Rainforests Flashcards
How much of the world’s oxygen does the rainforest provide?
20%
Figures
25% of the ingredients in today’s cancer drugs come from organisms only found in the rainforest.
50% of the Earth’s plant and animal species live in the tropical rainforest
an area the size of a football pitch of rainforest is lost everyday
What are the layers of the rainforest?
Emergents
Canopy
Under canopy
shrub layer
Emergent layer
birds and insects live here. they are crucial to the well-being of the forest because they pollinate the plants.
Trees can rise from 100-250ft off the ground
temperature and climate fluctuations are common
Canopy layer
80% of sunlight is absorbed in the canopy.
most rainfall is captured here.
under canopy layer
because the canopy is thick, the understory is dim and dark
the air is mainly stil; only strong winds ripple through
the canopy blocks most of the rain o it would take a while to feel rain while stood under the under canopy.
Shrub layer
this is where decomposition happens
microorganisms feed of decaying matter
things decay quickly due to dark, moist conditions
What is latosol?
Latosol is a type of soil found in the rainforest. It is rich in iron and aluminium so is therefore very red in colour.
Latosol is infertile
What is leaching?
Leaching is when nutrients are washed from the soil. The heavy rainfall washes the nutrients from the soil leaving the latosol infertile.
What are adaptations?
Actions taken to adjust to natural events (such as climate change) to reduce potential damage and limit the impacts.
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the variety of plant and animal life in the world, or in a particular habitat, a high level of which is considered to be important or desirable.
It can be caused in the rainforest due to the temperature which are high and encourage rapid plant growth. It is also encouraged by the canopy which provides shelter, food sources and hiding places.
What is a symbiotic relationship?
A symbiotic relationship is one where both participant species contribute mutually.
What are buttress roots?
Rainforest soils are very thin and therefore shallow roots are needed to soak up nutrients in these thick soils.
Trees in the rainforest grow very tall and the buttress roots give the tree extra stability
What are stilt roots?
in a similar way to buttress roots, these provide tall rainforest trees with support as they are anchored in the shallow rainforest soils
what are red leaves?
young rainforest plant saplings may have these to give them protection from the sunlight whilst their internal organs for photosynthesis are still developing. They act as a sunscreen by deflecting the red light while the leaf is still young.
what is lianas?
these plants have their roots in the ground and use other trees to climb up into the canopy to maximise the sunlight that they receive.
why is leaf angling important?
leaves are often arranged at different angles so that a plant avoids shading its own leaves - important when competition for light is intense.
what are epiphytes?
these plants live on the surface of other plants, mostly tree trunks and branches so they can make the most of the sunlight in the canopy layer
What are the main causes of deforestation?
agriculture, crop expansion, palm oil plantations
What is logging?
logging is the process of cutting, processing and moving trees to a location for transport
mining
the process or industry of obtaining coal or other minerals from a mine
hydro-electric power
electricity produced from generators driven by turbines that convert the potential energy of moving water into mechanical energy
cattle ranching
is the practice of raising herds of animals on large areas of land
settlements
a place, typically one which has previously been uninhabited, where people establish a community
roads
the building of roads
commercial crop growing
a cash crop or profit crop is an agricultural crop which is grown to sell for profit
name some impacts of deforestation
+ economic development
- soil erosion
- loss of biodiversity
- contributes to climate change
social impacts of deforestation
affects more than 2 million people who rely on rainforests/forests to survive.
logging fells many trees for wooden and paper products
flooding
economic impact of deforestation
creating more space for agriculture which can be sold
environmental impacts of deforestation
significant contributor to climate change
rainforest provides habitats for over 80% of the world’s land-plants and animals
desertification
flooding
reasons to protect trees:
many
