Tropical Rainforests

• Where are tropical Rainforests found?

  Between the tropics of cancer and Capricorn
• Why is it very hot in rainforests?

  Because they are very close to the equator so receive the suns rays at a nearly ninety degrees angle (Hadley Cell)
• Why is there lots of rainfall in rainforests?


  because the intense heat causes water to rapidly evaporate condense and precipitate
• How are spider monkies adapted to the rainforest?


  they have long strong legs and arms to help them swing from tree to tree

  They also have long tails to help balence and to hang from
• How are lianas adapted to living in the rainforest?

  • they climb up trees to reach the sunlight needed for photosynthesis
• How are jaguars adapted to the Amazon rainforest?

  • they have yellow spotty fur so that they can camouflage with the dappled light
  • they have strong legs and large paws so they can climb trees and swims across the Amazon river
  • Their claws are sharp for grip
  • This helps them be good hunters
• How are trees adapted to the rainforest?

  • They are very tall so they can reach the canopy and get sunlight for photosynthesis
  • They have wide butress bases to support them
  • Their leaves often have drip tops and are very waxy so water doesn’t settle on them and cause them to rot and die
• What are some causes for deforestation?

  • Logging (2%, where trees are cut down so their wood can be used)
  • Subsistence farming (25% where one only farms enough for themselves, often natives)
  • Commercial farming (70%, farming for economic gain eg cattle farming)
  • Other: road building, mineral extraction, energy development, settlements
• Give an example of a mine in the Amazon Rainforest?

  ?The carajas ore mine (3000 jobs)
• What percentage of deforestation is caused by subsistence farming?


  25%
• What percentage of deforestation is done for commercial farming?


  70%
• Local Climate Change:

  • Rainforest trees release moisture
  • Generates 75% of there rain this way
  • If trees are cut down then less moisture is released
  • Do there is less rain, and it is hotter causing droughts and fires
• Global Climate change:

  • the trees in the amazon store lots of CO2
  • So when they are cut down this CO2 is released into the atmosphere, contributing to the greenhouse effect
• Increased soil erosion:

  When trees are cut down the soil is weak so it is washed away (leaching), and most nutrients are stored in biomass so the souls become infertile quickly, so more trees are cut down
• Economic growth

  Practices such as logging, mineral mining and commercial farming help Brazils economy to grow, 8% of brazils GDP comes from Amazon
• Rainforests help the world by…

  • Absorbing and storing CO2
  • They reduce drought by producing rain
  • Home to half the worlds plant and animal species
  • quarter of the worlds medicines come from rainforest plants
  • They provide hardwood fruit and rubber
  • Home to indigenous tribes
• Strategies to sustainably manage rainforests include…

  • selective logging
  • replanting
  • conservation
  • education
  • ecotourism
  • international tropical hardwood agreements
  • debt reduction
• What is selective logging?


  where only certain trees are felled, allowing the first to regenerate but obtains less logs
• What is replanting?


  When trees are raised in nurseries then out into rainforest, some succes if done immediately but most ecosystems have already been lost by the time the plants are ready
• Some examples of conservation include creating national parks and reserves
• Education helps rainforests by?


  helping locals to make money sustainably, people in HICs are encouraged to stop buying products from the Rainforest (a charity that does this is the Rainforsst Alliance)
• What is ecotourism ?


  Small scale tourism where tourists stay in sustainable lodges and are educated, local people earn money but too small to have economic impact
• Ecotourism...

  • protects local environment
  • provides jobs for local community
  • improves local area, more money and employment = better schools, healthcare and housing