tropical rainforests

• Where are rainforests located?

  Located on South America, Africa and Asia around the equator

  Countries: Brazil, Malaysia, Congo
• What is the climate like in the rainforest?

  Very rainy - over 2000mm of rainfall

  Above 20 degrees celsius
• What is the nutrient cycle like in the rainforest?

  Biomass is the biggest store

  Soil is very small store of nutrients
• Why is the soil store so small?

  It is very biodiverse - nutrients are absorbed very quickly by the dense plant life
• What are the layers of the

  rainforest?

  Emergent

  Canopy

  Under canopy

  Shrub layer

  As you go closer to the ground, the layers get less sunlight
• What are lianas?


  Woody creepers. Roots in the ground, attach themselves to trees so have flowers in the canopy
• Why have lianas adapted to the rainforest?

  To access sunlight
• What are drip tips?

  Pointy tips, so water can run off quickly without breaking them
• Why have drip tips adapted to the rainforest?

  There is very heavy rainfall
• What are the characteristics of a sloth?

  Tan coats

  Thick and dense coats

  Prolonged metabolism - energy from food releases really slowly
• Why do sloths have tan coats?

  Matches the colour of the trees, preventing them from being seen by predators
• Why do sloths have thick, dense coats?

  Keeps them dry during really heavy rain
• Why do sloths have long metabolisms?

  They can stay in the same tree for a long time, saving them energy.
• What is deforestation?

  Deforestation: The chopping down and removal of trees to clear an area of forest
• What is our case study of a rainforest?

  Malaysia
• What are the 8 reasons that deforestation is happening?

  Subsistence farming

  farming,

  logging,

  road building,

  mineral extraction,

  energy development,

  settlement,

  population growth
• What is the definition of subsistence farming?

  A type of agriculture producing food and materials for the benefit only of the farmer and his family.
• How do tribes subsistence farm?

  Slash and burn - the use of fire to clear the land
• What is the definition of commercial farming?

  Farming to sell produce for a profit to retailers or food processing companies.
• What is farmed in Malaysia?

  Malaysia is the largest exporter of palm oil. - 38% of GDP. Land is converted in palm oil plantations
• What is the definition of logging?

  The business of cutting down trees and transporting the logs to sawmills.
• What kind of trees are logged in Malaysia?

  Largest exporter of tropical wood
• What is mineral extraction?

  Tin

  Oil and gas in Borneo
• Why are roads being built?

  Provide access to mines, energy projects and settlements
• What is energy development?

  Infrastructure for producing energy
• What energy development have they built in Malaysia

  The Bakun Dam in Sarawak supplies energy for industry in Malaysia
• Why did people settle in Malaysian rainforest?

  Poor urban people were encouraged by the government to move to the city.
• What are the economic activities from deforestation?

  Mining, farming, energy
• What are the positive impacts of economic activity in Malaysia?

  Taxes

  Jobs

  Areas opened up for development

  Oil and gas are valuable for export

  Cheap energy from hydroelectric power
• What are the negative impacts of economic activity in Malaysia?

  Fires to clear land cause pollution

  Puts tourists off

  Rising temperatures could affect farming
• What is soil erosion?

  Removal of topsoil faster than it can be replaced, due to natural (water and wind action), animal, and human activity.
• How do trees prevent soil erosion?

  Canopy acts as an umbrella and protects the soil from rain

  Roots bind soil together
• How does deforestation lead to soil erosion?

  Heavy rain hits the soil and washes it out
• How does deforestation lead to global climate change?

  Less carbon is absorbed

  Burning wood releases carbon

  Lead to enhanced greenhouse effect
• How does deforestation lead to local climate change?

  There is less evapotranspiration by trees

  Less moisture in the air

  Gets drier and hotter
• What are the impacts of soil erosion in Malaysia?

  Landslides in Kuala Lumpur from soil erosion have killed 15.
• What are the impacts of deforestation on climate in Malaysia?

  Kedah and Perak have experienced a rise in surface temperatures.
• Why are forests important?

  Medicine: 25% of medicine comes from the tropical rainforest

  Indigenous people: Home to many communities that rely on them

  Climate: Produce 20% of oxygen

  Habitats: Most biodiverse place on earth (50% of species)
• What are the sustainable management strategies?

  Selective logging

  Conservation

  Education

  Ecotourism

  International tropical hardwood agreements

  Debt reduction
• What is selective logging?

  The cutting out of trees which are mature or inferior, to encourage the growth of the remaining trees in a forest or wood.