CHAPTER 6: SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF TROPICAL RAINFORESTS AND MANGROVES Flashcards
What are the environmental functions of tropical forests?
they generate oxygen, contribute to carbon storage, provide habitat for diverse animal life and provide protection from coastal erosion.
How do they generate oxygen? How long can they do this?
Through a process called photosynthesis, where they take in carbon dioxide, water and sunlight to produce food for their own survival and growth and they also produce oxygen in the process. They produce oxygen throughout the year as they are evergreen.
How do TRF and MF contribute to carbon storage? What does this result in?
They absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis which helps to balance the CD in the atmosphere through natural processes like respiration and decomposition. Mangroves are one of the most effective at carbon storing(60-80kg of carbon per square) as their soil is water logged and lack oxygen meaning that few bacteria are there to break down carbon stored there.
How do tropical forests provide habitats for diverse animals?
Their warm climate and abundance of water an found sources all year make rainforests a very suitable habitat for a wide variety of animals, thus tropical rainforests are rich in biodiversity.
- more than 1000 species of fresh water animals and fish
- over 300 types of mammals reptiles and amphibians discovered
- said to be more over 2milion insects
How do mangrove forests provide habitats for diverse animals?
Fish, shrimps and crabs eat the decomposed branches and leaves of mangroves, they’re then eaten by larger predators like tigers, otters and crocodiles.
Mangroves are breeding grounds for fish as its dense root networks provide shelter from large predators and their branches serve as nests for birds.(pelicans, herons, egrets, spoonbills.)
How do tropical rainforests help prevent soil erosion?
Leaves, branches and stem of the plants slow down the falling of rain, thus the rain hits the ground with lesser impact, reducing the amount of soil particles detached which reduces soil erosion. The roots also bind the soil together making it harder to erode. More rainwater can also infiltrate and percolate into the soil as there is lesser back splash, thus reducing surface runoff.
How do mangroves help prevent coastal erosion?
The dense roots system helps to trap and stabilise loose sediments on the coast, meaning that the sediments are less likely to be washed away by strong waves, currents and tides. The roots, trunk and branches of the mangrove create friction with the strong waves which makes them loose a significant amount of energy thus this reduces the amount of coastal erosion.
What are the consequences of extracting resources from tropical forests?
Resources like wood and oxygen are now started to be considered as cutting down trees faster then they grow is unsustainable extraction resulting in deforestation and enhanced greenhouse effect
What is deforestation? How does it occur?
The permanent removal of trees. Occurs when there is unsustainable cutting down of trees due to it’s resources and the space TRF occupy for human activities like farming, mining and agriculture as these require a large area of TRF to be removed so they can carry these out which prevents the TRF to be regenerated as the cleared land is used as farms, mines
What is the Enhanced greenhouse effect? How does deforestation contribute to it?
Plants store carbon dioxide in the soil and plants which prevents built up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. When there is deforestation, these stored carbon are released in the atmosphere and there will be fewer plants left to absorb these carbon dioxides. Thus, when sunlight enters the earth, less heat will be able to go out due to the greater amounts of carbon dioxide and other green house gases in its surface trapping more heat.
