Living with the physical environment: The Tropical Rainforest Flashcards
Location of Tropical Rainforests
Central + South America, through central parts of Africa
Soil in Tropical Rainforests
Not fertile soil - nutrients are absorbed quickly
Red in colour as it is rich in iron
Abiotic factors in a Tropical Rainforest
The climate is humid
No winter or summer
Amazon Rainforest
Madagascar Rainforest
Australasian Rainforest
Forest floor
Dark, steamy and rotting leaves
2% of light penetrates through
Shrub level
0 - 10m
Made of smaller plants (orchids)
Snakes, alligators and spiders
Under canopy
10 - 20m
Young trees
Insects, sloths and a howler monkey
Canopy layer
20 - 30m
Like an umbrella
Tall trees, lianas (vines)
Epiphytes (grows on branches)
Emergent layer
30 - 40m
One of the one or two of the tallest trees
Have wide buttress roots
Birds, insects and butterflies
Plants in the Tropical Rainforest
Lianas - woody vines that have roots in the ground but climb up the tree to reach the sunlight
Tree trunks - tall and thin to allow trees to reach sunlight, bark is smooth to allow water to flow down to roots easily
Drip tips - leaves with pointy tips, allowing water to run off without damaging the plant
Buttress roots - large roots that help support the tree
Epiphytes - plants which live on the branches high up, getting their nutrients from the air and water, not the soil
Animals in the Tropical Rainforest
Sloth - moves very slowly and camouflages to make it difficult to spot
Spider monkey - long, strong limbs to help it climb through the rainforest trees
Flying frog - webbed hands and feet, can glide from plant to plant
Toucan - long, large bill to cut fruit from branches that cannot support its weight
Causes of deforestation (Malaysia) - logging
When a vast area of a forest is cleared in one go
Allows them to sell the mahogany, teak trees
Causes of deforestation (Malaysia) - mineral extraction
Drilling and digging for materials underground
Allows them to sell the oil, gas minerals and tin
Causes of deforestation (Malaysia) - energy
A dam which generates hydroelectric power (e.g. Bakum Dam)
Energy demand is growing as the Malaysian population is growing
Causes of deforestation (Malaysia) - commercial farming
Land which has been converted into plantations
Allows them to sell palm oil (Malaysia is the biggest exporter of palm oil)
Causes of deforestation (Malaysia) - road buildings
Cutting great trails through rainforests
Allows them to bring equipment and transport products to markets
Causes of deforestation (Malaysia) - subsistence farming
Where you grow enough food for your family
Allows for families not to waste food or money
Causes of deforestation (Malaysia) - building new settlements
Building houses for the growing population
Allows for more people to relocate for work and the government encouraged the poor to move to the countryside
Impacts of deforestation (Malaysia) - soil erosion
Soil takes 1000 years to form and is bind by roots, and without them soil can erode and wash away
Impacts of deforestation (Malaysia) - loss of biodiversity
Food web is altered and certain species become extinct
Impacts of deforestation (Malaysia) - contributes to climate change
Trees store CO, without them, the rate of global warming would rise
The value of the Tropical Rainforest - biodiversity (service)
Tropical Rainforest have 1/2 of the plants and animals in the world
1000s of different species
The value of the Tropical Rainforest - medicine (good)
Around 25% of all medicines come from rainforest plants
More than 2000 tropical rainforests have anti-cancer properties
The value of the Tropical Rainforest - resources (good)
Tropical Rainforests provide valuable hardwoods, nuts, fruit and rubber
The value of the Tropical Rainforest - water (good)
Rainforests are an important source of clean water
20% of the world’s fresh water comes from the Amazon basin
The value of the Tropical Rainforest - people
Indigenous tribes live in harmony in the rainforest making use of the forest resources without causing any long-term harm
The value of the Tropical Rainforest - climate change
Rainforests absorb CO2 and store it, a gas that is partly responsible for climate change
Sustainable management of the Tropical Rainforest - selective logging
Loggers remove the most valuable trees in the forest, without damaging the surrounding area
Satellites and drones help monitor illegal logging
Sustainable management of the Tropical Rainforest - conservation and education
Conservation areas - nature parks/reserves can be used for education, scientific research and tourism
Sustainable management of the Tropical Rainforest - ecotourism
Aim is to introduce people to the natural world
Governments benefit as rainforests are protected and retained
It minimises damage as it is small-scale and employs local people
Sustainable management of the Tropical Rainforest - debt reduction
‘Debt for nature swapping’ - an agreement whereby HIC’s write-off an LIC’s debt in turn for the protection of rainforests
