Tropical rainforests Flashcards
What is an example of a tropical rainforest setting?
Indonesian Rainforest
How many species does The Indonesian Rainforest have?
3000
How much of Indonesia did Indonesia’s rainforest cover in 1900?
84% - 170 million hectares
What are some examples of species in the Indonesian Rainforest?
Sumatran tigers, pygmy elephant
What is Indonesia?
An archipelago of more than 17,000 islands
Why is the Indonesian Rainforest so important?
It is one of the most biologically and culturally rich landscapes
How much of Indonesia did Indonesia’s rainforest cover in 2000?
100 million
What was the Indonesian rainforest previously known as in terms of carbon?
One of the world’s major terrestrial carbon pools
How much carbon did the Indonesian rainforest used to store?
57 Gt
How much carbon does the Indonesian rainforest cover now?
37 Gt
What is the most reason for the decrease in carbon absorbed by the rainforest?
Deforestation and demolition
What happens when significant peatlands are burned and replaced by plantations?
Thousands of tonnes of carbon is released
The dried vegetation sets the stage for devastating forest fires
What has deforestation, demolition and the burning of peatland meant for Indonesia?
It is now the third largest emitter of greenhouse gas
How much of Indonesia’s greenhouse gas comes from the rainforest?
85%
Why does Indonesia not have any major rivers?
Because it is an archipelago of islands
What is one of the largest rivers in Indonesia?
Mahakam
How long is the Mahakam river?
980km long
What is the average discharge of the Mahakam river?
2,500 m3/s
How much rainfall does the lowland areas of Indonesia get?
180- 320cm
How much rainfall does the highland areas of Indonesia get?
610cm
When is Indonesia’s dry season?
April - October
When is Indonesia’s wet season?
November - March
How is deforestation affecting Indonesia’s water cycle?
The trees are crucial for interception, ensuring Indonesia doesn’t flood from its great amount of rainfall
How is deforestation impacting both the water and carbon cycle?
It leading to the rainforest releasing more carbon, increasing climate change, causing changes in the wet and dry season, meaning Indonesia is not receiving as much rainfall as they used too
Why is the main driver of change in the Indonesian rainforest?
Industry
What is the main industry causing a change in the Indonesian rainforest?
Palm oli, paper, plywood, paper
What did Indonesia become in the 1970s?
The leading raw material supplier in paper and palm oil
Since the 1970s how much Peat forest cover has Indonesia lost?
More than half
What is the main cause of disruption to the environment in Indonesia?
Human
By how much has rainfall decreased in Indonesia as a result of climate change from deforestation?
2-3%
How has climate change from deforestation affected Indonesia’s day to day temp?
Fewer cool nights, more warm nights and days
What temperature increase is Indonesia seeing as a result of climate change from deforestation?
2-3 degrees - extreme disruption to the ecosystem
In 2010, how much of the rainforest remains forested?
Just over 10 million hectares
How is climate change caused from deforestation impacting species?
They are limited by there intolerance to temp change, drought and seasonality - kill native plants, and cause migration of native animals like Orangoutangs, extinction
How will climate change caused by deforestation impact rivers?
Overall reduction in river discharge Increases in silt in rivers Flash floods Destroy freshwater ecosystems Destroy water supplies River species in danger
What campaign has Indonesia recently launched to mitigate the problems with the rainforest?
A campaign to stamp out illegal logging and deforestation
What law has Indonesia attempted to enforce to mitigate the problems with the rainforest?
A law banning plantations on deep peat and preventing fires on peatland
What has hindered the attempt to mitigate the problems in the rainforest?
Indonesias political economy of corruption
