Section B - Tropical Rainforests Flashcards
What are some key facts of tropical rainforests
6% of the world and over half all the species.
12hrs of sunlight a day.
2m of rainfall per year.
80% of all insects.
Different trees offer food at different times.
What are some environmental characteristics of a rainforest
The rainforest is dark and damp, noisy with insect and animal callas and also dense with vegetation
Trees grow very tall (sometimes up to 45m) and there is a huge variety of wildlife
Rainforests are found in belts across the tropics. Places here include central and South America, South east Asia and Central Africa
What are the main plant adaptations is a tropical rainforest
Many leaves have flexible layers so that they can turn to face the sun.
Many leaves have a drip tip to allow heavy rain to drip off the leaf.
The lower tree canopy had a shrub and ground layer.
Thin, smooth bark in trees allow water to flow down easily.
Buttresses - massive ridges help support the base of the tall trees be help transport water. May also help oxygen/ carbon dioxide oxygen exchange by increasing the surface area.
How has the sloth adapted the rain forest
The sloth uses camouflage. It’s fur is covered with green algae so it blends into the environment. It moves very slowly to dodge predators. It takes up to a month to digest its food so it doesn’t need very many resources to survive
How has the flying frog adapted to the rain forest
The flying frog has fully webbed hands and feet and a flap of loose skin that stretches between its limbs, which allows it to glide from plant to plant. It’s also very quick and small
How has the spider monkey adapted to the rainforest
The spider monkey has long, strong limbs to help it climb through the rainforest trees. It’s tail allows it to gracefully swing from tree to tree
What are some key facts about the amazon rainforest
The largest rainforest on earth.
The Amazon river is the 2nd longest behind the Nile.
It covers 40% of the South American continent.
It can be found in 8 counties
Over 2/35 of the Amazon is found in Brazil
What are some key facts about deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest?
Before 2000, the main reason for deforestation was subsistence farming (families growing enough crops to feed their families). Since the year 2000, the main reason for deforestation has significantly shifted towards large scale cattle ranching. By 2002 3/4 of forest clearing was for this industry. Other reasons include dam construction, oil and mineral mining and commercial farming. Cattle ranching is the largest contributing industry to deforestation in the Amazon (estimated 80% as of 2016)
What are some key facts about mining of oil mining in the Amazon?
The amazon is rich in tin, copper, iron ore and gold.
The government pay incentives to companies extracting these minerals.
Mercury run-off can cause significant pollution to water sources.
What are some key facts about logging in the Amazon
80% of logging in the Amazon is illegally done.
Mostly done to construct roads and provide living space for migrants.
Habitats are damaged or lost.
What are some key facts about population pressure in the Amazon?
Of the 19 Brazilian cities that doubled in side in 2016, 10 of them were in the Amazon.
Migrants arrive everyday looking for improved economic opportunities.
The construction of new neighbourhoods to house people leads to habitat destruction.
What is deforestation?
Deforestation is the removal of forests for economic, social or environmental reasons
How does deforestation contribute to climate change
Deforestation leads to more water vapour in the air, which can lead to disrupted weather patterns.
More carbon dioxide in the air (from deforestation) traps more heat in the atmosphere and therefore the global temperatures will increase
What is the impact deforestation has on soil erosion
Once plant cover is done there are no roots to hold the soil in place during heavy tropical rains
How much deforestation has been lost in the Amazon rainforest
Since 1990, we have lost 398,000 square kilometres of the Brazilian Amazon. This is almost equivalent to the land area of Sweden
What are the economic losses and gains from deforestation
The most obvious economic gain is clearing space for new houses, buildings and infrastructure.
Another gain is farming because families can produce food for themselves so they clear away forests for this.
The losses from deforestation are that it costs a lot of money to cut away forests
How has Brazil helped to stop deforestation?
The Brazilian government has cracked down on illegal deforestation.
Brazil is leading the world in conservation - over half of the Amazon is now protected.
Brazil is committed to reducing carbon emissions to tackle climate change.
Consumer pressure not to use products from deforested areas has led to a decline in cattle ranching.
Why should the tropical rainforest be managed?
>people
Indigenous tribes live in harmony in the worlds rainforests making use of the forests resources without causing any long term harm
Why should the tropical rainforest be managed?
>water
Rainforests are important sources for clean water - 20% of the worlds fresh water comes from the Amazon Basin
Why should the tropical rainforest be managed?
>resources
Tropical rainforest trees provide valuable hardwoods as well as nuts, fruits and rubber
Why should the tropical rainforest be managed?
>medicine
Around 25% of all medicines come from rainforest plants. More than 2000 tropical forest plants have anti cancer properties
Why should the tropical rainforest be managed?
>climate
Know as the “lungs of the world”, 28% of the worlds oxygen comes from rainforests. They prevent the climate from being too hot and dry.
Why should the tropical rainforest be managed?
>climate change
Rainforests absorb and store carbon dioxide gas that is partly responsible for climate change
Why should the tropical rainforest be managed?
>biodiversity
Tropical rainforests contain half of all the plants and animals in the world. They are home to thousands of different species. Some plants may become extinct before they have even been discovered
To protect the worlds tropical rainforests they need to be managed sustainably. What are the 2 main reasons for this?
- to ensure that rainforests remain a lasting resource for future generations
- to allow valuable rainforest resources to be used without causing long-terms damage to the environment
Why is felling bad for tropical rainforests? What can we do instead?
The most damaging form of deforestation is clear felling. All trees are chopped down in the area being cleared. This completely destroys the ecosystem. A more sustainable approach to logging is selective logging- which was introduced in Malaysia in 1977
How is conservation and education helping the tropical rainforests?
Rainforests can be preserved in conservation areas such as national parks or nature reserves. These areas can be used for education, scientific research and tourism.
Recently, large international businesses have supported conservation projects in exchange for carrying out scientific research or the provision of raw materials
How is ecotourism helping tropical rainforests?
Countries like Costa Rica, Belize and Malaysia have promoted their forests for ecotourism. Ecotourism aims to introduce people to the natural world, to benefit local communities and protect the environment for the future
How are international agreements helping the tropical rainforests
Rainforests are now understood to be of global importance. They absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, releasing oxygen and maintaining levels of humidity. International agreement have been made to protect rainforests
How has hardwood forestry helped the tropical rainforest?
What is the FSC?
The FSC is an international organisation that promotes sustainable forestry. Products sourced for sustainably managed forests carry the FSC label
The FSC tries to educate manufactures and consumers about the need to buy sustainable hardwood like mahogany. It aims to reduce demand for the rare and valuable hardwoods.
How has debt reduction helped tropical rainforests?
Some countries have borrowed money to fund developments. To pay off these debts some have raised money from massive deforestation programmes. Recently some donor countries and organisations have reduced debts in return for agreement that rainforests will not be deforested. This has become know as ‘debt for nature swapping’.
