Rainforests and the Amazon Flashcards
what is the climate like in tropical rainforests?
same all year round. hot (20-28 degrees) near equator which is overhead, high rainfall, 2000m per year. hot and humid
what are the plants like in tropical rainforests
evergreen (take advantage of continual growing season) tall trees, dense vegetation cover, epiphytes
what is the soil like in tropical rainforests
not very fertile, heavy rainfall washes nutrients away, surface nutrient, thin layer as decay is fast in moist conditions. leaves behind latosol, iron rich red soil
what are the people like in tropical rainforests
indigenous people make living by hunting and fishing, gathering nuts, and berries, growing vegetables
what are the animals like in tropical rainforests
gorillas, jaguars, leopards, anacondas, tree frogs, sloths, monkeys, high biodiversity, extinction from deforestation, 628 species threatened in 2008, 1182 in 2014
name some animal adaptations in tropical rainforests
-strong limbs (move about habitats easily, eg howler monkeys
-camouflage (hide from predators, eg leaf tailed gheckos)
-sharp sense of smell (detecting predators/prey)
-short, pointed wings (easily manouvre betreen tangles of trees eg harpy eagle)
-nocturnal (cooler, use less energy eg sloths)
-suction cups (help climg eg tree frogs)
-flaps of skin (help them glide between trees eg flying squirrels)
-swim (helps cross river channels eg jaguars)
-tails (balance and climbing)
-colours (warn predators)
-furs/feathers (sheds rain)
name some plant adaptations in tropical rainforests
-lianas (woody creepers rooted to ground but climb trees to canopy for more sunlight)
-buttress roots (ridges that support base of tall trees and help transport water. maximise gas exchange as bigger surface area)
-epiphytes (plants that live on trunks and branches of other plants to make most of sunlight)
-emergents (fast growing trees eg kapoc outcompete other trees for sunlight)
-drip tips (allows heavy rain to drip off leaf, prevents algae growing which could block sunlight and prevent photosynthesis. encourage runoff so weight doesnt damage plants)
-waxy leaves (protects from sun and repels rain)
-pointy leaves (quickly removes water from leaves so they dont break)
-thin smooth bark (allows water to flow down tree and stops other animals from growing on surface)
-leaves flexible bases (helps them turn towards the sun)
explain some features of the forest floor
very dark, poor soils, high humidity, mushrooms and fungi, (thrive on decaying matter) ginger, 2% sunlight, moist air, ferns, moss, dead leaves, decomposition happens very quickly.
explain some features of the understory
5% sunlight, shady and dark, branchless trees as no poing growing leaves (no sun for photosynthesis) smaller trees, shrubs, ferns, bananas, insects, mosquitos, snakes, lizards jaguars, thin, younger tree trunks, brightly coloured, strong smelling plants
explain some features of the canopy
80% sunlight absorbed here, moist air, flowers, seeds, nuts, most rainfall captured here, dense leafy roof, umbrella overhang, top leaves burnt, (45m), big leaves, 50% plant species, tangled mix of vegetation, branches, vines, trees
explain some features of the emergent layer
100% sunlight here, trees 4.8m wide, 50m high, tall straight trees, few low branches, kapoc trees fast growing, sunlit zone, windy, helps pollination, eagles, bats, butterflies, monkeys, birds, waxy leaves protect from sun
name some of the reasons for deforestation
-cattle ranching (60%) 200 million cattle on 450,000km of land. sweep land of nutrients and have to move
commercial farming (10%)
-subsistence farming (25%)
-logging, manufacture and fuel (3%) for furniture
-fires, mining and urbanisation (2%)
-settlement
-population growth
-road building- Trans Amazonian Highway
-energy development- flood forests with large dams eg Balbina Dam, cover 2400km of forest.
Explain some of the negative impacts of deforestation
-reduced biodiversity
-conflict between natives, miners and loggers over land use
-soil kills fish, causing flooding, makes water undrinkable, livelihoods of locals lost
-reduced animals and plants
-heavy rain washes away soils as no trees to hold it together
-native tribes forced to move
-soil less fertile as less leaf fall = less nutrient cycling. 100 tonnes of topsoil lost anually from soil erosion
-more co2 in atmosphere- 75% og brazils co2 emissions. 140 billion tonnes of carbon produced.
-rainfall decreasing by 12%
explain some of the positive impacts of deforestation
-economic development- in 2018, brazil exported $600 million of beef. 2nd largest exporter of soy beans
-jobs created. Bilenaventura mining employs over 8000 people
-logging contributes to economy
why are rainforests important?
-source rubber, chocolate and coffee
-25% of world’s medicine eg periwinkle
-regulate climate and water cycle
-carbon sink
-jobs as builders, lumberjacks, farmers, engineers
-50% of world’s biodiversity
what is selective logging?
cutting down only 1 or 2 species of fast growing trees, better altenative as less impact. “horse logging” or “helicopter logging”. used im malaysia
how is replanting sustainable rainforest management?
new trees planted to replace ones cut down. make sure types of tree match. laws in place with REGUA
how is ecotourism sustainable rainforest management?
makes money by preserving rainforest. puts value on this. less need for hunting and poaching. in costa rica, 21% of the rainforest is protected from development
how is education sustainable rainforest management?
helps people realise importance of the rainforest, adjust their choices to the needs of the rainforest eg buying fair trade. rainforest alliance in guatemala help build sustainable livelihoods
how is conservation sustainable rainforest management?
national parks and nature reserves, overseas investors to help enforce restrictions on logging. eg in 2018 norway paid amazon $70 million into brazils amazon fund for conservation
how is reducing debt sustainable rainforest management?
deforestation a quick way of reducing debt. world bank and IMP can help spend more money on conserving rainforest. however. no guarantee, so conservation swaps better. eg 2011 usa reduced indonesias debt by $29 millionfor rainforest conservation
how are international agreements sustainable rainforest management?
ITTO promote conservation and sustainable management, use and trade. requires coordinated international action, and can cause problems. FSC (forest stewardship council) mark sustainably based timber with logo
how big is the amazon rainforest
largest rainforest on earth. 8 million km squared in brazil, peru, colombia ets.
explain the scale of deforestation
18 million hectares lost between 2001-2012. average of 1.4 million annually. 40% deforested by 2050 if things continue. highest in 2003, 27000km removed monthly
how are the government reducing deforestation?
costa rica in 1996 made unauthorised deforestation illegal, payed farmers for conservation. lead to 60% rise in forest cover. in 2023 president lula pledged for net zero deforestation by 2030.
how are the government promoting deforestation?
president bolsonaro cut 2021 environmental budget by 24, easier to deforest
