Year 8 Term 2 - Tropical Rainforests Flashcards
Four layers of rainforest in order
Forest floor, under-canopy, canopy, emergent
Describe the emergent layer
Small number of very tall trees - 60m ish tall
Describe the canopy layer
Most animals & trees, thickest layer
Describe under-canopy
Small, young trees - very little sunlight here
Describe forest floor
Lots of rotting plants and animal corpses found here
Describe the climate in the Amazon (include numbers)
Little temp fluctuation, 24-29’c
Rainfall big range - 230-150mm
Humid, hot, etcetc
How do buttress roots help trees
Big roots Keeps them stable, stop the, falling over, Able to grow traller
How is a fan palm adapted
Leaves are fanned so they all get enough sun
How are lianas adapted
They loop around branches so that it’s easier to reach sunlight and to get more water
How is a strangler fig adapted
Don’t have to hold its own weight, already high up and gets more sunlight, suffocate trees and steal nutrients
How do roots grow in rainforests
Stretch out near surface to quickly get nutrients
What are the seven main adaptations for animals in rainforests
Camouflage, mimicry, ability to change habitats, limited diet, nocturnality, reduction in size & stature, poison
Explain why camouflage is effective
Protects animal from predators without moving as much. Blend them in. Better help animal bc they don’t have to get close to defend themselves.
Name 6 main causes of deforestation
Farming, road construction, settlement growth, hydro-electric power, mining, logging
Why is farming a cause of deforestation & example
Land is cleared for cattle & cash crops, soya grown to feed chickens
Why is road construction cause of deforestation & example
Clearing rainforest for new transport networks. People in and raw materials out
Trans Amazon highway - 6000km into brazils interior
How does logging cause deforestation & example
Felling trees for timber to feed demand for furniture & materials, japans demand for hardwood in Amazonia rose 11mil^3 a year
How is mining a cause of deforestation & example
Large scale deforestation to create big open mines for mineral extraction - tin, copper, lead, gold, iron ore..
Carajas in Amazonia largest source of iron ore
How does hep cause deforestation & example
Constructing a dam across a river to create cheap, renewable area. Area around flooded and forest cleared
Tucri dam on Tocantins river
How does settlement growth cause deforestation & example
Population pressure mean people need more land
Migration from poorer areas of Brazil, seeking new land & employment
Local Impacts of deforestation
Soil becomes infertile, poor soil quality, 96% decrease in tribes - land taken
Global impacts of deforestation
Contributions to greenhouse effect, affects oxygen supply, loss of biodiversity, fresh water supply is reduced.
Explain why land being taken from tribes is a significant impact of deforestation
Unfair - living and looking after forest for years
What dangers do tribes face
Infections, outsiders in general, illegal loggers taking land, drug traffickers hurting them
Why should we leave uncontacted tribes alone
Spread infections to them, coped without help, respect their privacy, expensive to fund, don’t need their resources (sustainability), shouldn’t be intrusive
Why we shouldn’t leave uncontacted tribes alone
Attacking local villages - need to stop them, need protection from drug traffickers and loggers, help them with modern materials and goods, illness treatments, rich in minerals and medicines that could help us develop
