Forest Under Threat Flashcards
What is biodiversity?
The number of different plant and animal species in an area
Why is biodiversity high in rainforests?
- 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
What are the different layers in the rainforest?
Forest floor
Understorey layer
Canopy layer
Emergent layer
How are plant adaptations in the rainforest(buttress roots)?
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.
How are plant adaptations in the rainforest(drip tip leaves)?
Most rainforest plants have thick, waxy leaves with drip tips; these shed water quickly to prevent leaves rotting
Name 2 plant adaptations?
- Buttress roots
- Drip tip leaves
How are animals adaptations in the rainforest(Jaguar…)?
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.
How are animals adaptations in the rainforest(sloths)?
- 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
What is the nutrients cycle?
The movement of nutrients between living species and the environment
Why are food webs in the tropical rainforest so complex?
- stable climate-many species, many links
- many layers-wide range of species to eat
- rapid recycling of nutrients-many herbivores exist
What is deforestation?
The deliberate cutting down of forests to exploit forest resources (timber, land, minerals)
What are some reasons for deforestation?
- 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
Why does the rate of deforestation vary?
- 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
What are some indirect threats to the rainforest?
- 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
What is sustainable management?
Meeting the needs of the people now and in the future and limiting harm to the environment.
Where is the taiga located?
- around 60•N latitude
- Russian and Canada
- south of the tundra
What are some plant adaptations in the taiga forest?
- 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
What are some animal adaptations in the taiga forest?
- 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
What is direct threat?
Immediate threat
Why are people less concerned about deforestation in the taiga?
- 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
How is HEP a direct threat to the taiga?
- 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
What are the benefits of sustainable management?
- 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
