Tropical rainforest

Question 1

Abiotic features

Answer 1

High light levels
Warm temperatures
High water availability

Question 2

Causes of high biodiversity

Answer 2

Biotic factors
Species inter-relationships
Nutrient supply 
Habitat provision
Microclimates
Many different niches

Question 3

Adaptations

Answer 3

Plants take advantage of microclimates
Herbivores take advantage of different plants
Carnivores take advantage of different herbivores
Adaptations as a result of high biodiversity

Question 4

High light levels

Answer 4

Enable more photosynthesis so more plants can grow, even through the layers

Question 5

Importance of the rainforest

Answer 5

Resources
Biodiversity
Unexploited resources
Carbon sequestration
Rainfall
Soil conservation

Question 6

Resources

Answer 6

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

Question 7

Biodiversity

Answer 7

Creates a stable ecosystem able to cope with change
High aesthetic value
High educational value
Eco-tourism

Question 8

Unexploited resources

Answer 8

Undiscovered species of medicinal value
New foods for domestication
Potential for hybrids with desired qualities eg. better quality food

Question 9

Carbon sequestration

Answer 9

Plants take in carbon and store it in cellulose and lignin.
Forest growth increases carbon stored.
Increase in store= carbon sequestration

Question 10

Rainfall

Answer 10

Plants take in water then release it again via transpiration, allowing more rainfall inland

Question 11

Soil conservation

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Threats to tropical rainforests

Answer 12

Unsustainable exploitation of resources
Forest removal for alternative land uses
Indirect threats from human activities

Question 13

Unsustainable exploitation of resources

Answer 13

Fuel wood

Timber for construction or furniture

Question 14

Forest removal for alternative land uses

Answer 14

Agriculture

Mineral extraction

Question 15

Indirect threats from human activities

Answer 15

Reservoirs

Global climate change

Question 16

Fuel wood

Answer 16

Used in poor, rural, areas
Other fuels too expensive
Very little replanting
Often converted to charcoal and sold

Question 17

Timber

Answer 17

For construction or furniture
Can be the only affordable material
Mainly exported
Can include cutting down existing forest for monoculture

Question 18

Agriculture

Answer 18

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

Question 19

Mineral extraction

Answer 19

Rainforests often contain many rich mineral deposits

Some countries may destroy the forest to get to these deposits

Question 20

Reservoirs

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Global climate change

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Conservation of rainforests

Answer 22

Debt-for-nature swaps
Protected areas
Trade controls

Question 23

Debt-for-nature swaps

Answer 23

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

Question 24

Case study- Panama

Answer 24

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.

Question 25

Case study- Korup rainforest, Cameroon

Answer 25

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

Question 26

Case study- Rio Bravo rainforest reserve, Belize, Central America

Answer 26

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

Question 27

Trade controls

Answer 27

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