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gcse Geography > Rainforests/ Equatorial climate > Flashcards

Rainforests/ Equatorial climate Flashcards

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1
Q

Ecosystem definition

A

An ecosystem is a NATURAL UNIT in which the life cycle of plants, animals and other organisms BIOTIC are linked to each other and to the non-living ABIOTIC components of the environment to form a NATURAL SYSTEMS

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2
Q

Examples of biotic stuff (6)

A 
Animal
Plant
Fungi
Bacteria
Insects
Protoctista
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3
Q

Examples of abiotic (6)

A 
Wind 
Temperature
Sunlight
Rainfall
Geology
Salinity/ soil
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4
Q

Where in the world do we find a tropical ecosystem

A

15° N/S if the equator

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5
Q

What influences the tropical ecosystems

A

Latitude

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6
Q

Examples of areas with a tropical climate

A

Brazil
Malaysia
Madagascar
Peru

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7
Q

Temperature of a place with a tropical climate

Warum

A

Average temperature 26°C
Range 0-1°C

Latitude (sun is directly above the earth)

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8
Q

Rainfall of a place with a tropical climate

Warum

A

Total rainfall 2100mm a year

Conventional rainfall

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9
Q

What is convectional rainfall

A

The powerful sun heat the ground which heard the air water around it. The less dense air rises and the water evaporates. The water cools and condenses to form clouds and it rains

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10
Q

Layers from top to bottom of a rainforest

A 
Emergent trees
Main canopy layer
Lower canopy layer
Shrub layer
Ground layer
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11
Q

What is the emergent layer

A

They are the tallest trees that emerge through the main canopy layer

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12
Q

What is the main canopy layer

A

This is the true jungle where most animals live, dense layer of trees

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13
Q

What is the lower canopy layer

A

Small trees and saplings grow in shady humid conditions

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14
Q

What is the shrub layer

A

Smaller trees and ferns grown in deep shade

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15
Q

What is the ground layer

A

Leaf and animal remains cover the ground, not much can grow here as it is too dark

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16
Q

Why can not much vegetation/ foliage grow in the ground of the rainforest

A

The leaves of the trees from the main canopy layer are very dense so blocks the sun and rain from the ground so the foliage have limited growth as photosynthesis and transpiration are limited

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17
Q

Why are there layers in the rainforest

A

Created by the competition for light as all of the trees want to get taller so they can photosynthesise.

The layer of emergent trees is less dense so lots of light reach the main canopy layer
The main canopy layer is dense so not much sunlight can pass through to the lower canopy so they can’t grow tall
The two canopies form a very dense layer so barely any light can pass through to the shrub layer so it is very dark so the scarcity of light causes the shrub layer to be low down

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18
Q

Why are tropical places good for rapid growth of plants (4)

A

Annual temperature are always above growing temperature of 6°C
High rainfall all year
Long hours of daylight/ sunshine for photosynthesis
High temperatures/ rainfall for rapid nutrient recycling

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19
Q

How have the trees adapted to the rainforest (10)

A

Tall thin trunk

No branches/ leaves on trunk

Thick buttress roots

Shallow network of roots

Very tall

All branches with leaves are high up

Leaves can pivot

Leaves have drip tips

Small leaves

Waxy coating on leaves

20
Q

How have the shrub layer adapted to being low down (2)

A

Broad leaves to capture light

Rich in chlorophyll (dark green)

21
Q

How do lianas adapt to the rainforest

A

Climb big trees and use them as support to get to the light

22
Q

How are the leaves of trees adapted to the rain forest

A

Thick waxy coating

Drip tips

Small

Able to pivot

23
Q

Why do leaves have a waxy coating

A

To prevent fungi and insects feeding on the leaves and to minimise transpiration

24
Q

Why do leaves have drip tips

A

So they can shed rainwater quickly so they don’t become too heavy and fall off

25
Q

Why are the leaves of trees small

A

To minimise transpiration

To prevent them from being blown away by the high wind speeds at high altitudes

26
Q

Why do the trunks have no branches or leaves and they are all at the top

A

To focus on growing upwards

Leaves are up high so they are more exposed to the sunlight for photosynthesis

27
Q

How tall can the trees grow and why

A

Up to 50m to get to the light

28
Q

Why do trees have buttress roots

A

To support the height of the tree

29
Q

Why do the trees have a shallow network of roots

A

To absorb the nutrients at the surface from the humus layer

30
Q

What happens when the rainforest is destroyed

A

The water and nutrient cycle is broken

31
Q

What is leaching

A

The washing away of nutrients down through the soil

32
Q

How does the water cycle break when the rainforest is destroyed

A

No leaves to capture the falling rainwater for evaporation

No plants to absorb and transpire the water on the ground

33
Q

How does the nutrient cycle break when the rainforest is destroyed

A

The nutrients in the humus layer are leached down the soil as the soil is exposed to the heavy rainfall so the water directly hits the floor. This continues until there is no more humus layer and nothing can grown there anymore

34
Q

What is the water cycle in the rainforest

A

Leaves capture the water from the clouds and the intense heat evaporates the water

Water that lands on the ground gets sucked up by the roots and transpired out of the leaves

35
Q

What is the nutrient cycle

A

Leaves from the trees are dropped to form to form a layer of nutrients called the humus layer. The roots of the trees suck up the nutrients from the humus layer to grow

36
Q

Sustainable development definition

A

Development which meets the needs of the present whilst compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

37
Q

Miners in the rainforest (3)

A

The rainforest is rich in ores such as aluminium, tin, gold, copper, lead, nickel…
Many people work for low wages
Mines turn into wastelands so no animals or plants can live there

38
Q

Rubber tappers in the rainforest (2)

A

60 out of 30,000 trees are rubber trees so low impact

Does not damage the tree and can harvest from it many times

39
Q

Cattle ranching in the rainforest (4)

A

Uses vast amounts of land as there is low quality grass

Lots of rainforest cut down (cycles broken)

Inefficient use of land (2000 cows for 3000 hectares)

Land turns into wasteland

40
Q

Logging in the rainforest (5)

A

Most valuable/ rare trees cut down

Every mahogany tree cut down, 28 other trees are destroyed

The more trees cut down the higher the wage

High demand for tropical hardwood

30 trees cut down per person per day

41
Q

Farming in the rainforest (5)

A

1 million people migrated to Amazonia (ads promised new start)

Infertile soils give low yields

No fertilisers and good prices for crops

Destroy trees to build roads for access

Have to relocate every 3-5 years

42
Q

Ways the rainforest could be managed better whilst still using its resources (3)

A

Agroforestry
National parks
Selective logging

43
Q

How does agroforestry work (3)

A

It is a mixture of farming and agriculture where crops are planted with I the rainforest and in layers to sustain the nutrient cycle

Lower impact but less productive but sustains the rainforest

Crops need to be more expensive in order for the farmers to get a profit

44
Q

How does national parks work

A

There are designated spaces within the rainforest with absolute protection/ conservation where there is no logging and tapping

Ecotourism to raise awareness of conserving natural environments

45
Q

How does selective logging work

A

It maintains the canopy and structure of the forest by being highly selective with logging. So it does not break the cycles and keeps it sustainable.
However loggers will be paid less since they don’t cut down as many trees
Can only cut down 1 tree in every few distances

gcse Geography (9 decks)

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