Rainforests

• tropical rainforest biome has high temperatures and heavy rainfall all year round
• The Amazon rainforest is the largest tropical rainforest on Earth, covering an area of approximately 5 million square kilometers.
• Rainforests have high levels of biodiversity
• Rainforests are highly interdependent meaning that they are very vulnerable to changes in climate because different factors depend on each other
• Deforestation involves chopping down trees in rainforests
• Main causes of deforestation in rainforests:

  • commercial farming
  • subsistence farming
  • logging
  • mineral extraction
  • road building
• 80% of deforestation in the amazon is due to commercial farming, there are around 200 million cattle
• Logging is cutting down trees for timber, paper products and fuel wood
• subsistence farming is when small-scale farmers grow crops for family
• soil erosion is caused by deforestation because a lack of trees means that soil is exposed to the wind and rainfall
• Deforestation leads to more co2 being produced which can cause climate change and contribute to global warming
• deforestation destroys habitats and disrupts ecosystems
• Layers of the rainforest:

  A) shrub layer

  B) under canopy

  C) canopy

  D) emergents

  
• butress roots are large roots which support the growth of tall trees
• some plants in the shrub layer have adapted to grow without sunlight
• plants grow on top of each other because there is a lack of space
• the trees have waxy leaves for easy water runoff
• lianas are vines that grow horizontally and are often found in tropical rainforests
• In the emergent layer the trees are very tall to reach sunlight