Tropical rainforests

Created by

Hasset Kifle

Cards (40)

Where are tropical rainforests found?
Found in a broad belt along the equator and through the tropics in:
-Central and south America
-Central Africa
-South east Africa
-Northern Australia
Why are tropical rainforests positioned where they are?
They are positioned where they are because of the global atmospheric circulation.
What is global atmospheric circulation? 
The movement of air around the planet which causes there to be high pressure at the tropics leading to the area being hot and dry. Surface winds also move heat from here to the equator. This creates an area of low pressure which leads to clouds forming and therefore rainfall. This results in the equator being warm and wet which creates the optimum environment for tropical rainforests
What is the climate like in tropical rainforests? 
-Temperatures are high and constant throughout the year. This is because the sun is overhead most of the time
-Rainfall is high because the global atmospheric circulation causes an area of low pressure to form at the equator
-Rainfall varies throughout the year with a distinct wet season lasting around 6months. This is because of a period of intense rainfall when the equatorial low pressure area is directly overhead
What is the soil like in a tropical rainforest?
The soil isn't very fertile as heavy rain washes nutrients away (this is called leaching). There are surface nutrients due to decayed leaf fall, but this layer is very thin as decay is fast in the warm, moist conditions.
-Many trees and plants have been adapted to have shallow roots to absorb these nutrients
How have plants adapted to rainforests?
-Most plants and animals are found in the canopy where there is lots of light
-Many leaves have a 'drip tip' allowing heavy rain to run off the leaf without damaging the leaf
- Trees are fast growing to out-compete other trees to reach sunlight
-Epiphytes live on the branches high in the canopy to seek sunlight- the obtain nutrients from water and air not soil
-trees have a wide base to support the tree since the roots aren't deep in the ground
-shallow roots (buttress roots) since all the nutrients are found on the surface of the forest floor
What kind of animals are found in tropical rainforests? 
-tropical rainforests support the largest member of species of any biome
-Over 50% of all plants an animals species on earth live on 7% of the land surface
-Birds live on the canopy feeding on nectar from flowers
-Mammals like monkeys and sloths are well adapted to living in trees
-Animals like deers and rodents live on the forest floor
Which country had the highest percentage of forest loss in 2000-2012?
Malaysia
lost 14.4% of its forest
Where is Malaysia? 
Malaysia is a country in south-east Asia and is mad up Peninsular and East Malaysia.
67% of Malaysia's land is covered by rainforest
What are the causes of deforestation in Malaysia? 
Logging, road building, mineral extraction, energy development, commercial farming, sustenance farming, population pressure
How is logging a cause of deforestation in Malaysia? 
-Malaysia became the world's largest exporter of tropical wood in the 1980s
-Clear felling, where all trees are chopped down in an area was common. This lead to the total destruction of forest habitats
How is road building a cause of deforestation in Malaysia? 
-Roads are constructed to provide access to mining areas, new settlements and energy projects
-Logging requires road construction to bring in machinery and take away the timber
How is energy development a cause of deforestation in Malaysia? 
-In 2011 after 5 decades of delays the controversial Bakun Dam in Sarawak started to generate electricity
-The Bakun Dam is Asia's highest dam outside China and it supplies energy for industrialised Peninsular Malaysia
How is mineral extraction a cause of deforestation in Malaysia? 
-Mining is common in Peninsular Malaysia. Rainforest has been cleard for mining and road construction
-Drilling for oil and gas has recently started in Borneo
How is population pressure a cause of deforestation in Malaysia? 
-In the past, poor urban people were encouraged by the government to move into the countryside from the rapidly growing cities
-Between 1956 and 1980s about 15,000hectares of rainforest was felled for the settlers. Many then set up plantations
How is commercial farming a cause of deforestation in Malaysia? 
Malaysia is the largest exporter of palm oil in the world. During 1970s, large areas of land were converted to palm oil plantations. Plantation owners receive 10yr tax incentives, so increasing amounts of land have been converted to plantations
How is subsistence farming a cause of deforestation in Malaysia? 
-Tribal people living in the rainforest practice subsistence farming. Traditionally, local communities would hunt and gather food from the forest and grow some food crops in cleared pockets of forest
-One method of clearing land is 'slash and burn'. This involves the use of fire to clear the land, but the fires can grow out of control destroying large areas of forest
What are the impacts of deforestation in Malaysia? 
- Soil erosion
- Loss of biodiversity
- Contribution to climate change
- Economic development
Why is soil erosion an impact of deforestation? 
-soil takes thousands of years to form-but can be stripped away in hours
-soil erosion is the removal of soil by wind and rain
-the roots of trees and plants bind the soil together
Deforestation means that soil can easily become loose and erode away
Why is the loss of biodiversity an impact of biodiversity? 
-Deforestation destroys the ecosystem and the many habitats that exist on the ground and in the trees
Describe biodiversity in the Main Range, Peninsular Malaysia 
-Its an upland region stretching for 500km
-its important because it is the largest area of continuous forest left in Peninsular Malaysia and has 600 species.
-It still has many undiscovered plants that can have medicinal qualities
How is an impact of deforestation contribute to climate change?
-During photosynthesis, trees absorb C02 and emit oxygen, CO2 is a greenhouse gas that is partly responsible for global warming. By absorbing C02 trees can store the carbon and help to reduce the rate of global warming.
deforestation affects the climate because:
-trees give off moisture by transpiration: deforestation reduces the moisture in the air resulting in a drier climate
-the process of evaporation uses heat and cools the air; if trees are cut down, this cooling ceases and temperatures rise.
What are the economic gains of deforestation? 
-Development of land for mining, farming and energy will lead to jobs both directly (construction, farming) and indirectly (supply and support industries)
-Hydro-electric power developments in the rainforest will provide cheap and plentiful energy, in addition to providing skilled jobs for local people
-Minerals extracted from mines, such as gold and diamonds are very valuable
-Companies will pay taxes to the government which can be used to improve public services, such as education and water supply
-Improved transport infrastructure opens up new areas for industrial development and tourism, and also improves quality of life for local people in addition to allowing a wider availability of jobs due to easier accessbility
What are the economic losses of deforestation? 
- Plants that may have important medicinal properties could be made extinct
-Fires can cause harmful pollution. They can burn out of control, destroying vast areas of valuable forest
-The number of tourists attracted by tourists could decrease
-Rising temperatures could devastate some forms of farming such as growing tea, fruit and flowers
What is the rate of deforestation? 
Every 2s an area of rainforest the size of a football field is destroyed
an area the size of China has been lost
By how much have deforestation rates fallen in Brazil since 2004? 
by nearly 80%
How have Brazil decreased their rate of deforestation? 
-Brazilian government has cracked down on illegal deforestation
-Brazil is committed to reducing carbon emissions to tackle climate change
-Brazil is leading the world in conservation - over 1/2 of the Amazon is now protected
-Consumer pressure not to use products from deforested areas has led to a decline in cattle farming
Why should rainforests be protected? 
-25%of medicines come from rainforest plants and more then 200 plants have anti-cancer properties
-contain 50% of the world's plants and animals and some plants become extinct before they are discovered
-Rainforest trees provide valuable hardwoods, nuts, fruits etc.
-Rainforests absorb and store CO2
-indigenous tribes live in harmony in rainforests and don't cause long term harm
-Rainforests are important sources of clean water (e.g. 20% of the world's freshwater comes from the Amazon Basin)
-28% of the world's oxygen comes from rainforests
Who are the Penan tribe and where are they located? 
They are hunter-gathers who live in rainforests of the interior of Sarawak, in the Malaysian part of the island of Borneo
Why are the Penan tribe suffering? 
They rely on the forests for their existence but the Sarawak state government doesn't recognise their rights to the land, so since the 1970s the government has backed large scale commercial logging on tribal land. In 1987 many Penan communities protested against the logging by blockading the roads cut through the forest by the logging companies
The government now plans to build 12 new hydroelectric dams which will lead to flooding many villages belonging to Penan and many indigenous tribes.
Why do rainforests need to be managed sustainably? 
- Ensure that they remain a lasting resource for future generations
- Harness valuable resources without causing long-term damage to the environment
Ways tropical rainforests can be managed sustainably
-selective logging and replanting
-conservation and education
-ecotourism
-international agreements
Explain selective logging and replanting 
-the most damaging form of deforestation is clear felling - all trees are destroyed and the ecosystem is destroyed
-A more sustainable approach- selective logging which is managed carefully
Give an example of selective logging and replanting 
Introduced in Malaysia in 1977- 'Selective Management System'
-2 years before felling: pre-felling study to identify what their is
-the cycle begins again of cutting and replanting trees 30-40yrs after felling
Explain conservation and education 
-rainforest preserved in conservation areas eg national parks or nature reserves- these areas can be used for education, scientific research or tourism
-large international businesses have supported conservation projects in exchange for carrying out scientific research or the provision of raw materials
Give an example of conservation and education
Givaudan - a Swiss perfume company
-they work with conservation international
-they aim to protect 148,000ha of rainforest in Venezuela
-local people are encouraged to harvest and market tonka beans
-a warehouse where beans can be dried and stored was built in 2012- improves their quality and value
Explain ecotourism 
-Aims to introduce people to the natural world, benefit local communities and protect the environment for the future
-provides local people with jobs
-increases awareness of the value of the rainforest to people in other countries
examples of ecotourism 
-countries like Costa Rica, Belize and Malaysia have promoted their forests for ecotourism
-ECOMY= Ecotourism and COnservation in MalaYsia
-founded in 2015
-Projects include 'Nature Guides Mentorship Programme' which gives local people training and jobs, merchandising of 'Birds of Malaysia' artwork, t-shirts and badges and talks and presentations to provide education to visitors
Explain international agreements 
-Rainforests absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, release oxygen and maintain levels of humidity
-International agreements have bee made to help protect rainforests
Give examples of international agreements 
Hardwood Forestry
-The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international organisation that promotes sustainable forestry
-They try to educate manufacturers and consumers about the need to buy sustainable hardwood
-Aim to reduce demand for rare and valuabe hardwoods
Debt Reduction
-some countries have borrowed money to fund developments
-some donor countries and organisations have reduced debts in return for agreement that rainforests will not be destroyed