Forest Under Threat

Question 1

What is biodiversity?

Answer 1

The number of different plant and animal species in an area

Question 2

Why is biodiversity high in rainforests?

Answer 2

• climate is perfect for year-round growth
• rainforest are ancient and have stable climate, different species have evolved
• multiple layer of rainforest provide different specialised habitats

Question 3

What are the different layers in the rainforest?

Answer 3

Forest floor
Understorey layer
Canopy layer
Emergent layer

Question 4

How are plant adaptations in the rainforest(buttress roots)?

Answer 4

Mahogany, teak, Ebony have tall slender trunks with no branches but huge triangular buttress roots-support the enormous weight of tree, leaves and branches only at the top-sunlight there.

Question 5

How are plant adaptations in the rainforest(drip tip leaves)?

Answer 5

Most rainforest plants have thick, waxy leaves with drip tips; these shed water quickly to prevent leaves rotting

Question 6

Name 2 plant adaptations?

Answer 6

• Buttress roots

- Drip tip leaves

Question 7

How are animals adaptations in the rainforest(Jaguar…)?

Answer 7

Jaguar, tigers and leopards all have camouflaged fur; the light and dark fur patches blend in with the shade and sunlight on the forest floor.

Question 8

How are animals adaptations in the rainforest(sloths)?

Answer 8

• Huge claws-hang upside down in branches
• Fur grows away from feet to help shed rain when upside down
• Green algae growing in fur helps camouflage them

Question 9

What is the nutrients cycle?

Answer 9

The movement of nutrients between living species and the environment

Question 10

Why are food webs in the tropical rainforest so complex?

Answer 10

• stable climate-many species, many links
• many layers-wide range of species to eat
• rapid recycling of nutrients-many herbivores exist

Question 11

What is deforestation?

Answer 11

The deliberate cutting down of forests to exploit forest resources (timber, land, minerals)

Question 12

What are some reasons for deforestation?

Answer 12

• poverty-LIC people cut down forest to make a living
• debt-countries driven to cut down forest and export to pay off debt
• demand for resources-tropical rainforest contains raw materials and forest has to be destroyed to get them

Question 13

Why does the rate of deforestation vary?

Answer 13

• poverty-cut trees for farmland to grow crops and make money
• palm oil industry-opportunity to make money for developing countries
• protection-some countries choose to protect the first to preserve the ecosystem there

Question 14

What are some indirect threats to the rainforest?

Answer 14

• 1c temp rise-10% of species face extinction, alpine & mountain & tudra biomes shrink as temp rise
• 2c temp rise-15-40% species face extinction, biomes shift towards poles & animal migration patterns & breeding time change. Extreme weather
• 3c temp rise-20-50% land species face extinction, biomes stressed by drought, fire risk increases, pests and diseases thrive

Question 15

What is sustainable management?

Answer 15

Meeting the needs of the people now and in the future and limiting harm to the environment.

Question 16

Where is the taiga located?

Answer 16

• around 60•N latitude
• Russian and Canada
• south of the tundra

Question 17

What are some plant adaptations in the taiga forest?

Answer 17

• needles-like leaves protected by waxy coating prevent damage by frost and limits water loss during dry periods
• branches are flexible and bend downwards to shed winter snow and not break
• tree roots are shallow but wide to support the tree but avoid frozen ground below

Question 18

What are some animal adaptations in the taiga forest?

Answer 18

• brown bear-hibernate:cold winter months where food is low to preserve its energy
• Alaskan malamute-thick fur:protect from -20 degrees, camouflage:to prevent being seen by other species

Question 19

What is direct threat?

Answer 19

Immediate threat

Question 20

Why are people less concerned about deforestation in the taiga?

Answer 20

• the biome is huge, only 8% has been lost
• much of the taiga is physically isolated, not many people live near so aren’t aware
• there are few cute and cuddly species, not often mentioned in media

Question 21

How is HEP a direct threat to the taiga?

Answer 21

• James bay HEP located in Canada
• areas of land are flooded with mercury released -vegetation under water, gets into food web and by fish to the local crew Indian population
• 11,000km^2 of taiga forest has been flooded during the construction in order for water to be held behind the dam

Question 22

What are the benefits of sustainable management?

Answer 22

• economic:reduce poverty-creating income from alternative livelihood eg ecotourism and sustainable farming
• social:may include improving facilities to benefit communities eg school
• environmental:protecting forest biodiversity and other resources such as rivers; using renewable energy to limit pollution