Topic 8

Question 1

What are the specialised characteristics of tropical rainforests

Answer 1

Warm wet climate means plant grow quickly
Dense leaf cover protects floor from wind and rain and root systems hold soil together
Lack of wind on floor means that plant rely on insects such as bees for pollination ( symbiotic relationships are common in rainforests )
Lots of epiphytes where plants grow on trees for sunlight, they depend on rainfall for water and nutrients

Question 2

How do changes to the rainforest have knock on effects

Answer 2

Deforestation reduces amount of Co2 being absorbed which increases the greenhouse effect and climate change

Question 3

Rainforest structure and some adaptions

Answer 3

Emergents: tallest trees, have thick buttress roots to hold the trunks
Main canopy: continuous main layer of trees
Undercanopy: younger trees which have not fully grown yet
Shrub layer: dark from leaves blocking light, shrubs have large leaves to get maximum sunlight

Question 4

Adaptations of plants

Answer 4

Thick waxy leaves with drip tips to channel water off to stop mould of the leaf being weighed down
Trees have smooth, thin bark because they do not need to protect themselves from the cold
Lianas use trees to climb up to sunlight
Plants drop leaves gradually through the year so they can grow all year

Question 5

How are some animals adapted to the rainforest

Answer 5

Monkeys have strong limbs to spend all day up in the canopy
Animals are camouflaged to hide from predators or catch prey
Animals can swim across rivers
Adapted to low light levels on forest floor with heighted hearing and smell to avoid predators

Question 6

How are nutrients cycled through a rainforest

Answer 6

Nutrients are stored as: biomass, dead organic material ( leaf litter ), the soil
Nutrients are transferred between these stores

Question 7

Why are nutrients rapidly transferred in tropical rainforests

Answer 7

Trees are evergreen, so dead leaves fall all year
Warm, moist climate means decomposers can quickly release soluble nutrients by breaking down dead biomass so nutrients quickly enter the soil
Nutrients are rapidly taken up from rapid plant growth

Question 8

How do rainforests have high biodiversity

Answer 8

Rainforest has been around for 10s millions of years without climate change which allows time for lots of plants to grow
Layered structure provides lots of habitats, plants and animals adapt to specific environments so lots of species develop
Rainforests are stable environments with constant rain and high temps. This means it’s productive so nutrients can cycle quickly so lots of plants can always grow and animals can always develop

Question 9

How do rainforests have complex food webs

Answer 9

So many species so many links can develop between components e.g. jaguars eat many different prey
Animals can be both secondary and primary consumers e.g. fruit bats eat fruit and also mice which have eaten grass

Question 10

Why is the rainforest being deforested

Answer 10

Local demand for fuel wood
Mineral resources
Electricity ( HEP )
Commercial hardwood ( furniture )
Commercial farming ( palm oil )
Local subsistence farming 
Demand for biofuels

Question 11

What environmental impacts does deforestation have

Answer 11

Soil is not held together by roots, can be washed away by rain
Nutrients are washed out of soil by rain not being caught by canopy
Trees remove co2 and burning trees releases co2 so deforestation adds to the greenhouse effect

Question 12

How can climate change be an indirect threat to the rainforest

Answer 12

Increase in temperature and less rainfall causes drought
Drought causes ecosystem stress as many animals that are adapted to moist conditions die
Drought can also cause forest fires

Question 13

Why is deforestation rising in areas give examples

Answer 13

E.g. borneo and nigeria
Poverty - more small scale subsistence farmers
Foreign debt - selling goods from rainforests can help countries pay back debt to richer countries
Economic development - road and rail projects to promote development open up areas to logging, mining and farming

Question 14

Why is deforestation decreasing in some areas give examples

Answer 14

E.g. costa rica and brazil
Government policies - costa rican government has invested in ecotourism and pays landowners to reforest
International condemnation - puts pressure on by naming and shaming deforesting countries
Monitoring systems - e.g. Global Forest Watch ( GFW ) provides satellite data to track forest loss. Stops illegal logging

Question 15

What is REDD and CITES

Answer 15

Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation
Scheme that aims to reward forest owners in poorer countries for keeping forests

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
Agreement to tightly control trade in wild animals and plants

Question 16

Adavantages of REDD

Answer 16

Deals with cause of climate change and deforestation
Forest is protected so remains a habitat for species
Everyone benefits from reducing emissions
Relatively cheap

Question 17

Disadvantages of REDD

Answer 17

Deforestation may continue in another area
Aspects of REDD are not clear: rewards can be given from cutting down trees and replacing with palm oil plantations which are low in biodiversity
Local communities may suffer from banning agriculture and mining as they need income from them

Question 18

Advantages of CITES

Answer 18

The issue is tackled at a global level so endangered species trade is controlled all over the world
Raises awareness of threats to biodiversity by education

Question 19

Disadvantages of CITES

Answer 19

Although individual species are protected from poaching, their habitat may be destroyed so they can still go extinct
Rules are unclear e.g. on ivory trade
Not all countries are members

Question 20

What is sustainable forestry

Answer 20

When a forest is used in a way that prevents long term damage, whilst allowing people to benefit from the resources it provides in the present and future

Question 21

Economic challenges of sustainable forestry

Answer 21

Ecnonomkc benefits only seen long term, effects poorer countries who need income immediately
More expensive so it is difficult to persuade companies to adopt sustainable methods
Funding from IGOs and NGOs, if priorities of the organisations change then the funding will stop

Question 22

Environmental challenges of sustainable forestry

Answer 22

Replanted trees may not resemble natural forest, entire ecosystem may not be restored
Replanted trees will grow slowly and more forest will be cut down before these trees have matured
Selective logging can damage lots of trees in the process of removing target trees

Question 23

Social challenges of sustainable forestry

Answer 23

Sustainable forestry provides fewer jobs to locals so many can turn to illegal logging
If a population of a forest area increases then demand for resources increases and not enough resources can be supplied to match demand

Question 24

What is ecotourism

Answer 24

Tourism that minimkse forest damage and benefits local people
Small amount of people allowed into an area at once
Environmental impacts reduced as litter and wasted are disposed of safely
Provides a source of income for local people
Can raise awareness of conservation which can bring in more money
Local people employed in tourism do not have to log or mine for income so deforestation decreases

Question 25

What are sustainable farming techniques

Answer 25

These techniques protect the soil so that the land remains productive
Agro - forestry: trees and crops planted at the same time so the tree roots bind the soil and the leaves protect it from heaving rain
Green manure: plants which add nutrients to the soil are planted to maintain soil fertility
Crop rotation: crops moved between fields each year with one left empty so soil can recover

Question 26

How are Taiga Forests interdependant ecosystems

Answer 26

Plants get nutrients from the soil and provide the nutrients to animals which spread their seeds through their dung
Plants grow slowly in cold climates and decompose slowly. Therefore soil is low in nutrients
Herbivores rely on mosses for food and migrate to where plants can grow for them. Predators follow them
In summer, trees absorb heat from the sun and and shade the ground below, this prevent the permafrost ( which provides water to plants ) from thawing

Question 27

How do changes to the Taiga ecosystem have knock on effects

Answer 27

Chopping down trees can cause permafrost to thaw which floods land and prevents plant growth.
It also releases trapped greenhouse gases which leads to global warming and climate change ( threatening animals )

Question 28

How are teees adapted to the Taiga forest

Answer 28

Evergreen - don’t drop leaves and can make best use of available light
Needles instead of flat leaves to reduce water loss from strong, cold winds
Cone shaped to stop snowfall from breaking branches, branches also bendy to stop snapping

Question 29

Animals’ adaptations to the Taiga

Answer 29

Larger mammals are migratory so they move long distances to find food
Well insulated with thick fur
Can hibernate to conserve energy
White coats to camouflage in snow from predators

Question 30

Why is nutrient cycling slow in Taiga forests

Answer 30

Trees are evergreen to drop needles all year round
Low temperatires means that litter is broken down slowly as conditions are too harsh for many decomposers
Low soil fertility
Cold climate means plants grow slowly so the rate of transfer of nutrients from soil to plant is low

Question 31

Why do Taiga forests have low biodiversity

Answer 31

Land was covered by ice until about 15000 years ago so animals have not had time to adapt
Simple structure means less habitats so fewer species
Taiga forests less productive as nutrients are cycled slowly, growing season is short so their is nkt much food and a struggle for survival

Question 32

Why is the taiga exploited

Answer 32

Logging for softwood - housing, furniture, matches
Exploitation of fossil fuels
Pulp and paper production 
HEP
Exploitation of minerals

Question 33

How is acid rain causing loss of biodiversity

Answer 33

Burning fossil fuels release gases which dissolve in water in the atmosphere to make acids which are deposited on plants and soils
It damaged plants’ leaves and makes it harder to cope with cold
It can make soils too acidic to support growth

Question 34

How is pests and diseases causing loss of biodiversity

Answer 34

Many pests and disease are specific to one species and as there is often a particular species of tree in taiga areas it is easy for them to spread which causes damage
Warming from climate change is making it easier for pests and disease causing pathogens to survive
New pests and disease are arriving so attacks are increasing

Question 35

How is forest fires causing loss of biodiversity

Answer 35

Forest fires are natural as they allow for new growth
Climate change causes warmer, drier conditions so frequency of fires is increasing
They destroy huge numbers of trees and may alter species numbers as some are better at recolonising burnt areas than others
May also breaks forests up into smaller sections which affects migratory animals which need a lot of space to find food

Question 36

What is creating a wilderness area

Answer 36

An area that is undisturbed by human activity with the aim of protecting the landscape

Question 37

What is a national park

Answer 37

Area that is mostly in its natural state that is managed to protect biodiversity and promote recreation

Question 38

What is sustainable forestry

Answer 38

Ways of harvesting timber from forests without damaging it long term

Question 39

Strengths of a wilderness area

Answer 39

Highest level of protection
Area is kept as pristine as possible
Cover large area so large scale processes can take place e.g. migrations

Question 40

Strengths of a national park

Answer 40

May be established to protect particular species
Cover large area
Unsustainable human activity not permitted
Good access for tourists

Question 41

Strengths of sustainable forestry

Answer 41

Limits can be placed on number of trees felled or size of clear cut areas to allow forest to regenerate
Companies can be required to regenerate the area after logging
Selective logging means means some trees remain to become part of new forest

Question 42

Challenges of creating a wilderness area

Answer 42

Large areas hard to police
Economic pressure on governments from logging, mining and energy companies who want the resources
Pressure from companies and tourists to build roads to allow greater access

Question 43

Challenges of national parks

Answer 43

Must take into account the needs of local communities who use land for hunting
Tourism may be required to pay for conservation, but access roads, infrastructure and pollution from tourists may harm ecosystem

Question 44

Challenges of sustainable forestry

Answer 44

Some countries struggle to reinforce restrictions
May be a lack of clear management or information about the ecosystem
Different groups may not agree with rules and restrictions

Question 45

Why should the taiga forest be protected

Answer 45

The forests store lots of carbon and deforestation will release this as Co2 which causes global warming
Some species exclusive to taiga forest, can go extinct with destruction of forest
Indigenous people rely on forest for their way of life

Question 46

Why should the taiga be exploited

Answer 46

Demand for resources is increasing, forests provide the wood, fuel and minerals that people need
Forest industries of logging and mining provides jobs
Exploitation of the forest generates a lot of wealth for countries involved