Topic 8 - Forests Under Threat (Tropical Rainforest And Taiga Boreal)

Question 1

What does interdependent mean and give an example of interdependency

Answer 1

Interdependent:

• Dependent on one another
• e.g. If rainfall decreases, amount of vegetation and plants decrease, less food for herbivores so their population decreases, less food for the herbivore’s predators so their population faces reduction

Question 2

Give examples of 2 animals and 2 plants that are adapted to their environment

Answer 2

Birds of rainforest:
-Bright colours and loud calls to attract mates
-Large beaks to break open nuts
Primates:
-Strong limbs allowing for climbing
-Tails used for balance and to help traversing
Drip tip leaves:
-Drip tip used to clear water off the leaf and prevent developments of bacteria or fungi
Bushes and shrubs:
-Large amounts of chlorophyll to use as much light as possible for photosynthesis

Question 3

Why does the rainforest have a high rate of nutrient cycling ?

Answer 3

• High constant temperature so high rates of decomposition

- Constant high amounts of rainfall so high rates of plant growth

Question 4

How do the high rates of nutrient cycling support large amounts of biodiversity ?

Answer 4

• High rates of nutrient cycle make high rates and increased growth of vegetation
• The height and amount of vegetation created similar yet different environments in the rainforest
• Animals and plants had to adapt in different ways in order to be fit to survive, hence the biodiversity

Question 5

Give an example of a simple foodweb

Answer 5

Fruit -> Worm -> Lemur -> Fossa

Question 6

Give an example of interdependency in the Taiga forest

Answer 6

-Taiga has low biodiversity
-If a new virus appears and kills one species of tree
-Many animals will also become extinct as they are adapted specifically for that type of tree to survive
EG:
-In the summer due to a rise in temperatures the trees absorb heat which stops permafrost from thawing which provides water for animals
-Herbivores such as reindeer rely on mosses to survive and migrate to find those, carnivores must follow them to survive

Question 7

Give some adaptations of an organism in the Taiga forest

Answer 7

Pine trees:

• Needles have low surface are to volume ratio so less water is lost and are generally less affected by temperature
• Needles are slightly alkaline so they prevent plants from growing around tree when they fall, reducing competition

Question 8

Why is there a low amount of nutrient cycling in Taiga ?

Answer 8

• Low temperature, so low rate of decomposition
• Low rate of decomposition means a low rate of returning nutrients to the soil so the period of growth is also slow
• No constant source of rainfall so growth of biomass is also limited

Question 9

Name some causes for deforestation

Answer 9

• Increase in demand for wood
• Increase in demand for space in the forest
• Increase in demand for energy e.g. HEP

Question 10

What is ecosystem stress ?

Answer 10

When plants and animals in the ecosystem cannot cope with changes

Question 11

What is an indirect threat ?

Answer 11

When somethings is not a direct cause for something else however it has still caused a negative effect on it to a degree

Question 12

What are the 2 organisations who aim to help with the protection of the tropical rainforests

Answer 12

CITIES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora)
REDD (Reducing Emissions from deforestation and forest Degradation in developing countries)

Question 13

What methods to reduce deforestation have been used ?

Answer 13

• Paying people to stop illegal deforestation

- Providing alternative income via jobs in tourism

Question 14

Why protect the Taiga ?

Answer 14

• Fragile ecosystem
• Worlds largest carbon sink
• Damage can lead to extinction of many species

Question 15

What are wilderness areas ?

Answer 15

• Large areas on which no exploitation can take place
• Most human activity is banned
• Area remains undisturbed

Question 16

What are national parks ?

Answer 16

• Large areas where no exploitation can take place
• Tourism available but heavily regulated
• Profit is made
• Area is mostly undisturbed

Question 17

What is sustainable forestry ?

Answer 17

• The extracting of timber from an area without damaging the forest long term
• Logging companies are required to re-plant trees they cut down
• Doesn’t make as much profit as clear felling
• Not popular with loggers

Question 18

Give an example of the interdependent ecosystem in the rainforest

Answer 18

• Lack of wind on forest floor means plants rely on insects to pollinate them. Should this stop then not only would plants decline in population but animals that feed of them would too
• The agouti which is the only animals that can crack open brazil nuts, sometimes they bury the nuts but forget where and then the tree grows out

Question 19

How are plants adapted to the climate of the tropical rainforest ?

Answer 19

Drip tips:
-Thick, waxy leaves with pointed tips to get water to run off, this prevents water based damage to the plant and stops growth of fungus
Epiphytes:
-plants that live on branches and get nutrients form the air and water
Buttress roots:
-Large roots which have ridges to increase surface area and support large trees

Question 20

What are some advantage s and disadvantages of REDD ?

Answer 20

Advantages:
-Deals with the cause of climate change as well as direct impacts
-Forest is protected and everyone benefits, it is also relatively cheap
Disadvantages:
-Deforestation may still occur in another area
-Preventing activities such as agriculture and mining may affect local communities who depend on them

Question 21

What are some advantage s and disadvantages of CITES

Answer 21

Advantages;
-The Issue is tackled at a global level, so terms of trade of endangered species is controlled all over the world
-Raises awareness of the threats to biodiversity through education
Disadvantages:
-Habitat is not protected and animals could go extinct due to natural causes
-Some rules are unclear e.g. ivory
-Not all countries are members and some even promote the trade of endangered species

Question 22

What is an indirect threat and how may a named indirect threat affect the rainforest

Answer 22

An indirect threat is one that does not have immediate impacts after their occurrence e.g. Climate Change:

• Rainfall decreases which leads to droughts in the tropical forest
• leads to eco-system stress where animals die due to being adapted to moist and not dry conditions
• Drought can lead to forest fires which destroys the forest and decreases the habitat for animals

Question 23

How do acid precipitation, pests + disease and forest fires cause loss in biodiversity ?

Answer 23

Acid precipitation:
-damages plants leaves which inhibits photosynthesis, can make ground too acidic for plants to grow
Pests + disease:
-As ecosystem is fragile and interdependent a disease that affects one type of tree can reduce the food and habitat for the rest of the food chain
Forest Fires:
-destroy huge numbers of trees
-Break forests into smaller sections which makes it hard for migratory animals to find food