canopy layer home to and what are they seeking?

A

Home to 90% of organisms found in rainforest – many seeking brighter light in the tree tops

26
Q

Describe the trees in the emergent layer of a TRF:

A

Giant trees above dense canopy – have huge mushroom shaped crowns

27
Q

How tall can trees in the emergents layer in a TRF grow?

A

Up to 50m in height

28
Q

Describe the climate conditions in the emergent layer in a TRF:

A
  • get most sunlight – have to endure high temps
  • Low humidity
  • Strong winds
29
Q

Adaptations:

A

actions taken to adjust to natural events such as climate change, to reduce potential damage and limit the impacts

30
Q

Name all the plant adaptations for plants in a TRF:

A
  • Buttress roots
  • Stilt roots
  • Red leaves
  • Leaf angling
  • Drip tips
  • Epiphytes (ivy)
31
Q

How do buttress roots help plants adapt to a TRF?

A
  • rainforest soils are very thin and therefore shallow roots are needed to soak up nutrients in these thin soils
  • since trees in the rainforest grow very tall (many 30m + tall in the canopy layer) massive buttress roots form to give these roots extra stability
32
Q

How do stilt roots help plants adapt to a TRF?

A

similar to buttress roots, these provide tall RF trees with support as they are anchored in the shallow RF soils

33
Q

How do red leaves help plants adapt to a TRF?

A
  • young RF plant saplings may have these tp give them protection from the sunlight whilst their internal organs for photosynthesis are still developing
  • they act as a sunscreen by reflecting red light whilst the leaf is still young
34
Q

How do lianas (vines) help plants adapt to a TRF?

A
  • these plants have their roots in the ground and use other trees to climb up th RF canopy to maximise the sunlight they receive
  • many start life in the canopy before sending roots down to the ground
35
Q

How does leaf angling help plants adapt to a TRF?

A

leaves are often arranged at different angles so that a plant avoids shading its own leaves - important in RF’s where competition for sunlight is intense

36
Q

How do drip tips help plants adapt to a TRF?

A
  • leaves often have a waxy surface with painted tips at the end to enable excess water to run off easily
  • important because this prevents the growth of algae, which if able to grow would block out any sunlight and reduce plants ability to photosynthesise
37
Q

How do epiphytes help plants adapt to a TRF?

A
  • these plants live on the surface of other plants, mostly tree trunks and branches
  • this allows them to make the most of the sunlight in the canopy layer
38
Q

How is a poisoned art frog adapted to the TRF?

A

the poison dart frog is brightly coloured to deter predators

39
Q

How are toucans and parrots adapted to the TRF?

A

toucans and parrots have strong beaks for cracking hard nuts

40
Q

How are chameleons adapted to the TRF?

A

chameleons have thick, leathery foot pads to protects from heat

41
Q

Where are sloths found?

A

Tropical Rainforest e.g. Amazon, Brazil

42
Q

Biodiversity:

A

the variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular habitat - a high level of which is usually considered to be important and desirable

43
Q

Deforestation:

A

the chopping down and removal of trees to clear an area of forest

44
Q

For every one mahogany tree cut down how many fall down by accident?

A

For every one mahogany tree cut down 28 fall down by accident

45
Q

How many species go extinct every day?

A

137 species go extinct every single day

46
Q

What % of medicine comes from TRF’s?

A

around 25% of all medicines come from rainforest plants

47
Q

How much of the worlds plants and animals do TRF’s contain?

A

TRF’s contain half of the worlds plants and animals

48
Q

How do indigenous people live with the TRF?

A

indigenous people live in harmony with the RF

49
Q

What are TRF’s known as?

A

known as “the lungs of the world”

50
Q

What % of the worlds O2 comes from TRF’s?

A

28% of the world’s O2 comes from RF’s

51
Q

What sorts of resources do TRF’s provide?

A

TRF trees provide valuable resources e.g. hardwood, nuts, rubber, fruits etc.

52
Q

What % of the world’s fresh water comes from the Amazon Basin?

A

20% of the world’s fresh water comes from the Amazon Basin

53
Q

How do TRF’s prevent climate change?

A

RF’s absorb and store CO2 - reducing greenhouse gas effect

54
Q

Name all the things TRF’s are valuable for:

A
  • medicine
  • biodiversity
  • people
  • climate
  • resources
  • water
  • climate change

AQA GCSE Geography (45 decks)

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