7) Forests Under Threat Flashcards
Why can rainforests support large animal populations?
The vegetation is very dense creating lots of food for plant eating animals who become prey for meat eating animals
What effect does deforestation have on the quality of rainforest soil?
Soil erosion increases, reducing quality of soil and ability to support large animal populations
Why does deforestation happen quickly in the rainforest?
The climate is humid, warm and moist
What does nutrient rich soil mean for plant growth?
Plants grow very fast
What are characteristics of the top layer of the rainforest?
Emergent layer
Captures most sunlight
Tallest plants live here
What are characteristics of the lower layer of the rainforest?
Forest floor
High surface area leaves to absorb sunlight
How have plants adapted to tropical rainforests?
Waxy coating prevents leaves being pulled from trees
Smooth layer of thin bark helps rain run off tree
Climbing vines/ plants compete for sunlight by growing up trees’ trunks
Buttress roots spread to cover a wide area deep underground to absorb more nutrients
How are monkeys adapted to the rainforest?
Strong limbs and tails to live in trees
How are flying squirrels adapted to the rainforest?
‘Wings’ made of skin to glide between trees
How have chameleons adapted to rainforests?
Change skin colour to blend in with trees
How have sloths adapted to rainforests?
Nocturnal to preserve energy
How have anteaters adapted to the rainforest?
Nocturnal to preserve energy
Increased sense of hearing and smell due to low light levels
How have jaguars adapted to the rainforest?
Skin camouflages to jungle
Jaguars swim across rivers
What are tropical animals adapted to do?
Find food
Escape predators
Where are most nutrients stored in rainforests?
Biomass
What factors cause most nutrients in the rainforest to be biomass?
Evergreen trees drop leaves year round
Warm, humid, moist climate cause quick decomposition
Large biodiversity and plant life
What is biodiversity?
How many different species of plant and animal life are in an ecosystem
What percentage of Earth’s species live in the rainforest?
50%
Why is the rainforest a stable ecosystem?
Similar climate year round
No extreme weather events such as snow or heatwaves
What are threats to rainforests’ biodiversity?
Deforestation
Construction
Economic development
Why do rainforests have complex food webs?
There are lots of primary and secondary consumers
What percentage of Earth do tropical rainforests cover?
6%
What are boreal forests also called?
Taiga forests
What is the most common biome on Earth?
The taiga
What plants are found in the taiga?
Evergreen plants
Coniferous pines and firs
Moss
What is the climate of the taiga?
10°C peak in summer
-20° C winter
Little rainfall
What animals are found in the taiga?
Not much biodiversity due to freezing temperatures
Wolves, eagles, black bears
What is the soil like in the taiga?
Permafrost
Decomposition takes a long time due to lack of enzyme function
Soil layers thin
Little nutrients
What effect does deforestation have in the taiga?
Removed shade for permafrost
Melting frost releases carbon and water creating floods
What preserves permafrost year round in the taiga?
Shade from the tree canopy
How are plants adapted to the taiga?
Evergreen trees allow year round photosynthesis
Cone shaped trees store little heavy snow
Pine needles reduce surface area and water loss
How are animals adapted to the taiga?
Hibernation to save energy in long winters
Small animals for a small surface-area to volume ratio preserving heat loss
White camouflage
Consumers migrate away in coldest months
What is the rate of nutrient cycling in the taiga?
Slow
Why is the nutrient cycle slow in the taiga?
Evergreen trees drop leaves year round
Dry and cold climate causes decomposer enzymes to operate slowly
Where is the majority of nutrients stored in the taiga?
Dead leaves (litter)
What are reasons for the lack of biodiversity in the taiga?
Low temperature and rainfall prevents nutrient rich soil
Made of ice 20,000 years ago
Why is deforestation happening so quickly in the rainforest? (5)
Farming and agriculture Mining and raw materials Construction of power plants Growing population Commercial logging
What are reasons for farming and agriculture in tropical rainforests?
Rising population needs more rescources
What threats does climate change pose to the rainforest?
Drought and ecosystem stress
Forest fires
What is an indirect threat to the rainforest?
Climate change
What is a direct threat to the rainforest?
Deforestation
What are economic impacts of Amazonian deforestation?
Fuels economic development of poor countries
Creats jobs
What are environmental impacts of Amazonian deforestation?
100bn tonnes of carbon stored in wood of trees in Amazon
Trees anchor soil and without them soil fertility would be damaged
What are indirect threats to the taiga?
Exploitation of minerals and fossil fuels (tar sands)
HEP
What are direct threats to the taiga?
Pulp and paper production
Logging for softwood
What are non-human causes of biodiversity loss in the taiga?
Pests and diseases
Forest fires and climate change
Acid precipitation
Why are wildfires common in the taiga in the summer?
Needles and the ground is very dry
Why is the taiga suffering from acid rain?
Combustion of fossil fuels can release sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides which reduce soil fertility and kill fish in lakes
What are the 2 key methods of rainforest conservation?
REDD
CITES
What are advantages of REDD?
Supported by UN so has support of large NGOs
Pays countries that reduce their levels of deforestation
Helps to increase the number of trees
What are disadvantages of REDD?
Countries are only payed if they can prove that their emissions have fallen
A country can cut down trees and replace them with palm oil plantations
Does not monitor if changes are sustainable
What are advantages of CITES?
Protects 5,800 animal species and 29,000 plant species
Global treaty so everyone has to abide by it
Can limit or control the trade of certain species between countries
What are disadvantages of CITES?
Controlled trade of species only regulates transport of life between nations, hutning and selling could occur nationally
Not all nations have signed the treaty and not all signed nations abide by it
What is the price per ton of carbon dioxide not emitted under REDD?
$5
What is the aim of REDD?
Incentivise forest owners in poorer countries to look after their forest
What is the aim of CITES?
Strictly control the trade of wild animals and plants
What are strategies of sustainably managing the rainforest?
Replanting International hardwood agreements Economic development and debt forgiveness Ecotourism Conservation and education Selective logging
What are challenges to sustainable forest management?
LIC need the economic benefits
Replanting trees is not guranateed to have the same impact as not cutting down trees
Change is only beneficial long term and people think short term
An individual is better off logging
What are short term vs long term challenges to sustainable forest management?
Eco tourism is only profitable long term
Logging and mining provide higher income short term
Deforestation and climate change is felt over decades whereas losing a job is felt today
Unemeployment could cause governments to lose short term elections
What is the tragedy of the commons?
Every individual has access to forests but the costs are felt by everyone
What industries could provide alternative employment than logging?
Ecotourism
Sustainable farming
What are the 3 ways of conserving the taiga?
National Parks
Wilderness areas
Sustainable forestry
What are wilderness areas?
Areas humans are not allowed to disturb
What is sustainable forestry?
Logging in a sustainable way
Selective logging
Replanting
What are national parks?
Areas which limit certain activities such as logging
