Rainforests Flashcards
Give adaptations 3 plant adaptations in the rainforest
- Devils Ivy: Leaves are angled to get full sunlight. Waxy drip tip leaves to enable excess water to run off.
- Swiss Cheese Plant: Holes in leaves, enable water to run off more quickly, allows more sunlight to reach the leaves and stops leaves being ripped by wind
- Vanilla Orchid: Climbs into canopy to find more sunlight. Thick waxy leaves allows water to run off but retains the water that is needed
Give 3 animal adaptations in the rainforest
1.Toucan: they have a large bill to allow them to reach and cut fruits. Avoid predators by sleeping in holes in trees to hide their bright wings
2. Jaguar: Patterned fur for disguise. They are very strong allowing them to move silently which makes them effective hunters
3. Sloth: Move slowly so they are difficult to spot. Sharp claws this helps the, cling to branches upside down - they can even sleep upside down
What are the 6 causes of deforestation in Malaysia
- Logging
- mining
- fires
- Hydro-electric power
- Transmigration
- Commercial plantations
What is logging and give a stat about it
Logging is cutting down trees for commercial purpose but can also be illegal
Over 50 years Malaysia has gone from having 90% forest to 60%, due to logging
What is mining and give a stat about it
Areas of forest are cleared so mines can be set and this can often cause pollution of the land and the rivers around the mine.
Mining is leading to a show a 34.9% reduction of biodiversity in Malaysia
What are fires and give a stat about it
This is a form of forest clearance where locals burn away small areas of land to grow crops
These fires lead to a huge negative impact on the air pollution and biodiversity
What are commercial plantations and give a stat about it
Commercial plantations are when trees and areas of forests are cleared to plants trees (e.g. palm oil) for farming
5-8 orangutans die everyday as a result of palm oil plantations
What is trans migration and give a stat about it
This is when people move from urban areas to rural areas to take pressure off the cities.
Between 1956-1980, 1500HA of TRF were cut down to make room for settlements
What is Hydroelectric Power and give a stat about it
Where land is cleared to create a huge damn so it can be used for HEP
In 2012 230km2 of rainforest were cut down. Moreover 10000 people were forced to move
Give 5 examples of Rainforest management
- Selective logging
- Agroforestry
- Forestry reserves
- Afforestation
- Satellite monitoring
What is selective logging and give a positive and a negative
Certain trees are cut down so money is made but the canopy is protected.
- This is good bc the rate of logging won’t overtake the rate of regrowth
- CO2 is still being released
What is Agroforestry give a positive and a negative
Crops are planted within the rainforest under the canopy.
- this reduces need for fertilizers so maximizes costs.
- problems can occur when not native species are planted
What are Forest reserves give a positive and a negative
Areas of land that are protected
- Ecological importance as vast areas of forest are left unexplored
- Due to size of reserve and corruption logging and poaching can still occur
What is Satellite monitoring give a positive and a negative
It monitors the rainforest then identifies areas where deforestation is accelerating
- Notifies teams when deforestation is occurring
- reduces rate of deforestation by 70%
- No negatives
What effects on the world does deforestation have
- loss of animal habitat
- Direct effects on global climates and increase of the greenhouse effects
- Reduces world oxygen supply
- Soil becomes infertile
