Tropicial Rainforest

Question 1

Tropical Rainforest climate

Answer 1

-No definite seasons
-Hot between 20°-28° as the suns energy is more intense near the equator as it is overhead all year round
-Rainfall very high, around 2000mm per year

Question 2

What are the soils like in the Rainforest

Answer 2

-They are infertile as most nutrients are found at the surface where dead leaves decompose rapidly in the hot and humid conditions
-Many plants have shallow roots to absorb these nutrients
-Heavy rainfall can dissolve and carry away nutrients (leaching) and it leaves an infertile red, iron rich soil called latosol

Question 3

Plants in the rainforest

Answer 3

-Over 1/2 of all plant and animal species on the planet live on just 7% of the land surface
-Most trees are evergreen so they can take advantage of the continual growing season
-Trees are tall and the vegetation cover is dense - barely any light reaches the flower
-Lots of epiphytes

Question 4

What animals are there and where do they live

Answer 4

-Birds live in the canopy feeding on nectar from flowers
-Mammals like monkeys and sloths are well adapted to living in the trees
-Animals like deer and rodents live on the forest

Question 5

How are leaves adapted in the rainforest

Answer 5

They have drip tips which helps to keep the leaves dry and prevents fungi and bacteria growing they also channel the water from the heavy rain off the leaves quickly

Question 6

How are epiphytes adapted for the rainforest

Answer 6

They are plants that grow on other trees and they can get water and nutrients from the trees and spas they are growing in the canopy they get easy access to the sun

Question 7

How are lianas adapted for the rainforest

Answer 7

They are woody vines that grow around trees and they can get to the sunlight without building a strong trunk and they use the structure of other trees to climb upwards

Question 8

How are roots adapted to help trees in the rainforest

Answer 8

They have shallow roots and wide bases as the soil only has nutrients available in the top layer.
The roots take up the nutrients quickly and the wide bases prevent the two trees falling over.

Question 9

How are trees bark adapted

Answer 9

They are thin and smooth so they are less likely to be used by plants they will kill or weaken them and it makes it difficult for other plants to grow up

Question 10

What is deforestation

Answer 10

Cutting down of trees often on a very land scale to make the land available for other profit making enterprises.
An estimated 18 million acres of forest are lost each year

Question 11

Why does biodiversity mean tropical rainforests should be protected

Answer 11

-Tropical rainforests contain half of all the plants and animals in the world. They are homes to thousands of different species and some plants may become extinct before they have even been discovered.

Question 12

Why does medicine mean rainforests should be protected

Answer 12

Around 25% of all medicines come from rainforest plants more than 2000 tropical forest plants have anti-cancer properties

Question 13

Why do resources mean tropical rainforests should be protected

Answer 13

Tropical rainforest trees produce valuable hardwoods as well as nuts, fruit and rubber

Question 14

Why do people mean tropical rainforests should be protected

Answer 14

Indigenous tribes live in the worlds rainforests making use of their resources without causing any long term harm

Question 15

Why does the climate mean tropical rainforests should be protected

Answer 15

Known as the lungs of the world; 28% of the worlds oxygen comes from rainforests and they prevent the climate from becoming too hot and dry.

Question 16

Why does water mean tropical rainforests should be protected

Answer 16

Rainforests are important sources for clean water - 20% of the worlds fresh water comes from the amazon basin

Question 17

Why does climate change mean tropical rainforests should be protected

Answer 17

Rainforests absorb and store carbon dioxide, a gas that is party, responsible for climate change.

Question 18

What is selective logging

Answer 18

Cutting out of trees that are manure or inferior encouraging the growth of the remaining trees in the rainforest

Question 19

what is mineral extraction

Answer 19

The removal of solid mineral resources from the earth (e.g. ores and precious stones)

Question 20

what is biodiversity reduction

Answer 20

The number of different species of plants and animals will decline

Question 21

What will more carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere mean

Answer 21

Will lead to negative changes to our climate

Question 22

What is commercial farming

Answer 22

Farming to sell produce for a profit to retailers or food processing companies

Question 23

What is subsistence farming

Answer 23

A type of agriculture that only benefits the farmer and their family

Question 24

What is logging

Answer 24

The business of cutting down trees and transporting the logs to sawmills

Question 25

What is soil erosion

Answer 25

Removal of the topsoil faster than it can be replaced due to natural and human activity

Question 26

How does logging cause deforestation

Answer 26

-It is the first step in the conversion of forest land to other uses
-Timber companies are interested in trees such as mahogany and teak as they can be sold to other countries to make furniture
-Smaller trees are used for fuel or made into pulp or charcoal

Question 27

How does mineral extraction cause deforestation

Answer 27

-In the Amazon most of the mining is for gold but there is also extraction of bauxite which is what aluminium is made from
-There were 10,000 hectares of land being used for gold mining. This increase as now there are over 50,000 hectares used.

Question 28

How is energy development a cause of deforestation

Answer 28

-Hydro-electric power is an ideal energy source in the rainforest because rainforests have an unlimited water supply and ideal river conditions
-Trees have to be removed because submerged forest roots causing acidic water corroding HEP turbines
-The dams have short life as they get blocked by soil washed down deforested slopes by heavy rain

Question 29

How does commercial cattle farming cause deforestation

Answer 29

-Livestock rearing in Brazil is said to account for 80% of all tropical rainforest destruction
-The land can’t be used for long as the quality of pastures quickly decline and the farmers have to cut down more rainforest for the pastures

Question 30

How does the commercial farming of crops cause deforestation

Answer 30

-The type of crops grown in plantations are bananas, palm oil, pineapple, sugar cane, tea and coffee
-The soil won’t sustain crops for long so the farmers will eventually have to cut more rainforest down for new plantations
-The amount of rainforest cleared for soybeans doubled between 1990-2010

Question 31

How does settlement and population growth cause deforestation

Answer 31

Workers are needed for these things and they need homes and services for them and their family which leads to more forest being cleared to built settlements

Question 32

How does roads being built cause deforestation

Answer 32

Roads are needed to bring in equipment and transport produce to markets
This can lead to further deforestation as it makes the forest accessible to other exploiters of the rainforest’s resources

Question 33

How are rainforests interdependent ecosystems

Answer 33

-The warm and wet climate helps fungi and bacteria on the forest floor to decompose dead plant material rapidly. This makes the surface soil high in nutrients, meaning plants can grow easily.
-Nutrient (plants pass on nutrients when eaten by animals + animals populations rise, when they die nutrients are transferred back to the soil making it rich)
-Plant and animal species have formed symbiotic

Question 34

What problems does building the BR163 cause

Answer 34

-Could increase deforestation in inner parts of the rainforest as easier to access as it’s a super highway that stretches 17000km
-Increase surface run-off

Question 35

Outline the problem the Achuar people are facing in the Amazon people

Answer 35

-They are a primitive tribe of around 11,000 people and they live in small communities and rely on the resources of the rainforest for their buildings, fuel and food and they treat it with respect
-There are rich oil reserves in this region and companies want to drill for oil which could lose the Achuar people their traditional land and may damage their environment
-They have been somewhat successful in defending their land as in 2012 Talisman energy stoped their oil exploitation in their region.

Question 36

What are the four layers of the rainforest (ground up)

Answer 36

Shrub layer > under-canopy > main canopy > emergent

Question 37

How have three toed sloths adapted in the rainforest

Answer 37

They use camouflage to hide from predators, and move very slowly to make it harder for predators to spot, their arms are longer than their legs and they have curved feet for grasping branches

Question 38

How have toucans adapted in the rainforest

Answer 38

Their distinctive colourful large bill can deter predators and they can use it as a feeding tool to help them reach fruit on branches that are too weak to support them. They can also regulate flow of the blood it’s bill so the bird can distribute heat away from the body

Question 39

How does deforestation in the Amazon rainforest impact climate change

Answer 39

-Trees remove CO2 from the atmosphere - the Amazon stores around 140 billion tonnes of carbon. Deforestation releases some of this as CO2 which causes global warming
-Up to 75% of Brazil’s CO2 emissions come from deforestation

Question 40

How does deforestation in the Amazon rainforest impact soil erosion

Answer 40

-Brazil is losing losing up to 100 tonnes of topsoil per hectare each year which may lead to landslides and flooding in the future
-Less tree canopy to intercept rainfall and fewer tree roots to absorb it, more water reaches the soil. This reduces soil fertility as nutrients in the soil are washed away
-Commercial and subsistence farmers are then forced to find new areas to farm, leading to further deforestation

Question 41

How does deforestation in the Amazon rainforest impact the economy

Answer 41

-Farming mainly has brought wealth to Amazonian countries (e.g. Brazil in March 2018 exported almost $600 million of beef) and its the world’s second largest exporter of soy beans
-Mining industry creates jobs (Buenaventura in Peru employs over 8000 employees)

Question 42

What efforts have been made to decrease deforestation in Brazil

Answer 42

-Protecting over 44% of the Amazon using funding from World Bank, the WWF and other groups
-Brazilian government uses satellite imagery to prevent large scale illegal logging

Question 43

Why is Brazil working to reduce their deforestation rate

Answer 43

-Pledged to reduce carbon emissions by 37% by 2025 in the Paris
-Increased global awareness about deforestation

Question 44

Give an example of medicine the rainforest

Answer 44

The periwinkle from Madagascar gives us vinblastine and vincristine. Vinblastine has helped increase the chance of surviving childhood leukaemia from 10% to 95%, vincristine is used to treat Hodgkins’ Disease.

Question 45

How can selective logging and replanting be a sustainable use of the rainforest

Answer 45

-Fell only full grown trees so younger ones are able to mature
-Protects ground from erosion and it’s cycle that lasts 30-40 years
-However trees are still being cut down and the rule can be exploited

Question 46

How can conservation and education be a sustainable use of the rainforest

Answer 46

-Rainforests can be presents in conservation areas e.g. nature parks or reserves
-Areas become protected by law and there is greater awareness about the value of the rainforest and reasons for its protection
-Could have poor management and not large enough for some species
-2018 Norway paid $70 million into Brazils Amazon fund for conversstion

Question 47

How can ecotourism be a sustainable use of the rainforest

Answer 47

-Introduces people to the natural world to benefit local communities and protect the environment. Has rules so less impact (e.g. waste and litter are disposed of properly to prevent contamination)
-Helps people see why the environment needs protection and if locals are employed they don’t have to log or farm to make money, meaning fewer trees are cut down.
-Costa Rica’s largest income and has led to 21% of the country being protected
-However these are expensive so less people go = less money made

Question 48

How can international ageements be a sustainable use of the rainforest

Answer 48

-Agreements are made with other countries that they will only buy wood with the FSC badge to show its sustainably sourced also hardwood agreements
-Not everyone follows the agreement

Question 49

How can debt reduction be a sustainable use of the rainforest

Answer 49

-Countries borrow money to fund development (e.g. In 2011 USA reduced Indonesia debt by $29 million in exchange for conserving their rainforests)
-The amount of reduction is sometimes as low as only 2% therefore NEEs might consider it worthwhile and continue to log