Paper 1: The Tropical Rainforest Flashcards by Dhruv Bhanderi

Location of Tropical Rainforests

Central + South America

Central Africa

Northern Australia

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Examples of Tropical Rainforests

Amazon Rainforest

Madagascar Rainforest

Australasian Rainforest

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Soil in Tropical Rainforests

Infertile soil - nutrients are absorbed quickly

Red in colour as it is rich in iron

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Abiotic factors in a Tropical Rainforest

Humid climate

No winter or summer

More than 2000mm of rainfall a year

High temperatures (27°C)

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Forest floor

Dark and decaying organic matter

2% of light penetrates through

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Under canopy

10 - 20m

Dark

Large leaves and lots of chlorophyll to absorb as much sunlight as possible

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Canopy layer

20 - 30m

Like an umbrella - provides shade

Lianas

Epiphytes

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Emergent layer

30 - 40m

One or two of the tallest trees

Have wide buttress roots

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Lianas

Woody vines that have roots in the ground but climb up trees to reach sunlight

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Tree trunks

Tall to allow trees to reach sunlight

Bark is smooth to allow water to flow down to roots easily

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Drip tips

Leaves with pointy tips, allowing water to run off without damaging the plant

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Buttress roots

Large roots that help support the tree

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Epiphytes

Plants which live on the branches high up

Getting their nutrients from the air and water, not the soil

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Sloth

Strong claws and long limbs

Algae in their fur helps them camouflage

Found in the under canopy for shade

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Toucan

Big beak to find fruits

Loud call to scare other animals

Found in the canopy

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Flying frog

Fully webbed hands and feet

Can glide from plant to plant

Found in the canopy

Causes of deforestation - logging

Malaysia is the world’s largest exporter of tropical wood

Selective logging cuts down the most valuable trees

Causes of deforestation - mineral extraction

Extraction of ores helps grow Malaysia’s GDP

Drilling for oil and gas has started in Borneo

Causes of deforestation - energy

Construction of Bakum Dam (largest dam outside of China in Asia)

Dam reservoir flooded over 700km² of forest and farmland

Causes of deforestation - commercial farming

Malaysia is the biggest exporter of palm oil

Large areas of land converted into palm oil plantations

Causes of deforestation - road buildings

Roads are built to provide access to mining areas, new settlements and energy projects

Causes of deforestation - subsistence farming

Growing enough food for your family

Slash and burn uses fire to clear land

Causes of deforestation - building new settlements

Government forced poor urban people to move to the countryside

Causing 15,000 hectares of land to be cleared for settlers

Impacts of deforestation - soil erosion

Soil becomes loose and can erode away, takes thousands of years to form strong roots

Impacts of deforestation - loss of biodiversity

600 species Home to 25% of all plant species in Malaysia Undiscovered medicines

Impacts of deforestation - contributes to climate change

Less carbon dioxide absorbed, resulting in global warming

The value of the Tropical Rainforest - biodiversity (service)

Tropical Rainforests have 50% of the plants and animals in the world Home to thousands 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