Tropical Rainforest Flashcards
Where are tropical rainforest found?
Tropical Rainforest are located mostly a few degrees either side of the equator between the tropics of cancer and Capricorn in the equatorial climate.
What is the weather like in a tropical rainforest?
Rainforests are hot and humid with high but variable rainfall there are no distinct seasons
What are distinctive characteristics of rainforests?
- The biodiversity is remarkable supporting more plants and animals than any other biome
- Soils are iron rich and surprisingly infertile because nutrient cycling is so rapid once tropical rainforests are cleared the soils are prone to rapid leaching where minerals are lost in solution
- Small changes such as deforestation or water pollution can have serious knock-on affect on the entire ecosystem
What is the soil like in a rainforest?
Soils cycle nutrients rapidly to support new growth but if the rainforest is cleared they become exposed to excessive leaching and are quickly exhausted of stored nutrients.
What is the shrub and ground layer like in a rainforest?
The shrub and ground layer is 0 to 10 m tall
• Limited to ferns woody plants and younger trees because of lack of light
• Bacteria and fungi rapidly rot the fallen leaves, dead plants and animals
• Thick buttress roots help to spread the weight of the towering trees above
What is the lower tree canopy like in the tropical rainforest?
- The Lowe tree canopy is 10-20m tall
- shaded less substantial trees waiting to take advantage of the next available lights space
- Interlocking spindly branches and climbing woody creepers from green corridors along which lightweight animals can travel
What is the middle canopy of the rainforest like?
- Most productive layer as each mushroom shaped crown has an enormous photosynthetic surface of dark leathery leaves
- Drip tips help them shed Water quickly and efficiently
What Is the top canopy of the rainforest like?
- they are 35 to 50 m tall
* Hardy expose emergent trees with Straight branchless trunks receive the most light
Why is deforestation taking place in Malaysia?
Malaysia is in South East Asia it is 67% tropical rainforest but its rate of deforestation is increasing faster than any tropical country in the world
How is logging a threat to Malaysia rainforest?
- In the 1980s Malaysia became the worlds largest exporters of highly value tropical wood
- But destructive clear felling have now largely been replaced by selective logging of mature trees only
How does roadbuilding cause a threat to Malaysia rainforest?
Roads are constructed to provide access to logging and mining areas new settlements and energy products
How does mineral extraction cause a threat to Malaysia rainforest?
Tin mining is established and drilling for oil and gas has recently started
How does population pressure cause a threat to Malaysia rainforest?
- Poor people from urban areas have been encouraged to move into the countryside from rapidly growing cities
- This transmigration has set up settlements and palm oil plantations
How does commercial farming called a threat to Malaysians rainforest?
- Malaysia is the largest export of palm in the world
* Ten year tax incentives encourage more deforestation for more plantations
How does subsistence farming cause a threat to Malaysia rainforests?
Traditional short-term clearance is small-scale and sustainable but slash and burn fires can grow out of control destroying large areas of forest
