tropical rainforest (amazon rainforest) 2

Question 1

plant adaptations in tropical rain forests

Answer 1

the vegetation and animals are well adapted to the climatic conditions experienced within each layer

access to sunshine is a key factor promoting strong vertical growth., as shown by the tallest emergent trees who exploit maximum sunlight

Question 2

• Animal adaptations in tropical rainforests

Answer 2

Due to the intense competition for food, animals have become adapted to live off species of plants or animals that few others eat

bats thrive on the fruits growing in the canopy, which they can reach by flying, they also help disperse seeds, which pass through their digestive systems

animals may use color to act as camouflage or to warn predators to leave them alone

three-toed sloths have long claws, enabling them to climb trees. where they live most of the time, away from forest-floor predators. algae grow on their fir helping camouflage them

Question 3

How biodiverse are tropical rain forests

Answer 3

Indonesian rainforests are estimated to have over 30,000 species of plants and over 1,600 species of birds

rainforests contain 170,000 of the world’s 250,000 known plant species

a recent survey found 487 separate trees species in a single hectare in Brazil.

Question 4

why are there high levels of biodiversity in tropical rainforests

Answer 4

the wet and warm climate encourages a wide range of plants and trees to grow. these provide many different natural habitats for animals

the rapid recycling of nutrients speeds up plant growth and provides plentiful food for consumers

many parts of tropical rainforests are untouched by people, enabling a range of plants and animals to thrive

Question 5

main threats to biodiversity

Answer 5

slash and burn agriculture, creating a commercial plantation

unsustainable timber harvesting

development of roads and settlements

mining and subsequent pollution of water supplies from toxic metals

Question 6

main issues associated with biodiversity decline

Answer 6

indigenous tribes being unable to survive in rainforests and having to abandon their traditional lifestyles

plant and animals species may become extinct- some even before they have been discovered

important medical plants may become extinct

Question 7

changing rate of deforestation in the amazon rainforest

Answer 7

despite previously high levels of deforestation, from 2004 deforestation in the amazon declined from about 17,000 square miles to about 3500 square miles in 2012

the main reason for the decline was the action plan implemented by the Brazilian government in 2004

however, since the change in brazils government in 2019, there has been renewed deforestation in the Amazon, and rates are set to increase rapidly

Question 8

causes of deforrestation- logging

Answer 8

Logging is the first step in the conversion of forest land to other uses. Timber companies are most interested in trees such as mahogany and teak and sell them to other countries to make furniture (selective logging). Smaller trees are often used as wood for fuel or made into pulp or charcoal.

Question 9

causes of deforestation- mineral extraction

Answer 9

In the Amazon, mining is mainly about gold. In 1999 there were 10 000 hectares of land being used for gold mining. Today, the area is over 50 000 hectares. Bauxite is also extracted on a similar scale.

Question 10

causes of deforestation- energy development

Answer 10

An unlimited supply of water and ideal river conditions have encouraged dams to be built to generate HEP. This involves flooding large areas of the rainforest. Often dams have a short life. The submerged forest gradually rots making the water very acidic. This then corrodes the HEP turbines. The dams also become blocked with soil washed down deforested slopes by the rain.

Question 11

causes of deforestation- commercial farming cattle

Answer 11

Large areas of the Amazon rainforest have been cleared to make way for livestock rearing. The rearing of cattle is believed to account for 80% of the tropical rainforest destruction in Brazil. However, the land cannot be used for long and so the farmers have to move on and destroy more rainforest to create new cattle pastures.

Question 12

causes of deforestation- commercial farming crops

Answer 12

The forest is being cleared to make way for vast plantations, where crops such as bananas, palm oil, pineapple, sugar cane, tea and coffee are grown. The soil will not sustain crops for long. After a few years the farmers have to cut down more rainforest for new plantations. Growing sugar cane for biofuel is beginning to become a major crop.

Question 13

causes of deforestation- road building

Answer 13

Roads are needed to bring equipment and transport products to markets but road building means cutting great swathes through the rainforest. Additionally, a road built for one particular commercial activity makes the forest more accessible to other exploiters of the tropical rainforest resources. The Trans-Amazonian Highway began construction in 1972 and is 4000km long. Although only a small part is paved it has played an important part in opening up remote areas of the Amazon rainforest.

Question 14

causes of deforestation- settlement and population growth

Answer 14

All the above activities need workers, workers and their families need homes and services. That in turn, means clearing the forest to build settlements where these people can live.

Question 15

impacts of deforestation- economic development

Answer 15

mining and commercial farming generate employment and income for the government

taxes can be used to improve education and social conditions

oil palm, rubber, and other commercial farming products provide raw materials for processing industries, increasing the value of products sold abroad

hydroelectric provides cheap renewable power, boosting industrial development

improved infrastructure opens up new areas for economic development and settlement

long term economic losses might be felt as forest ecosystems are destroyed and land and rivers become polluted.

the loss of biodiversity may reduce tourism

Question 16

impacts of deforestation- soil erosion

Answer 16

As soon as any part of the first is cleared the thin topsoil is quickly removed by heavy rainfall. Bare slopes are particularly prone to soil erosion. Once the topsoil has been removed there is little hope of anything growing again. Soil erosion also leads to the silting up of river courses.

Question 17

Inter government agreements on hardwoods & species

Answer 17

International Tropical Timber Agreement (2006) which restricts the trade in hardwoods taken from tropical rainforests. The very high prices paid for tropical hardwoods have encouraged a huge amount of illegal felling. This often happens in remote areas and goes unnoticed. All timber now has to be marked with a registration number. The CITIES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, 1973) treaty blocks the illegal trade in rare and endangered animals and plants. The illegal trade is still worth millions of pounds.

Question 18

Debt reduction by HICs

Answer 18

Most of the countries with tropical rainforest are NEEs or LICs. They may also have large debts often resulting in overseas aid in the form of loans. Schemes known as debt for nature swaps are sometimes arranged. In 2010 for example USA signed an agreement to convert a Brazilian debt of £13.5 million into a fund to protect large areas of tropical rainforest. These swaps are all part of what is known more widely as debt reduction. .

Question 19

Conservation & Education by NGOs

Answer 19

Non governmental organisations such as WWF are charities that rely on volunteers and donations. These organisations:
• promote the conservation message largely through education programmes in schools
• Provide training for conservation workers
• Provide practical help to make programmes more sustainable
Buy up threatened areas and create nature reserves

Question 20

4. National Governments

Answer 20

In terms of conservation and education achieving a sustainable balance between protection and development in the tropical rainforest is the responsibility of the government. All governments have powers to pass laws to achieve this:
• Creating protected areas or reserves
• Stopping the abuse of rainforst and other biomes by developers
• Making subjects such as ecology or environmental studies a compulsory part of the school curriculum
There are though a number of problems to this:
• Few governments are willing to do anything that might slow down the rate of economic development
• Governments seem unwilling to enforce and monitor laws aimed at protecting or conserving the rainforest
• There is a lot of corruption in the way rainforests are treated e.g. Illegal loggers and developers paying bribes

Question 21

ecotourism.

Answer 21

holidays that help the rainforest by contributing to habitat correction. if you have this resort it gives jobs to local people and allows them to replant all the time.