Yr 9 Biomes and Tropical Rainforest unit test
Revision List
1. Biomes of the world and their general descriptions-
o what are they called, where are they found and what are the like?
o 1) Polar+ high mountain
o 2) Tundra (permafrost)
o 3) Coniferous forest (cones)
o 4) Deciduous (leaves fall)- temperate
o 5)Temperate Grasslands
o 6)Savanna+ Tropical Grasslands
o 7)Dessert
o 8) Tropical rainforest (equatorial)
o +)Chaparral
2. Factors that may influence where they are found
o ‘The effect of latitude, altitude, proximity to water, ocean currents and winds
3. Characteristics of the tropical rainforest biome
o Description of the climate-climate graph
o Structure of the forest- layers of the forest.
Details about the types of plants found in each layer
The warm up by climate of the tropical rainforest creates perfect conditions for the growth of
plants. Most of the trees are hard word hardwood with names like mahogany, teak and
rosewood. These trees are excellent for making furniture and are highly sought after because of
this. As there are no seasons in the rainforest, trees lose their leaves whenever they need to.
Many species of the rainforest trees, plants, insects and animals have yet to be discovered by
scientists.
The rainforest is organising four distinct layers. The shrub layer does not receive much sunlight
as the dense canopy blocks out most of the sunlight reaching the forest floor. The trees of the
under canopy grow slowly as they do not receive much light. In an area where canopy tree falls
down, sunlight suddenly reaches the under canopy and they literally race each other until they
closed the gap in the canopy. The tallest trees are called emergent and can reach heights up to
40 metres high.
4. Specific plants and their adaptations to the environment
adaptations plants to climate
- emergents= 50 m
- drip tip leaves
- lianas/ vines
- ferns (broad leaves+dark)
-canopy
-undercanopy
-shrub layer
- forest floor = nutrients from decomposing leaves
-layered structure (help plants compete for sunlight)
5. Adaptations of people to survive in the forest-
6. Example of how a named tribal indigenous group that lives sustainably in the forest
7. 8638 indigenous people
Live in the amazon rainforest
Use of the rainforest:
Shifting cultivation
Shifting Cultivation is an agricultural method where a piece of land (usually a small one) is
cleared and then used to harvest crops. After a short period of time, the land is left to
recover and be reclaimed by nature so as to not exhaust it and not alter the environment
permanently. The Kayapo tribe uses a patch of land and cultivate there for a few years.
Then, they move to a new patch. Here they grow various crops, including wheat, potatoes,
yams, and papaya. They get medicine from 650 plants in the rainforest and their sources of
healthcare comes form medicinal roots and herbs.
They also use plants of the rainforest to make their houses. Their huts are made of wood
and have thatched roofs made of palm leaves.
They also use the rainforest for their traditions and customs. The pigment which they use for
body paint is obtained from mixed fruits and charcoal. The Kayapo’s also make jewellery like
bracelets and earing using stones and shells.
The destruction of the amazon rainforest has reached very alarming numbers and an estimate of 3.5
to 7 billion trees are being cut down each year. However, Indigenous tribes are protecting the
rainforest from mass deforestation in their areas. The Kayapo tribe fought for recognition of their
lands in the 1980s and 1990s and received legal protections on them. These 14 million hectares
include 15 different indigenous groups and house an estimated 12,500 people. Although these
protections don’t solve the problem of the exploitation of resources in the rainforest, they do help
protect it.
The rainforest has been the home to the Kayapo tribe for hundreds of generations and its
destruction would destroy their knowledge and culture. The preservation of the forest is essential to
preserving their tribe and their way of life. They have detailed knowledge on how to subsist form the
rainforest and have done so for thousands of years. Changes in the forest would cause the tribe to
lose control over their territory and foment the destruction of the amazon rainforest. They have
always preserved and took care of the forest and its destruction would end that balance.
8. The value of the tropical rainforest-
o biodiversity- plants and animals
o carbon sink- forest captures CO2 from atmosphere (CO2 is a greenhouse gas so it can
cause global warming if it is in the atmosphere at high levels.
o provides materials- timber, minerals, agricultural produce, medicines, food
o cultural value - indigenous tribes live there
o water cycle- help balance water distribution.
o regulates climate and provides products
o Rainforests are a very influential biome for not only animals and plant alike but also for
humans. They cover only 7% of the earth’s surface, yet still manage to create and be a
crucial part of the world’s wellbeing. However, estimates show that tropical rainforest
are being destroyed at nearly 8 million hectares a year. So, why are rain forests so
important?
o Rainforest biomes are incredibly important in the change and release of carbon into
oxygen, the amazon rainforest alone accounting for 20% of the world’s oxygen. They are
also very important in regulating the natural water balance and if we didn’t have
rainforests, experts believe droughts would occur far more often. Consequently,
rainforests store immense amounts of carbon and by estimate the amazon rainforest
stored 86 billion tons of it in 2007.
o The rapidly increasing deforestation of rain forests is not only directly affecting
rainforest itself. In the past, the amount of tress protected the floor of the rainforests
but now soil is exposed and eroded by the rain and is washed into rivers. The sediment
causes breathing problems for the animals living there and they die from lack of oxygen,
cutting off a food source for locals and creating problems for the population of the
species.
o Rainforests have a very efficient nutrient cycle where nutrients are never wasted. This
cycle gives rainforest a very rich soil, but the system collapses as soon as trees are cut
down, making the soil infertile.
o Tropical rainforests are very important culturally too. They have been the home of
indigenous civilizations in Africa, Asia, and South America since ancient times. As
rainforest’s are cut down and indigenous people’s homes are lost, so is all the culture
and knowledge that comes with it.
o It is estimated that 1.6 billion people use materials from forest to sustain themselves,
extracting raw goods like wood, fibre, and fuel from rainforests. Not only that, but 25%
of drugs used today are from rainforest plants and 70% of plants thought to be active
against cancer cells come from rainforests.
o Rainforests are home to 50 % of the world animal and plants species. These species are
adapted to rainforests biomes and could not live anywhere else in the world. A four mile
patch of a rainforest is thought to contain 1500 species of flowering plants, 750 species
of trees, 125 species of mammals, 400 species of birds, 100 species of reptiles, 60
species of amphibians, and 150 species of butterflies.
9. Uses of the forest-logging, mining, plantations (monoculture and palm oil), shifting
cultivation, cattle ranching and road building-
evaluating the impacts and sustainability of these activities on the natural forest system
10. Sustainable uses of the forest
o Ecotourism
o Sustainable forest management
o Forest reserves and National Parks
o Carbon payments
Government of Malaysia started National forestry act 1977- making profit by exporting
processed rather than raw wood for example if there are raw coffee beans you are going to sell
them for less then is you roast them and process them
National parks- they gain money by : letting tourists enter (entrance fee), parking, tours, gift
shops, food venders
F.S.C- forest stewardship council. They carry a mark on wood products to show that it has made
in a sustainable way however not many people know about it, it isn't very advertised.
Tourist ecotourism- this is where they restrict the amount of people that come to see protected
or natural parks so that if the come on big planes and cars they dont damage the environment
in any way. They money the tourists pay to see this environment goes t local people as a way of
keeping them from damaging the rainforest. An example of this is explore the amazon it gives
you an insight into the habitats, wildlife and local people. Some of the activities