Geography The living world

Tropical rain forests and Hot deserts

what is the annual rainfall in the tropical rain forest?

2000mm per year

what is the daily average temp in a rain forest

28 degrees C

what does the temp never drop below?

20 degrees C and rarely exceeds 35 degrees C

what is the atmosphere like in a tropical rain forest

Hot and Humid

what is the soil like in a TRP

Not very fertile

where is the thing layer of fertile soil found

ON the surface where dead leaves decompose

why is the soil a red colour?

because it is rich in iron

what is the 5 layers of a TRP

Emergents Layer, Canopy layer, Under canopy layer and shrub leavel

what is one adaptation a plant has done in the TRP

1. Shallow reaching roots

2. Long roots

3. Grow tall

4. Thick bark

what roots have large and ridges to create a large surface area to support the large tree

Buttress roots

what is the leaf called with the pointy tip?

Drip tips

Why do epiphytes live high up in the canopy layer?

To get their nutrients from the air and water, not from the soil

what adaptations have the sloth gotten?

Has camouflage and moves very slowly

what animal has strong limbs to help it climb through the forest trees

Spider monkey

what Adaptations does a flying frog have?

Has fully webbed hands and feet, flaps of loose skin that streatc’s between its limbs allowing it to glide

what adaptations does a toucan have?

has a long large bill allowing it to reach and cut fruits

what is 5 threats to a TRP

Farming (large areas are cleared for pastoral farming. As the global demand for meat has increased many cattle farms have opened in the Amazon Basin for beef farming) Logging (tropical rainforests are cut down so that valuable trees like mahogany can be accessed and sold for timber to make furniture) Mining (the Amazon Basin is rich in natural resources such as iron ore, copper, tin, aluminium, manganese and gold. This has led to the development of mines which results in the clearance of tropical rainforest) roads (the construction of access roads for farmers, loggers and miners results in large parts of the tropical rainforest being destroyed) Population (population growth has resulted in the loss of tropical rainforest as land is cleared to build houses and infrastructure.) deforestation (destruction of trees.)

what is an impact’s of tropical rain forest loss?;

1. Soil erosion

2. loss of biodiversity

3. climate change

4. economic development