background

• what is the global distribution of tropical rainforests


  • they are found in a narrow belt either side of the equator
  • they are all between the tropic of cancer and the tropic of capricorn
  • vast majority are found within ten degrees north and south of equator
• characteristics of the amazon


  • humid
  • largest in the world
  • home to 1 in 10 species in the world
  • 7 million kilometres squared
  • larger than europe
• what is solar insulation


  the incoming solar energy that reaches the earth's atmosphere and surface
• where in the world gains the most solar insulation

  the equator
• how does the curvature of the earth influence solar radiation


  a sunbeam of insulation has to spread out over a larger surface than one reaching the equator
• why is there more solar insulation at the poles

  solar radiation has a longer journey through the atmosphere, meaning there is more scattering and absorption and therefore less of the sun's radiation reaches earth
• why do we get different seasons


  because the earth is tilted
• why are there no seasons at the equator


  each day the sun strikes at the same angle
• what is atmospheric circulation


  the large scale movement of air, and together with the ocean circulation, is the means by which thermal energy is redistributed on the surface of the earth
• what is the hadley cell

  the circulation cell closest to the equator
• what happens at the hadley cell


  the warm air rises at the equator, producing clouds and instability causes thunderstorms to develop and reduce latent heat
• what is convectional rainfall


  rainfall caused by warm air at the earth's surface which rises and cools and condenses.
• what type of cloud does convectional rainfall create


  cumulonimbus clouds
• what is net primary productivity (NPP)


  rate at which energy is stored as biomass, by plants or other primary producers and made available in the ecosystem
• characteristics of latosol soils

  • infertile and rich in iron, giving it a deep red colour
  • a product of intense leaching, weathering and are very acidic
  • have little organic matter due to rapid decomposition and uptake by vegetations
  • thin, dark humus layer on the surface