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Geography > Forests Under Threat > Flashcards

Forests Under Threat Flashcards

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1
Q

why is biodiversity so high in the tropical rainforest

A

the climate - heat water and sunlight all year
species have evolved over thousands of years
multiple layers of vegetation provide lots of different habitats

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2
Q

what are the layers of the rainforest

A

emergent layer
canopy layer
understorey layer
forest floor

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3
Q

features of the emergent layer

A

hardwood, evergreen trees break through the dense canopy layer to reach sunlight

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4
Q

who lives in the emergent layer

A

monkeys and birds

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5
Q

who lives in the canopy layer

A

tree snakes
birds
tree frogs

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6
Q

features of the canopy layer

A

lots of food is available

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7
Q

features of the understorey layer

A

contains young trees and those with large leaves to capture sunlight

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8
Q

who lives in the understorey layer

A

lots of insects

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9
Q

features of the forest floor

A

dark
shaded

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10
Q

who lives in the forest floor

A

ferns with large leaves
mammals like jaguars

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11
Q

where are buttress roots found

A

forest floor

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12
Q

where are epiphytes found

A

canopy layer

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13
Q

where are lianas and creepers found

A

understorey

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14
Q

what kind of climate is the tropical rainforest

A

equatorial climate

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15
Q

features of an equatorial climate

A

rain falls every month - at least 60mm
temperatures are high all year round - between 26-32 degrees

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16
Q

what kind of adaptations are there in the rainforest to the climate

A

plant
animal
lianas
primates

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17
Q

examples of plant adaptations in the rainforest

A

evergreen hardwood trees
-tall slender trunks
-leaves and branches only at top
- buttress roots support weight of trees

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18
Q

animal adaptations in rainforest example

A

birds
-loud calls to easily attract males
- powerful beaks to break open nuts

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19
Q

liana adaptation in the rainforest features

A

climbing plants that use trees as their trunk
their stems cling to trees and climb up to the sunlight in the canopy

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20
Q

primates in the rainforest adaptations

A

eg lemurs and monkeys
live in the canopy where most food is
long tails used for balance
strong claws grip trees and branches

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21
Q

what is nutrient cycle like in the rainforest

A

rapid

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22
Q

features of the tropical rainforest nutrient cycle

A

larger biomass store
smaller litter store
larger take up of nutrients
larger supply of nutrients from chemical weathering
larger loss of nutrients

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23
Q

why do rainforests have a larger biomass store

A

the dense vegetation

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24
Q

why do rainforests have a smaller litter store

A

decay happens quickly in the hot wet climate, returning nutrients to soil

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25
Q

why do rainforests have a larger take up of nutrients from soil

A

plants grow quickly all year round

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26
Q

why do rainforests have a larger supply of nutrients

A

chemical weathering is faster in hot, wet conditions

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27
Q

why do tropical rainforests have a larger loss of nutrients

A

the constant flow of moisture through the soil

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28
Q

what is the impact of deforestation on tropical rainforests

A

destroys biomass where most nutrients are stored
litter and soil are easily eroded by heavy rains - no longer protected by the forest
land cannot be farmed for long as rainforest soil contains so few nutrients

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29
Q

how are plants and animals connected in biomes

A

food webs

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30
Q

how do food webs work

A

sunlight provides the basic energy source
plants convert sunlight into carbohydrates through photosynthesis
as one organism feeds on another energy passes between them

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31
Q

food webs in rainforests features

A

complex as animals are selective about what they eat
represent a delicate balance between species
balance can be easily disrupted and reduce biodiversity

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32
Q

what are threats to the tropical rainforest

A

direct and indirect

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33
Q

what are direct threats

A

involve deliberate cutting down of trees for timber , to build roads or convert forest to farmland

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34
Q

what are indirect threats

A

come from pollution , global warming or disease

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35
Q

what is the main direct threat to rainforests

A

deforestation

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36
Q

what are the reasons for deforestation

A

poverty
debt
economic development
demand for resources

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37
Q

why does poverty cause deforestation

A

local people cut down trees to farm the land in order to make a living

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38
Q

why does debt cause deforestation

A

countries cut down forests exporting timber or growing cash crops to pay off debts

39
Q

how does economic development cause deforestation

A

developing countries cut down forests to build roads, expand cities and build HEP stations and plant palm oil for biodiesel

40
Q

how does demand for resources cause deforestation

A

countries want to exploit resources in tropical rainforests including timber oil gas iron ore and gold

41
Q

what is the greatest indirect threat to rainforests

A

global warming

42
Q

how is climate change affecting rainforests

A

population increase and rising demand for resources adds greenhouse gases to the atmosphere
there is already evidence of the impacts of climate change

43
Q

what does temperature rise to do tropical rainforests

A

land species face extinction
extreme weather at unusual times affects pollination and migration
drought
flooding
pests and diseases arrive

44
Q

why has the rate of deforestation slowed in the amazon

A

an area the size of france has been protected
demand for resources fell because of global recession
the government cracked down on illegal logging
more brazilians voted for green party

45
Q

what evidence of climate change can be seen in the rainforests

A

severe droughts
plant growth slowing
forest fires
leaf litter dried
leaves in canopy died reducing food supply

46
Q

how do scientists believe rainforests could become sources of co2

A

fewer trees means less evaporation and transportation so fewer clouds and less rain
if drought becomes more common rainforests will die back
die back could accelerate global warming

47
Q

what is CITES

A

the convention on international trade in endangered species

48
Q

what does cites do

A

lists 34,000 endangered species of animals and plants
bans international trade in listed species

49
Q

advantages of cites

A

many countries have signed up
protected species include a wide variety
reduced ivory trade
works well for high profile threatened species eg snow leopard

50
Q

disadvantages of cites

A

protects species not ecosystems so doesn’t prevent deforestation
global warming could undermine its success
relies of countries setting up and funding monitoring and policing systems which LICs can’t afford
species have to be under threat to get on the list - could be too severe

51
Q

what does REDD stand for

A

reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation

52
Q

what is redd

A

a united nations project to stop deforestation

53
Q

what does redd aim to do

A

conserve and enhance forest carbon stocks and sustainably manage forests

54
Q

how does redd work

A

governments and tncs fund projects to conserve forests in developing countries while offsetting their own carbon emissions

55
Q

advantages of redd

A

provides international expertise to develop the best approaches
protects the whole biome
funding it has access to is attractive to governments

56
Q

disadvantages of redd

A

rainforest has been replanted with oil palm trees
some regions have signed up where deforestation is still rapid

57
Q

how does sustainable forest management conserve forests

A

ensuring they are not sued faster than the pace at which they can be renewed

58
Q

economic benefits of sustainable forest management

A

reducing poverty by creating incomes from alternative livelihoods

59
Q

social benefits of sustainable forest management

A

improving facilities to benefit the community

60
Q

environmental benefits of sustainable forest management

A

protecting biodiversity alongside other resources

61
Q

what does sustainable management involve

A

ecotourism
sustainable farming

62
Q

how does ecotourism help the rainforest

A

encourages local people to protect the rainforest
as tourists are attracted to plants and animals of the biome
paid work as guides means local people don’t need to farm for an income

63
Q

how does sustainable farming helps the rainforest

A

involves agroforestry or intercropping
keeps the canopy intact reducing habitat loss and preventing leaching of soil nutrients

64
Q

why is taiga deforestation less known than rainforest

A

the biome is vast
the taiga is in remote regions
there are few cute and cuddly endangered animals

65
Q

which biome has the most deforestation

A

taiga

66
Q

what is most of the deforestation in the taiga for?

A

softwood pulp and paper
minerals, fossil fuels and HEP

67
Q

what kind of trees is paper from

A

softwood trees

68
Q

what is softwood trees used for other than paper

A

construction timber

69
Q

what does clearing taiga forest allow access to

A

minerals eg diamonds, gold, iron ore
fossil fuels

70
Q

how do HEP dams destroy the taiga

A

lots of land has to be cleared including for tracks and roads
tailing ponds contain toxic waste

71
Q

how is the taiga susceptible to forest fires

A

it has hot and dry summers and during storms lightning can start fires
pine needles form a thick layer off making fires easy
the resin inside coniferous trees can burn easily

72
Q

how can some forest fires be good for the taiga

A

allow the taiga ecosystem to regenerate

73
Q

what can too many forest fires cause for the taiga

A

long term reductions in biodiversity

74
Q

how is biodiversity reduced from taiga forest fires

A

trees cannot mature between fires so the forest does not regenerate properly
species that can withstand fire begin to dominate reducing biodiversity
trees that cannot withstand fire decline as do bird and insect populations that feed on them

75
Q

what increases the number of wildfires in the taiga

A

global warming
hotter drier summers

76
Q

why is there an increase in insect infestation and disease in the taiga

A

warmer temperatures mean they don’t have very cold winters that kill off disease

77
Q

what are the consequences of pests and diseases in the taiga

A

wood cannot be sold as timber reducing commercial value of forests
the food web changes as some tree species are killed changing the ecosystem
landscapes change from dense forest to more open mixed grass and woodland with fewer trees
biodiversity is reduced

78
Q

what is the condition for acid rain

A

rain with a pH lower than 5.7

79
Q

when does acid rain form

A

burning fossil fuels releases sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide in the air
these gases react with water in the clouds
precipitation falls as low concentrations of sulphuric and nitric acids to the ground

80
Q

how does acid rain gradually weaken trees

A

reduces their ability to photosynthesise due to damaged needles
reduces essential alkali plant nutrients eg calcium in the soil

81
Q

what is the problem if trees in the taiga become weaker

A

more vulnerable to disease and pests
biodiversity is reduced as the taiga become stressed

82
Q

what resources are there pressures to develop the taiga for

A

oil, gas and mineral extraction
HEP
timber for paper and construction

83
Q

what is the wilderness

A

a protected area untouched by human activity

84
Q

what are the rules of the wilderness

A

motorised transport is not allowed
people must leave no trace of activities
logging, mining and road building is banned

85
Q

what are many taiga areas in the usa, canada and russia designated as

A

national parks

86
Q

usual features of national parks

A

exceed 1000 hectares in size
have legal protection
are open to the public for recreation

87
Q

what are the threats to national parks

A

near tar sands mining areas which can pollute the river and reduce water flow
HEP dams could disrupt wetlands and river flow

88
Q

what are the types of taiga conservation status

A

RAMSAR wetland
World heritage sites

89
Q

what do conservation status do

A

gives areas of threat extra protection
countries submit their own sites to be added and have to agree to conserve the areas and provide funding for protection

90
Q

what is used in some areas of the taiga

A

clear cutting

91
Q

what are the problems with clear cutting

A

it is not sustainable and increases soil erosion, landslides and river bank erosion
it destroys mosses, lichen and other plants on the forest floor
even if the taiga is replanted the regenerated forest has lower biodiversity

92
Q

what is the alternative to clear cutting

A

selective logging

93
Q

what does selective logging do

A

removes only the large valuable trees and leaves some of the forest intact

94
Q

examples of how the taiga forest is sustainably managed in the taiga

A

8% of finlands forests are protected areas
in forests that can be logged commercially it is prohibited to do it in wetlands
logged areas are replanted with a mix of species
95% of commercial forests are sustainably managed
finland’s forest area is growing , more forests are planted than logged each year

Geography (13 decks)

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