tropical rainforests

Question 1

What are the seasons like?

Answer 1

there are no seasons, the climate is the same all year

Question 2

What’s the temperature like?

Answer 2

its generally 20-28 degrees celsius

Question 3

why are tropical rainforests always hot?

Answer 3

because the suns energy is more intense near the equator as it is overhead all year round

Question 4

What’s the rainfall like?

Answer 4

very high, around 2000mm per year

Question 5

why are most trees evergreen?

Answer 5

to help them take advantage of the continual growing season

Question 6

What’s the vegetation cover like?

Answer 6

dense

Question 7

how much light reaches the forest floor?

Answer 7

very little because of the dense vegetation and tall trees

Question 8

what does biodiversity mean?

Answer 8

a variety of organisms living in a particular area

Question 9

how much of the earth’s plant, animal, and insect species do rainforests contain?

Answer 9

around 50%

Question 10

why are rainforest stable and productive?

Answer 10

their climate is constant, it’s always hot and wet , plants and animals don’t have to cope with changing conditions and there plenty to eat.

Question 11

what’s the soil like in rainforests?

Answer 11

isn’t very fertile because heavy rain washes nutrients watay

Question 12

give three examples of animals that live in these environments.

Answer 12

howler monkeys, tree frogs, and anacondas

Question 13

how does the climate help the soil?

Answer 13

warm and wet climate helps fungi and bacteria on the forest floor to decompose dead plant material .this makes the surface soil high in nutrients

Question 14

what does symbiotic relationships mean?

Answer 14

where plants and animals depend on each other for survival

Question 15

what are the four layers of the rainforest?

Answer 15

forest floor, under canopy, canopy, and emergent trees

Question 16

what are plants in the rainforest adapted to?

Answer 16

high rainfall, high temperatures, and competition for light

Question 17

why do trees grow tall?

Answer 17

because they have to compete for sunlight

Question 18

why do plants have drip-tips and thick, waxy leaves?

Answer 18

so they can channel rainwater to the point, encouraging runoff so the weight of the water doesn’t damage the plant.

Question 19

what do lianas do?

Answer 19

climb up tree trunks to reach sunlight

Question 20

what do buttress trunks do?

Answer 20

support tall trees

Question 21

give 4 factors that affect global ecosystems

Answer 21

mountains, ocean current, altitude, and land, and sea

Question 22

how do mountains affect global ecosystems?

Answer 22

inland areas isolated from the sea have low rainfall, moist winds blowing over the oceans lose their moisture when they are forced upwards

Question 23

how do ocean currents affect global ecosystems?

Answer 23

the ocean spreads heat to the equator, the gulf stream brings up warmer sea temperatures, if the ocean is cold then desert-like conditions are formed

Question 24

how does altitude affect global ecosystems?

Answer 24

for every 100m, half a degree is lost

Question 25

what happens in high pressure?

Answer 25

air sinks

Question 26

what happens in low pressure?

Answer 26

air rises

Question 27

what is a trophic?

Answer 27

a level in the food chain

Question 28

name 5 threats to ecosystems

Answer 28

climate change, alien spices, storms, hunting, new diseases

Question 29

where are rainforests typically located?

Answer 29

in the tropics

Question 30

why do plants gradually drop three leaves through the year

Answer 30

so they can grow all year round

Question 31

define a producer

Answer 31

an organism or plant that is available to absorb energy from the Sun free photosynthesis

Question 32

Define a biome

Answer 32

A large global ecosystem with flora and fauna adapting to their environment

Question 33

Define a decomposer

Answer 33

An organism that breaks down dead plants and animal matter

Question 34

Describe what happens in the water cycle

Answer 34

Heavy daily conventional rain, trees Intercept rain, some rain reaches the ground, trees take up water, and water evaporates

Question 35

Describe the nutrient cycle

Answer 35

Trees shred leaves all year round, decaying vegetation decomposes rapidly, nutrients enter the soil, shallow roots take up the nutritents, trees grow rapidly

Question 36

Give 1 animla that is adapted to live in the rainforest

Answer 36

Jaguars have spotted fur. This camouflages them in the dappled shade of the the forest floor

Question 37

Give 5 causes of deforestation in the amazon

Answer 37

Logging, mineral extraction, subsistences farming, commercial farming, roads

Question 38

What is selective logging

Answer 38

Only fell fully grown trees Mark sustainable trees for sale

Question 39

What is ecotourism

Answer 39

It minimises damage to the environment and benefits locals, this creates incentives to protect the forest

Question 40

Give 4 ways of protecting the amazon

Answer 40

Selective logging, eco tourism, international agreements and debt reduction

Question 41

Give 3 effects of deforestation

Answer 41

Soil erosion, contribution to climate change and economic development

Question 42

What happens in soil erosion?

Answer 42

Land left unprotected from heavy rain leads to flooding and landslides . Nutrients are washed away

Question 43

What happens in economic development?

Answer 43

Destroys resources in the long term, create jobs and income, lively hoods of locals are destroyed

Question 44

What happens in contribution to climate change?

Answer 44

Trees are cut down and change the water cycle and make it drier. Burning also realeses carbon dioxide into the air

Question 45

What is the producers source of energy

Answer 45

Solar energy e.g green plants and bacteria