rainforests geography

• What % of earth's surface do rainforests cover?

  6%
• What % of the world's plant and animal species live in rainforests?

  50%
• How many mm of rainfall does the amazon receive in a year?

  2096mm
• The emergent layer

  30-60m high

  exposed to high winds and sunlight
• The canopy layer

  20-30m high

  exposed to rain
• The undercanopy layer

  5-15m high

  dark, little wind, humid
• The forest floor


  Sparse vegetation

  2% of light reaches here
• Average temperature in Amazon rainforest?

  27ºc
• Why are rainforests hot?

  The suns' rays are the most concentrated at the equator
• Why are rainforests wet?

  Hot air at the equator rises, and then cools and condenses to form clouds
• Characteristics of latosols

  Rich in iron

  Red brown colour

  Infertile
• Why are latosols infertile?

  Constant leaching, nutrients are washed away
• What is humus?


  Broken down litter
• Adaptations of buttress roots

  Shallow - nutrients are in the humus layer

  Tall - supports the tree to grow

  Long - to maximise the amount of nutrients collected
• Adaptations of drip tips

  Pointed tip - allows water to flow off, preventing algae growth

  Large SA - bigger area for photosynthesis
• Adaptations of howling monkeys

  Loud call - to communicate in vast expanse of rainforest

  Hook-like hands - to swing in trees and hunt
• Adaptations of the sloth

  Nocturnal - easier to hunt for food

  Specialised tendons in hands - allows them to hang for extended periods of time
• Where are tropical rainforests located?

  In the equatorial region

  15º N and S from the equator
• How long can weak rainforest soil support cattle for?

  5-7 years
• What % of deforested land does cattle ranching account for?

  80%
• What woods are logged for in the amazon?

  Mahogany and teak for furniture
• How long is the Trans-Amazonian highway?

  4000km
• Problems with the Trans-Amazonian highway?

  Gives access to exploitation - logging stations, mines
• What % of deforestation in the Amazon occurs within 5km of a road

  95%
• What is mined in the Amazon?

  Gold and bauxite
• Problems with mining in the Amazon

  Poisons used to extract gold can wash into rivers
• How is energy being developed in the Amazon rainforest?

  Dams, generating hydroelectric power
• How many plant, animal and insect species are lost daily due to deforestation?

  137
• What % of medicines come from the rainforest?

  25%
• Causes of deforestation in the Amazon

  Commercial farming

  Mineral extraction

  Energy development

  Logging

  Settlements
• What % of the world's fresh water comes from the Amazon Basin?

  20%
• What % of the world's plants and animals exist in tropical rainforests?

  50%
• How can the Amazon rainforest be sustainably managed?

  Ecotourism

  Selective logging

  Debt reduction