Tropical Rainforests
- Created by: marsbarsxoxo
- Created on: 25-03-18 14:21
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- TRFs
- CLIMATE
- wet and hot
- ideal for growth
- 27-32 degrees temperature and 2000mm of rainfall
- wet and hot
- LOCATION
- found between the Tropics of Capicorn and the tropic of Cancer
- 23.5 degrees north and south of the equator
- LAYERS OF THE RAINFOREST
- Forest floor
- very little light
- covered in leaf litter, hummus, rotting branches ect.
- when a tree falls, lights gets in and encourages young plants to grow fast; they compete for the extra sunlight
- Canopy
- 2nd highest layer (30-45m)
- crowns of trees knit together to form a dense canopy layer
- blocks out sunlight and intercepts rain
- has the most vegetation because it intercepts rain and catches sunlight
- birds,frogs, butterflies,snakes, monkeys and insects
- Understory
- low sunlight (2-15%)
- quite open (vegetation is only dense where light gets in ie rivers
- frogs, snakes, butterflies and insects live here
- Emergent layer
- tallest layer (40m)
- trees adapted to the heat
- bats, eagles, butterflies, monkeys
- Forest floor
- PLANT ADAPTATION
- ephiphytes grow on trees and take advantage of sunlight; poisonous dart frogs grow on them
- Lianas are vine like stuctures that wrap themselves around trees to get to the light
- Drip tips are on leaves so that water falls off so the leaves are not damaged
- smooth, waxy bark so that plants don't grow on them
- angled leaves so that all plants get sunlight
- pitcher plants are adapted to attract and digest prey so are lined with digestive enzymes and hairs that attract the insects
- USES OF RAINFOREST
- Medicine- 1/4 of all medicines come from TRFs ie rosy periwinkle that treats leaukemia
- Logging- trees are cut to provide timber used for furntiure
- Farming- commercial farming for coffee and bananas, cattle ranching and shifting cultivation
- settlement, dam building and fuelwood
- IMPACTS OF DEFORESTATION
- less biodiversity and loss of habitat
- loss of medicine sources
- Flooding as there are no tree roots to **** up the immense amount of rain
- SAVING THE RAINFOREST
- selective logging- trees are only deforested when they reach a particular height garanteeing a 30-50 years lifespan
- Agroforestry
- Monitoring illegal deforestation (use of satellite technology)
- Education- education the deforesters about the impacts of their actions
- Forest reserves- areas protected from exploitation
- Ecotourisim
- CONVECTIONAL RAINFALL
- 1: sun rises high in the sky and heats up the ground
- 2: Air next to the ground is heated and warm air rises
- Water evaporates from ground and trees and later condenses
- Clouds form and later storm clouds form
- Heavy rain
- CONVECTIONAL RAINFALL
- 1: sun rises high in the sky and heats up the ground
- 2: Air next to the ground is heated and warm air rises
- Water evaporates from ground and trees and later condenses
- Clouds form and later storm clouds form
- Heavy rain
- Heavy rain
- Clouds form and later storm clouds form
- Water evaporates from ground and trees and later condenses
- 2: Air next to the ground is heated and warm air rises
- 1: sun rises high in the sky and heats up the ground
- CONVECTIONAL RAINFALL
- Heavy rain
- Clouds form and later storm clouds form
- Water evaporates from ground and trees and later condenses
- 2: Air next to the ground is heated and warm air rises
- 1: sun rises high in the sky and heats up the ground
- NUTRITION CYCLE
- Trees shed leaves that fall to the ground and create leaf litter
- Decomposing microbes decompose the leaves
- Decomposition of leaves releases nutrients into the soil, putting them back in the ecosystem
- Trees shed leaves that fall to the ground and create leaf litter
- Decomposition of leaves releases nutrients into the soil, putting them back in the ecosystem
- CLIMATE
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