Tropical Rainforests

Question 1

How does the climate change throughout the year?

Answer 1

Stays the same - no definite season

Question 2

Temperature range?

Answer 2

20-28 degrees

Question 3

Why is it hot?

Answer 3

Sun’s energy is more concentrated, so more intense as it is overhead all year round

Question 4

How much rain per year?

Answer 4

2000 mm

Question 5

Tree type? Vegetation cover?

Answer 5

Evergreen, tall, vegetation cover is dense

Question 6

Light in forest?

Answer 6

Little light reaches forest floor

Question 7

Plant types (not trees)

Answer 7

Lots of epiphytes (grow on other plants buy take nutrients and moisture from air)

Question 8

Soil?

Answer 8

Not very fertile as heavy rain washes nutrients away. Surface nutrients due to rapid leaf decay but thin as it is wet and warm

Question 9

Animal examples

Answer 9

Gorillas, jaguar, anacondas, tree frogs, sloths and howler monkeys

Question 10

People?

Answer 10

Many indigenous people have adapted to life there. Hunt, fish, gather nuts and berries, grow food on small garden plots

Question 11

Biodiversity?

Answer 11

Very high

Question 12

Percentage of world’s species that live here?

Answer 12

~50%

Question 13

Threatened species numbers and change?

Answer 13

628 in 2008 to 1182 to 2014

Question 14

Describe how humans are interfering with the ecosystems and the effect

Answer 14

Deforestation - increased risk of drought as trees take up water and then release it back into the atmosphere.
less protection from heavy rain means nutrients get washed away more and so plants struggle to grow