Forests Under Threat

Question 1

Name adaptations of plants in Tropical Rainforests

Answer 1

Thick waxy leaves with pointy tips
Smooth thin bark
Climbing plants use tree trunks to climb to sun
Plants drop their leaves

Question 2

How do thick waxy leaves with pointed tips help plants in the rainforest?

Answer 2

The pointed tips (drip tips) mean that the water can run off so the weight of the water doesn’t damage the plant, and there is no water for bacteria to grow in. The waxiness also helps repel the rain.

Question 3

How does smooth thin bark help plants in the rainforest?

Answer 3

There is no need for thick bark as there aren’t cold temperatures and the smooth surface allows water to run off easily.

Question 4

How is trees dropping their leaves an adaptation to the rainforest?

Answer 4

They drop their leaves gradually throughout the year meaning they can go on growing all year round.

Question 5

List ways that animals have adapted to the physical conditions of the rainforest?

Answer 5

Can swim
Nocturnal
Camouflage

Question 6

How does camouflage help animals?

Answer 6

Camouflage allows animals to hide from predators

Question 7

How does being nocturnal help animals?

Answer 7

Sloths sleep through the day and feed at night when its cooler which helps them to save energy.

Question 8

What are the 3 ways nutrients are stored in the ecosystem (TRF)

Answer 8

Living organisms (Biomass)
Dead organic material e.g. fallen leaves (litter)
The soil

Question 9

What results in nutrients being able to be rapidly taken up by plants’ roots?

Answer 9

Dense vegetation and rapid plant growth means that nutrients can be rapidly taken up by plants roots

Question 10

What is biodiversity?

Answer 10

The variety of organisms living in a particular area. (plants and animals)

Question 11

Rainforests have really high……

Answer 11

Biodiversity- they contain 50% of the animal insect and plant species and contains about half the life on earth.

Question 12

Why do rainforests have a high ….. ?

Answer 12

Biodiversity- because they have a stable environment where it’s hot and wet all year round.
The biome is also extremely old (10 million) so has been lots of time for evolution.

Question 13

What is the food web like in the TRF?

Answer 13

Very complex- some animals are primary and secondary consumers.

Question 14

List reasons why the TRF is being destroyed?

Answer 14

Logging- trees are felled for construction. Road building for the logging also requires clearance of trees.
Commercial farming- land cleared for huge plantations
HEP-building dams floods large areas of forest behind the dams
Local demand for fuel wood- fuels for cooking or to make charcoal

Question 15

Name an indirect threat of the TRF?

Answer 15

Climate change, as this may lead droughts so many species which are adapted to the wet will die,
Drought can also lead to forest fires which can destroy large areas of forest.

Question 16

Why could deforestation rates be rising?

Answer 16

Economic development, foreign debt (poorer countries can then pay off their debts to other countries)

Question 17

Why could deforestation rates be reducing?

Answer 17

Government policies (paid to REforest areas)
Monitoring systems- this means that due to satellite data tracking forest loss authorities can quickly stop illegal logging.

Question 18

Name two global actions to protect TRF

Answer 18

CITES and REDD

Question 19

What is REDD

Answer 19

REDD is a scheme to reward forest owners in poor countries for keeping forests instead of cutting them down

Question 20

What is CITES?

Answer 20

CITES is an agreement to tightly control trade in wild animals and plants

Question 21

Name advantages of CITES

Answer 21

Global level so the trade of endangered species is controlled all over the world.
Raises awareness of threats to biodiversity through education

Question 22

Name disadvantages of CITES

Answer 22

Protects individual species but not their habitat so they could still go extinct
Some rules are unclear
Not all countries are members and some countries even promote the trade of materials from endangered species.

Question 23

Name advantages of REDD

Answer 23

Deals with the cause of climate change as well as direct impacts of deforestation
Everyone benefits from reducing emissions and its relatively cheap.

Question 24

Name disadvantages of REDD

Answer 24

Deforestation may continue in another area

Preventing activities e.g. local mining may affect local communities who depend on the income from them.

Question 25

Name adaptations in the taiga biome?

Answer 25

Thick fur 
White coats to camouflage with snow
Hibernation
Pine needles reduce water loss from strong winds due to surface area
Cone shaped so heavy snow slides off.

Question 26

Taiga forests have a much lower …….. than TRF

Answer 26

Taiga forests have a much lower biodiversity than Tropical Rainforests

Question 27

How are Taiga Forests being exploited?

Answer 27

Logging for softwood
Hydro Electric Power
Fossil fuels e.g. tar sands

Question 28

What things are causing loss of biodiversity in Taiga Forests?

Answer 28

Acid rain, forest fires and pests& disease.

These things are all ruining habitats as well as organisms.

Question 29

Why do people think protecting the Taiga Forests is important?

Answer 29

As they store lots of carbon- deforestation will release this as CO2 and cause global warming.
Some species only live in taiga forests and destruction of their habitat may lead to extinction.
Indigenous people depend on the forest for their traditional way of life

Question 30

Why do people want to exploit the Taiga Forests?

Answer 30

The demand for resources is increasing and therefore more wood fuel and minerals are needed from the forest.

Question 31

Name methods of conserving Taiga Forests

Answer 31

Creating wilderness areas
Creating a National park
Sustainable forestry

Question 32

How does sustainable forestry help conserve the taiga?

Answer 32

Limits placed on number of trees felled to allow forest to regenerate. Companies are also required to regenerate after logging. However some countries struggle to enforce the restrictions e.g. lots of illegal logging in Russia.

Question 33

How does having wilderness areas affect the conservation of the taiga biome?

Answer 33

Human activity is banned
Usually covers a very large area so large scale processes can still take place e.g. animal migration.
However the large remote areas are hard to police, and there is pressure from companies and tourists to build roads to allow greater access.

Question 34

How does having a national park affect the conservation of the taiga biome?

Answer 34

Established to protect particular species e.g. wood bison
Good access for tourists and recreational users however national parks must take into account the needs of indigenous people who my use the land for hunting.

Question 35

What is acid raid?

Answer 35

fossil fuels release sulphur dioxde and nitrogen oxides which dissolve in water in the atmosphere to form acids, when it rains of snows the acids are deposited on plants and soils and can kill organisms preventing growth.

Question 36

How are coniferous trees adapted?

Answer 36

Cone shaped- heavy winter snow can slide off the branches without breaking them.
Needles instead of leaves- reduces water loss from strong cold winds as the SA is smaller.

Question 37

What alternative ways of living are beneficial long term/?

Answer 37

Sustainable farming e.g. crop rotation so soil has time to recover.
Ecotourism - Only allowing a small number of visitors into an area at a time. (making sure litter is disposed of properly preventing water contamination.

Question 38

What is meant by a conventional oil source?

Answer 38

Ones that are easily exploited e.g. through drilling. It is quick and cheap

Question 39

Define renewable

Answer 39

Can be used continuously

Question 40

Define Recyclable

Answer 40

Made from waste products

Question 41

Define non-renewable

Answer 41

Can’t be replenished quickly.