2.TRF Case Study

8/17/2019 2.TRF Case Study

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Tropical Rain Forests


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Objectives•To know the structure of a Tropical Rain Forest and tobe able to produce a labelled sketch.

•To understand how the vegetation of a Tropical RainForest has adapted to the climate and its surroundings

•To be aware of the destruction of the Tropical RainForest and how this has been achieved,


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Where are tropical rainforests found?

Tropical rainforests are located around the equator

where temperatures stay near 30 degrees year

round. Rainforests receive 400-1000 of rain eachyear. The largest rainforests are in Brail !"outh

#merica$% &aire !#frica$ and 'ndonesia !"outh (ast

#sia$. )ther tropical rainforest places are in *awaii

and the islands of the +acific , ariean.


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What is the tropical rainforest?

The Tropical Rainforest is a forest occurring in

tropical areas of heavy rainfall. 't is aundant with

many species of wildlife and vegetation.Rainforests cover less than two percent of the

(arth/s surface. They are home to some 0 to 0

percent of all life forms on our planet. Rainforests

are the most productive and most comple2

ecosystems on (arth.


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What is the structure of vegetation in the

rainforest?


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What is the structure of vegetation in therainforest?

Emergents are the tallesttrees and are usually over! metres tall. The "apoktree is an e#ample of an

emergent.


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The sea of leavesblocking out the sun

from the lower layers iscalled the canopy. Thecanopy contains over!$ of the rainforestwildlife. This includes

birds, snakes andmonkeys. %ianas &vines'climb to the canopy to

reach this sun light.


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The under canopymainly contains baretree trunks andlianas.


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The shrub layer has

the densest plantgrowth. (t containsshrubs and ferns andother plants needingless light. )aplings ofemergents and canopytrees can also be found

here.


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The forest floor isusually dark anddamp. (t contains a

layer of rottingleaves and deadanimals called litter.This decomposesrapidly &within *

weeks' to form a thinhumus, rich in

nutrients.


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How did the tropical rainforest get like this?

The high rainfall and year+round high temperatures areideal conditions for vegetation growth. The wide range

of plants encourage a huge variety of insects, birds andanimals.

owever the key word is adaptation. The flora andfauna have adapted to the local conditions.


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How has vegetation adapted to the climate?

(n the tropical rainforest most trees in therainforest have wide buttress roots.


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This is to support them as they grow incredibly tall &over*!m in some cases' as there is great competition for

sunlight.


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%ianas &vines' grow around trees as they bid toreach sunlight.


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The leaves of many trees are wa#y and have drip tips toallow water to run off them &so that water does not

gather on leaves and cause them to rot, it also allowswater to reach the roots on the forest floor .


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-orksheet /.0

1omplete the bo# answering 2uestion b

3ou have / minutes


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What is the impact of humans on the tropicalrainforest?

Deforestation &cutting down trees' is a major problemcaused by humans in the tropical rainforest. 4lobalRates of 5eforestation6

• hectare per second6 e2uivalent to a football pitch•*! hectares per minute•7*,!!! hectares per day6 an area larger than 8ew 3ork1ity

•9 million hectares per year6 an area larger than :oland


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What is the impact of humans on thetropical rainforest?

Road BuildingThe Transama;on ighway has allowed increased accessto the


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ogging

1ommercial logging is the major cause of primaryrainforest destruction in )outh =ast


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!attle Ranching. Ranching is a major cause of deforestation, particularlyin 1entral and )outh


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Hydroelectric "ower


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#arming There are nearly 9 million landless people in @ra;il alone. Thegovernment has cleared large areas of the


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$iningThe mining of iron ore, bau#ite , gold, oil and otherminerals have benefited many %=51s. owever, it hasalso devastated large areas of rainforest.


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5eforestation is causing many problems at arange of scales

ocal%

Ecosystem


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5eforestation is causing many problems at a range ofscales

&ocial

=limination of (ndian groups and their way of life

=stimates suggest that 7!$ of forest (ndians have died

since the arrival of =uropeans in the si#teenth century.Aost have died from western diseases such as malariato which they have no immunity. Those remaining havebeen forced away by the construction of roads, ranches,mines and reservoirs


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5eforestation is causing many problems at a range ofscales

&oil Erosion

-hen vegetation is removed soil is left e#posed to the

heavy e2uatorial rainfall. (t is rapidly eroded. Theremoval of top soil means little vegetation will grow.


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'ational%

5eforestation can consume a countryBs only natural

resource. (f deforestation is not managed in asustainable manner a countryBs only natural resourcecould be lost forever.


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(nternational )lobal WarmingRainforest canopies absorb carbon dio#ide which is a gas

in the atmosphere. -hen the rainforests are burned andcleared, the carbon is released.


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5eforestation C 5estruction of the Rain Forests

omework

Read pages 09*+> in your te#tbooks and answer

2uestion 1 D = on page 0/9


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:lenary

Ese your vocabulary sheet and come up with as many

definitions as you can.int. 3ou may find the glossary at the back of yourte#tbook of some use.


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What is the future for the tropical rainforest? *

&ustainable Development

(f development in the rainforest is to be sustainable &e.g. although theresources are used to aid development, itthey will still e#ist for futuregenerations to use' a number of measures must be taken. These include6

+fforestation + Trees should be replanted in areas of deforestation.

&hifting !ultivation + Farmers should move on after 0+9 years to allow therainforest to recover. Rubber tapping + Aore sustainable methods of e#ploiting the rainforestshould be pursued e.g. rubber tapping

$easuring trees + Trees should only be cut down when they reach acertain si;e. This will ensure younger trees survive longer and willencourage careful management of the rainforest.


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What is the impact of humans on the tropical

rainforest?

&lash and burn Aost clearances are still by the local people andtribes needing land on which to grow crops.They clear the forest by Gslash and burnH.Iegetation is cut down and then burned. Theash acts like a fertiliser adder nutrients to thesoil. -hen the soil begins to turn infertile&usually after 9+ years' the people move on.This is called shifting cultivation. (t is asustainable method of farming in the rainforest.(t ensures the forest will recover.

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2.TRF Case Study

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