Amazon Rainforest Case study 2!

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  • Amazon Rainforest CASE STUDY
    • Threats
      • Logging interests cut down rain forest trees for timber used in flooring, furniture, and other items.
      • Power plants and other industries cut and burn trees to generate electricity.
      • The paper industry turns huge tracts of rain forest trees into pulp.
      • The cattle industry uses slash-and-burn techniques to clear ranch land.
      • Agricultural interests, particularly the soy industry, clear forests for cropland.
      • Subsistence farmers slash-and-burn rain forest for firewood and to make room for crops and grazing lands.
      • Mining operations clear forest to build roads and dig mines.
      • Governments and industry clear-cut forests to make way for service and transit roads.
      • Hydroelectric projects flood acres of rain forest.
    • Adaptations
      • Plant Adaptations
        • Buttress Roots
          • Rainforest soils are very thin and therefore shallow roots are needed to soak up nutrients in these thin soils. Since trees in the rainforest grow very tall – many over 30m tall in the canopy layer – massive buttress roots form to give these tall trees extra stability in the shallow soils.
        • Drip Tips
          • Leaves often have a waxy surface with pointed tips at the end to enable excess rainwater to run-off easily. This is important because it prevents the growth of algae, which if able to grow would block out sunlight and reduce a plant photosynthesis
        • Leaf Angling
          • Leaves are often arranged at different angles so that a plant avoids shading its own leaves – important in rainforests where competition for light is intense.
      • Animal Adaptations
        • Macaw
          • Live high up in the tree canopies. They have special beaks that are very sharp and strong, which they use to crack hard-to-open nuts for food.
        • Poison Arrow Frog
          • Uses its brightly coloured skin to warn predators of the toxins in its body.
        • Camouflage
          • Anaconda snake has green and black markings so that it blends in with foliage
    • Location
      • Covers about 5.5 million km squared.
      • 78% in Brazil, smaller areas in places such as Peru, Colombia, Ecuador.
      • Between the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn.
        • Either side of the equator in south America.
    • Climate
      • 2677mm of rainfall each year
      • Temperature is between 26-27 degrees.
    • Management
      • Agro-forestry
        • Growing trees and crops at the same time. This lets farmers take advantage of shelter from the canopy of trees. It prevents soil erosion and the crops benefit from the nutrients from the dead organic matter.
      • Selective logging
        • Trees are only felled when they reach a particular height. This allows young trees a guaranteed life span and the forest will regain full maturity after around 30-50 years.
      • Education
        • Ensuring those involved in exploitation and management of the forest understand the consequences behind their actions.
      • Afforestation
        • The opposite of deforestation. If trees are cut down, they are replaced to maintain the canopy.
      • Forest reserves
        • Areas protected from exploitation.
      • Monitoring
        • Use of satellite technology and photography to check that any activities taking place are legal and follow guidelines for sustainability.

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