Amazon Rainforest

• Importance of Amazon Rainforest locally


  - reduce risk of flooding by interception

  - suppress risk of fires

  - reduce air pollution

  - plants used for medicince

  - home to many indigenous people

  - Large source of foods (fish, plants) and water
• Importance of Amazon Rainforest globally


  - huge carbon sink

  - 10-15% world's biodiversity

  - Holds 20% world's fresh water

  - has 50% of animal species

  - Produce 1/5 oxygen we breathe

  - decreases climate change

  - lots of other places are dependant on the amazon
• Reasons for deforestation


  - soy beans farms grown for animals

  - cattle ranching room

  - moving ranches/ farms further into forest (often illegally)

  - mining precious metals

  - logging for timber

  - more land available for urbanisation/ housing

  - build roads for trade and transport
• methods of deforestation


  - burning - releases CO2, uncontrollable

  - logging
• impacts of deforestation locally


  - not able to make medicine

  - loss of habitat for animals

  - tribes people that rely on rainforest will die or force to live in towns

  - increase risk of flooding

  - increase risk of fires

  - increase drought

  - river pollution

  - decrease biodiversity

  - soil erosion
• Impacts of deforestation globally


  - loss of carbon sink

  - increase climate change

  - damage of other ecosystems through interdependence and weather

  - if 40% rainforest deforested, loss of water recycling capacity no longer survive (tipping point)

  - 60- 70% deforested would turn into savanna

  - adds 3 billions tonnes carbon dioxide a year
• layers of rainforest


  - emergent layer

  - canopy layer

  - understory (under canopy) layer

  - Forest floor
• Plants that use others to help


  - Epiphytes - live on trunks and branches of other to get as much sunlight

  - Epiphylls - tiny plants live on surface of leaves

  - Lianas - roots in ground and use other trees to climb to get sunlight
• Adaptations of plants


  - Drip leaves - waxy surface and pointy ends for water to run off stop algae growth

  - Leaf Angles - arranges different angles so maximise light

  - Red leaves - young saplings protection from sunlight while still developing

  - Buttress Roots - shallow massive roots for extra stability
• adaptations of Toucan


  - bright colours for mate or deter predators

  - nest in holes/ trees to avoid predators

  - strong claws to climb trees/ hold

  - blood vessels on large beak to lose heat

  - Strong bill to crack open nuts
• adaptations of Anteater


  - huge paws and claws to open nests

  - live in canopy and ground

  - long tails for balance and climb

  - long sticky tongue to get insects out of nest
• adaptations of Central American squirrel monkey


  - large tail for balance

  - paws like hands to eat and grip trees

  - short, strong thighs for power to leap
• adaptations of Poison dart frog


  - spit out poison for defence

  - suction pads toes to climb trees and leaves

  - bright colours deter predators
• adaptations of three toed sloth


  - extremely slow so don't draw attention predators

  - greenish algae on fur for camouflage

  - strong legs and claws for hanging
• measures to combat deforestation


  - expand rainforest protected with strict banning

  - sustainable use of reserves

  - more land for indigenous people

  - almost 1/2 under some protection

  - people can only clear 20% of their land

  - Police force Ibama to track people illegally deforesting

  - afforestation (conversion of lands into forests)

  - reafforestation (replantation of trees in deforested land)
• deforestation rate over time

  - 70% decrease since 1990s

  - 2019 was highest rate in the decade
• Politics increasing deforestation


  - ruralists in parliament 17 to 44%2 2018

  - New ruralist president (Bolsanaro) weaken environmental regulations

  - budget costs cut to enforcement agencies
• what % of amazon rainforest has been deforested


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