Rainforests

Question 1

What is are epiphytes

Answer 1

Plants that grow on other plants.

there are many in the rain forest

they get access to light by growing high up on other plants but dont have access to nutrients in soil. They dependent on rainfall to provide water and nutrients

Question 2

Lack of wind near rainforest floor effect on plants

Answer 2

lack of wind means many plants rely on bees, butterflies, or other animals for pollination

Question 3

Tropical rainforest layered structure

Answer 3

Emergents

Main canopy

Under canopy

Shrub layer

Question 4

What is emergents layer

Answer 4

Tallest trees which poke out of the main canopy layer

Straight trucks and only have branches and leaves at top where they can get light

Question 5

What is main canopy layer

Answer 5

A continuous layers of trees

like emergent with leaves at the top. the dense layers of leaves shade the rest of the forest

Question 6

What is under canopy

Answer 6

younger trees that have yet to reach their full height

Only survive where there are breaks in the canopy to,let a little bit of light through

Question 7

What is shrub layer

Answer 7

nearest to the ground where its quite dark

have large broad leaves to absorb as much light available

Question 8

Plant adaptations

Answer 8

epiphytes

Pointed tips (called drip-tips) channel the water to a point so it runs off. This way the weight of water doesnt damage plant and no stand of water for fungi and bacteria to grown in rotting plant

waxy layer to help leaves repel rain

lianas. these plants cling their stem and climb up trees to sunlight

Question 9

Deforestation is a direct threat to tropical rain forests why

Answer 9

Subsistence farming

Commercial farming

Mining

Demand for biofuels

HEP

Question 10

Subsistence farming and type

Answer 10

subsistence farmers, making enough food for their own family’s survival.

Slash and Burn Farming (also know as shifting cultivation) farmers clear small areas (2 hectares) by cutting and burning the trees

the ash from burning adds nutrients to the soil

the land is farmed for food for 5 years but after that the soil becomes infertile and the farmers move to the next area

Question 11

Commercial farming

Answer 11

Forest is cleared to make space for cattle grazing or for palm oil or soy plantation

Question 12

Why mine in tropical rainforest

Answer 12

minerals (e.g gold) are often found in tropical rain forests. Explosives are sometimes uses to clear earth or deep pits are dug to reach the deposits

Carajas complex is the largest iron ore mine on the planet. The rainforest has had to be cut down to access the resources

Question 13

Demand for biofuels

Answer 13

Growing the crops needed to make biofuels take up large amounts of land. Trees need to be cut down

Question 14

Nutrient Cycle

Answer 14

way nutrients move through an ecosystem

nutrients are stored in 3 ways:

• living organisms (biomass)
• dead organic material, e.g fallen leaves (litter)
• the soil

In this cycle nutrients are transferred between these three stores

Question 15

Deforestation environmental impact

Answer 15

With no trees to hold the soil together, heavy rain washes it away (soil erosion). this can lead to landslides and flooding

Without a tree canopy to intercept rainfall and tree roots absorb it, more reaches the soil. This can reduce fertility as nutrients are washed away out of reach for plants

Trees remove CO2 from atmosphere. Also burning vegetation to clear forest produce CO2. So deforestation means more CO2 in atmosphere which adds to greenhouse effect

Question 16

Indirect threat climate change effects to tropical rainforest.

Answer 16

In some areas temperature is increasing and rainfall is decreasing which leads to droughts

Droughts lead to ecosystem stress, plants and animals living in tropical rainforests are adapted to moist conditions. So many species die in dry weather. Frequent or long periods of drought could lead to extinction of some species

droughts can also lead to forest fires which can destroy large areas of forest

Question 17

Rates of Deforestation increasing in some areas why

Answer 17

e.g nigeria and Borneo
Poverty
Population growth and poverty means there are many more small-scale subsistence farmers and greater use of fuel wood (as other are expensive), e.g in nigeria

Economic development
road and rail projects to promote development open up areas of the rainforest to logging, mining and farming, e.g Borneo had huge palm plantations for biofuels

Question 18

What is HEP

Answer 18

Many tropical rainforests have large rivers. Building dams to generate hydroelectric power (HEP) floods large areas of forest behind the dams

Question 19

Rates of Deforestation decreasing in some areas why

Answer 19

e.g costa rico and brazil
international condemnation. puts pressure on companies by naming those that are involved in deforestation. many companies have pledged zero-deforestion as a result

monitoring systems. e.g Global Forest Watch (GFW) provide satellite data to track forest loss. this means authorities can act quick and stop illegal logging

Question 20

sustainable forest management

Answer 20

forest is used in a way the prevents long-term damage whilst allowing people to benefit from resources it provide in the present and in future

e.g selective logging and replanting

Question 21

sustainable forest management/economic

Answer 21

expensive so it can be difficult to persuade private companies to adopt sustainable methods

sustainable management are only seen in longterm. this affects poorer countries who need income immediately

Question 22

sustainable forest management/environment

Answer 22

trees that are replanted for logging in the future can be very slow growing. companies may chop down more natural forest whilst they are waiting for new trees to mature

even selective logging can damage lots of trees in the process of removing that target tree

Question 23

sustainable forest management/social

Answer 23

generally provides fewer jobs for local poeple than conventional forestry so many locals wont see the benefits some many turned to illegal logging

Question 24

alternative to forest protection

Answer 24

making a living of the forest

e.g ecotourism and sustainable farming

Question 25

ecotourism what and why

Answer 25

tourism that minimise damage to the environment and benefits the local people

ecotourism provides a source of income for local people, e.g they act as guides and provides accommodation and transport. also raises awareness of cinservation issues and bring in money for transport for rainforest

if locals are enployed in ecotourism dont have to log ir farm for money

Question 26

type of sustainable farming

Answer 26

agro-farming- trees and crops are planted at the same time so tree root bind the soil and leaves protect in from heavy rain

green manure- plants which add nutrients to the soil as they grow are planted to maintain soil fertility

crop rotation- crops moved between different fields each year with one left empty so the soil has time to recover

Question 27

What is sustainable farming

Answer 27

farming techniques protecting soil so the land remain productive