Tropical rainforest Flashcards
Abiotic features
High light levels
Warm temperatures
High water availability
Causes of high biodiversity
Biotic factors Species inter-relationships Nutrient supply Habitat provision Microclimates Many different niches
Adaptations
Plants take advantage of microclimates
Herbivores take advantage of different plants
Carnivores take advantage of different herbivores
Adaptations as a result of high biodiversity
High light levels
Enable more photosynthesis so more plants can grow, even through the layers
Importance of the rainforest
Resources Biodiversity Unexploited resources Carbon sequestration Rainfall Soil conservation
Resources
Timber Fuel Plant foods eg. bananas, oranges, coffee Bushmeat Spices eg. pepper, cinnamon, turmeric Palm leaves for roofing material Medicines Fibres eg. rayon Resins Palm oil Waxes
Biodiversity
Creates a stable ecosystem able to cope with change
High aesthetic value
High educational value
Eco-tourism
Unexploited resources
Undiscovered species of medicinal value
New foods for domestication
Potential for hybrids with desired qualities eg. better quality food
Carbon sequestration
Plants take in carbon and store it in cellulose and lignin.
Forest growth increases carbon stored.
Increase in store= carbon sequestration
Rainfall
Plants take in water then release it again via transpiration, allowing more rainfall inland
Soil conservation
Soils are naturally poor
High temperatures and high moisture allows for very rapid decomposition
Nutrients are rapidly absorbed by plants
Roots hold soil together while leaf litter protects it from wind and rain erosion
Threats to tropical rainforests
Unsustainable exploitation of resources
Forest removal for alternative land uses
Indirect threats from human activities
Unsustainable exploitation of resources
Fuel wood
Timber for construction or furniture
Forest removal for alternative land uses
Agriculture
Mineral extraction
Indirect threats from human activities
Reservoirs
Global climate change
Fuel wood
Used in poor, rural, areas
Other fuels too expensive
Very little replanting
Often converted to charcoal and sold
Timber
For construction or furniture
Can be the only affordable material
Mainly exported
Can include cutting down existing forest for monoculture
Agriculture
Increasing populations need increasing amounts of food
Traditional slash and burn does little long term damage
Intensive slash and burn prevents the forest from recovering
Cash crops or intensive livestock farming leaves the soil too poor for recolonisation
the distance cleared can be too big for recolonisation to occur
Mineral extraction
Rainforests often contain many rich mineral deposits
Some countries may destroy the forest to get to these deposits
Reservoirs
Large areas of land can be flooded
Dams act as a barrier to migratory wildlife
Decaying dead organic matter can result in acidic water that can then harm wildlife downstream
The regulated water flow can change the river bed and harm wildlife eg. flood sandbanks needed for reptile breeding
Global climate change
Higher temperatures cause less rainfall
Increased temperatures causes clouds to rise higher, reducing the area where frogs can survive
Many small orchids have become rarer as humidity decreases
Affected species inter-dependence
Some say the amazon could be replaced with savannah
Conservation of rainforests
Debt-for-nature swaps
Protected areas
Trade controls
Debt-for-nature swaps
LEDCs usually cant pay back debt
Conservation charities pay to cancel part of the debt
Governments then use the saved money to protect an area of rainforest
Case study- Panama
Darien and Chagres national parks are protected by a $2.5 million donation from the Nature Conservancy in the USA.
The panamanian government increased the protection of the parks as a result.
The rainforests are especially important because they regulate the water flow into the Panama Canal and thus the income from those using it.
Case study- Korup rainforest, Cameroon
Korup national park, Africa, was set up in 1986
1260 KM2 of rainforest purchased primarily with public donations from the UK
Unpopular with locals as some villages were displaced
Over 600 tree species, 160 mammal species, 1000 butterfly species, 400 bird species protected
Many species protected are endemic
Case study- Rio Bravo rainforest reserve, Belize, Central America
Rio Bravo Conservation Management Area includes 100,000 hectares of threatened rainforest
Now managed by an independent charity PfB (Programme for Belize)
Initial land aid for by public donations from UK and USA
More land later donated by Coca-Cola and Electricity companies researching carbon sequestration
Protects a range of species eg. Jaguar, Bairds Tapir, Ocelot, and 400 bird species
Funded by eco-tourism, sustainable logging, donations
Ecological and archaeological research carried out
Supports the local population via employment, timber for furniture, souvenir industries, conservation/tourism projects
Trade controls
Limited trade from sustainable resources with a far price is better for business
Norway has banned the use of tropical timber in public buildings
Laos has banned Teak exports
Honduras Mahogany is listed CITES appendix ||
Some DIY stores only buy sustainable timber
