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Tropical Rainforests Flashcards

1
Q

What % of the earth is tropical rainforest?

A

2%

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2
Q

What is temperature and rainfall like in a tropical rainforest?

A

High temperatures and high rainfall

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3
Q

What temperatures are tropical rainforests typically?

A

27° throughout the year

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4
Q

What is the annual rainfall in a tropical rainforest?

A

Over 2000mm

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5
Q

Which climate do tropical rainforests thrive in?

A

Equitorial (along the equator)

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6
Q

What does high rainfall in TRF’s lead too?

A

Swelling of rivers, flooding, leaching

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7
Q

What is leaching?

A

When water soaks into the soil, nutrients are dissolved by the water and transported away

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8
Q

How do local rainforests tribes farm?

A

Subsistence farming, only hunting what they need to survive (SUSTAINABLE)

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9
Q

What is the fertility of soil like in TRF’s?

A

Not very fertile

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10
Q

Why do plants in tropical rainforests have shallow roots

A

Nutrients are concentrated in the topsoil, so when plants grow they take up the nutrients (shallow roots maximises nutrient uptake)

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11
Q

How do plants rely on soils in tropical rainforests (interdependence)?

A

They uptake nutrients from the topsoil

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12
Q

How do people rely on plants and animals in tropical rainforests (interdependence).

A

Tribes have to hunt for food

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13
Q

How do plants rely on the climate and water in tropical rainforests?

A

Plants need water and sunlight for photosynthesis

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14
Q

What resources are species competing for in a tropical rainforest?

A

Access to sunlight, food, soil and water

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15
Q

How are buttress roots an adaptation to climate in a tropical rainforests?

A

They have deep thin roots to help anchor trees in shallow soils and reach the emergent layer for sunlight

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16
Q

How are drip tips an adaptation to climate in a tropical rainforests?

A

The pointed end of the leaf makes it easier for water to run off them (adaptation to high rainfall)

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17
Q

How have poison dart frogs adapted to tropical rainforests? (2 ways)

A

-If they eat poisonous insects, their toxics get absorbed by their mucus
-They have suction cups on their feet to grip slippery branches

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18
Q

How have three-toed sloths adapted to tropical rainforests? (3 ways)

A

-Extra vertebrae in their necks allow them to turn 270° to check for predators
-They grow green algae in their fur to camouflage
-They can swim in floods (from high rainfall)

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19
Q

What % of the world medicines come from rainforest plants?

A

25%

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20
Q

How does a rainforest provide electricity?

A

High rainfall allows hydroelectric power to be supplied to locals

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21
Q

How do TRF’s provide employment?

A

Tourist guides, farming, mining

22
Q

Which resources are found in rainforests?

A

Wood, nuts, minerals, spices, cocoa

23
Q

What percentage of the worlds freshwater is supplied by the Amazon basin?

24
Q

What is biodiversity a measure of?

A

How many different species live in an ecosystem

25
What is a social threat facing biodiversity?
New roads and settlements are being build --> areas chopped down
26
What is the threat of mining to biodiversity?
Toxic metals contaminate water supplies from runoff
27
What is an environmental threat facing biodiversity?
Slash and burn culture releases CO2
28
If biodiversity declines, which two issues does this lead to?
Scarce supplies or extinction of medicinal plants Animals becoming extinct
29
Why do rates of deforestation vary?
-Level of development --> NEE's and LIC's have a lot of deforestation to make space for growing migration -Government policy -->less strict rules on deforestation makes it more common
30
What is our case study for causes and impacts of deforestation?
The Amazon Rainforest - Brazil
31
Which road was build in Brazil which led to deforestation? (cause of deforestation)
Trans-Amazonian Highway which stretches for 4000km through the rainforest
32
Which dam was build in Brazil (cause of deforestation)?
Belo Monte dam as a source of hydroelectric power
33
Which iron ore mine was build for mineral extraction in Brazil(cause of deforestation)?
Carajas which is the largest iron ore mine in the world
34
What other things does mineral extraction lead to?
Scars in the landscape
35
Why have settlements been formed in the Amazon (cause of deforestation)?
Provide temporary housing for people working at mines and population growth
36
What is logging?
The process of harvesting trees
37
Which materials found in the rainforest are valued for furniture (cause of deforestation)?
Mahogany and Teak
38
What are smaller trees found in the rainforest used for (cause of deforestation)?
Fuel or made into charcoal
39
What percentage of deforestation does cattle farming account for?
80%
40
Why does deforestation lead to soil erosion and infertility?
Chopping down trees leaves the thin topsoil exposed ---> topsoil removed by heavy rain -->difficult for vegetation to grow
41
How long does it take for 1cm of soil to regenerate?
100 years
42
Why does deforestation lead to climate change?
Trees act as a carbon sink, and when chopped down, the carbon is released Less co2 absorbed from photosynthesis Slash and burn combustion releases co2
43
What was the 2006 International Tropical Timber agreement?
An agreement which restricted trade in tropical rainforest hardwoods, so they were difficult to sell and profit from
44
Why was the 2006 agreement important?
Many people illegally chopped down timber to make a hefty profit, but this agreement meant buyers saw where their timber was sourced via a tag
45
What is selective logging?
Only chopping down trees which are fully grown (30 years)
46
What is agroforestry?
Planting trees and crops in the same space, which controls soil erosion and runoff
47
What is replanting?
Trying to recreate forest cover which had been lost.
48
How were debt reductions used to aid deforestation?
Debt is converted into conservation programmes
49
What was the debt agreement between the USA and Brazil?
The USA let Brazil convert its $13.5 million debt into an agreement to protect areas in the Amazon
50
What is ecotourism?
Educating visitors of rainforests on wildlife and local cultures
51
What does ecotourism benefit?
Local communities, and protects the environment
52
Who runs ecotourism?
Local people --> jobs created for locals, no economic leakage

Geography (14 decks)

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