Presented By: Pitlochry Primary School Educator : Mrs K Pillay

2

Tropical RainforestsTropical rainforests are found along the equator. During the year, the temperature remains consistent and does not vary dramatically (about 25˚C).

Tropical rainforests are extremely important; half of the world’s animal and plant species live there. In addition, rainforests also absorb 4.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide every year. The Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest.

LOCATION ON EARTH

TEMPERATURE AND RAINFALL PATTERNS

The RainforestThe rainforest is made up of four different layers:

• the emergent layer

• the canopy layer

• the understory layer

• the forest floor layer

Natural Vegetation in a rainforest

The Emergent Layer

This is the top layer of the rainforest.

Only a few animals live in this layer.

It is hot, wet, and windy in the emergent layer.

Some of the animals that can be found in the emergent layer are bird-eating tarantulas, hummingbirds,

and macaws.

Emergent Layer vegetation and wildlife

The Canopy Layer

The canopy layer is located under the emergent layer.

The canopy is home to most of the animals and plants of the rainforest.

There is plenty of food and shelter in this layer.

Red-eyed tree frogs, sloths, and toucans are some of the animals that live in the canopy layer.

Canopy layer vegetation and wildlife

The Understory Layer

The understory layer is located beneath the canopy.

The understory does not get much sunlight.It is dark and humid here.

The understory is home to smaller animals,insects, and snakes.

Some larger animals use the understory layer for hunting.

The Understory Layer

Geckos, bats, and boa constrictors are some of the animals that make their home in the understory layer.

Understorey vegetation and wildlife

The Forest Floor Layer

The last layer of the rainforest is the forest floor layer.

This layer is dark, humid, and hot. Only 5% of the sunlight makes it to the forest floor.

Anteaters, jaguars, and scorpions are some of the animals that live in the forest floor

layer.

Forest floor vegetation and wildlife

Animals in the Rainforest

The animals of the rainforest do not usually stay in only one layer. Some animals can be found in several different rainforest layers.

Some animals may live in one layer and hunt in anotherlayer of the rainforest.

Rainforest Match

Match the animals to the correct rainforest layer. emergent

canopy

understory

forest floor

Paper aeroplanes?

Books?

Bow and arrow?

Furniture?

Firewood?

Think about It

What do you think about when you look at these pictures?

What about a tree or perhaps a forest?

Forest Fact

Around 30% of the Earth is covered by trees.

The Amazon (South America)

Madagascar

The Congo (Central Africa)

Southeast Asia

New Guinea

Why Are Rainforests so Important?

Rainforests cover only 6% of the Earth but they are home to 50% of all plant and animal species. In just four square miles you might find:

1,500 flowering plants

750 species of trees150 species of

butterflies

400 species of birds

And much more!

Why Are Rainforests so Important?

Rainforests are often known as the ‘lungs of the Earth’. The trees absorb harmful carbon dioxide and produce 20% of the oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere.

25% of medicines come from plants found in the rainforest.

Rainforests get their name from the heavy rains that fall almost every day. Trees soak up the water and help prevent erosion. Without them the soil would wash away.

Forest Fact

The rainforests are disappearing.

Do you know why the rainforests are disappearing?

What Is Deforestation?

Deforestation occurs when trees are cut down across a wide area which is then permanently cleared for another use.

Did You Know…?Every 20 minutes, an area of rainforest the size of 20 football pitches is cut down. If this rate continues, there will be no rainforests in 100 years.

Why Are the Rainforests Cut Down?

Do you know what we use

trees for?

Trees are useful and valuable. Among other things, they are used for paper, building and firewood.

The rainforest is home to a unique variety of tree species. Hardwoods such as teak or mahogany are strong and so are perfect for building and for making furniture. However, these trees are slow growing and are not easy to replace.

There are over 7 billion people on the planet. This number keeps growing.By 2100, there could be 11.2 billion people!

All of these people need food so land is cleared for farming.

Subsistence FarmingKnown as slash and burn, families cut down small parts of the forest and burn it to improve the soil and make room for cattle.

It is small scale and the forest can regenerate. But with more people taking more land, this chance of recovery is slower. Up to 48% of all deforestation is caused by subsistence farming.

Commercial FarmingThis is farming that happens on a large scale. It is led by companies who need to produce on a much bigger scale to provide food and products for the wider world.

Forest is cleared permanently for:• Cattle grazing: this provides meat for restaurant

chains and supermarkets.• Crops: such as sugar cane and palm oil.

What Are the Effects of Deforestation?

Soil erosion: Tree roots help hold the soil and prevent it being washed away. Without trees, the soil is washed into rivers and streams, blocking them, causing flooding and contaminated drinking water.

Droughts: Trees are an important part of the water cycle. Without them, there will be a lack of rain.

Habitat loss: Animals and plants lose their home so some may become endangered or extinct.

Lack of biodiversity: The number of different species becomes smaller.

Climate change: Scientists believe deforestation has a worldwide effect on climate. Trees store carbon dioxide. When they are cut down, carbon dioxide builds up in the atmosphere and is known as a greenhouse gas which causes global warming.

What Is Deforestation?

Deforestation is the act of clearing away many trees by cutting or burning.

It is usually done in order to make way for growing crops or farming cattle, for building roads or towns, or to make use of the wood.

What Is Deforestation?

Trees are useful and valuable.

What things can you find in the room that rely on trees being cut down?

Woods like teak and mahogany are strong and are perfect for making furniture or building. Many of these unique tree species grow in tropical rainforests like the Amazon in South America and are cut down so that the wood can be sold. This is called logging.

Deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon rainforest is the world’s largest tropical rainforest. It is so big that the UK and Ireland would fit inside it seventeen times.

The rainforest is home to 390 billion trees (16,000 species) and 10% of all animal species in the world live there. There are at least 40,000 different plant species in the Amazon rainforest.

Deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest

Humans are the biggest threat to the Amazon rainforest.

More than five billion trees are cut down across the tropics every year, according to a study published in 2015.

This number increases every year and over half of the tropical forests worldwide have been destroyed since the 1960s.

Deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest

These are the main causes of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.

Cattle ranching produces beef and leather among other products.Logging usually results in ‘degradation’, not deforestation, meaning that specific types of tree are cut down and the forest can no longer provide certain fruit, leaves, habitats, etc. for its ecosystems.

Cause of deforestation Percentage of deforestation caused

Cattle ranching 65-70%

Agriculture (growing crops) 25-30%

Logging 2-3%

Fires, mining, building, road creation, dams 1-2%

The Deforestation Debate: AgainstDeforestation destroys the

habitats of lots of animals, many of

which are becoming extinct as they don’t live anywhere else.

Even if trees are replanted, they

take years to grow back, especially

hardwoods.

The trees help to control the climate

and water cycle. Without the trees, the ‘greenhouse

effect’ will be worsened and the

rivers in South America could change beyond

recognition.

A lot of logging is done illegally, in

areas where cutting down the

forest is not permitted.

The machinery used in

deforestation also adds to carbon

emissions.

We get a lot of our food from the

rainforest, such as banana, coffee, rice, potatoes,

nuts, oranges and figs. Without the forest, these will not be found in

nature. Other animals also eat the foods found only in the forest so

by cutting down these trees we are

destroying both their food and ours.

With no trees to anchor it down,

loose soil is being washed into rivers and polluting them

with silt.

Now, let’s see the other side of the deforestation debate...

The Deforestation Debate: ForMaking use of the rainforest provides

the human race with fuel, wood, paper, land for

farming, space for mining and areas

for cattle ranching.

Industries that remove trees from the rainforest, such

as farming or logging, can

provide work for people.

Many governments of poorer countries around the world

depend on the money made by

the logging industry, as well as

the trade of the goods mentioned.

Extreme weather and climate change could destroy the forest eventually anyway; it makes

sense to make use of its resources now, before it is

too late.

Where trees have been cut down,

new ones can be replanted.

Rainforest wood is relied upon by

many people for building. Also,

things made from wood like

mahogany can be exceptionally

beautiful.

Although many foods come from the rainforest, we are able to grow

some of them outside of the

forest, in greenhouses and

plantations.

There are special, protected areas of

the rainforest where cutting

down trees is not permitted.

Are you for or against deforestation in the Amazon rainforest?

Can you explain why?

Information GatheringOn the following slides, there is a lot of information about deforestation in the Amazon. As we work through it, you should complete your 'Information Gathering' section on your worksheet.

We will look at:

What is the problem?

Causes of increasing deforestation

Why is the Amazon important?

What should be done about it?

Causes of Increasing DeforestationThere are many reasons why the deforestation of the Amazon is increasing so rapidly:

The rising demand for and value of soybeans. This encourages more farmers to clear areas of forest to plant soy for profit.

Cattle ranchers cut down the trees to create farmland. Brazilian beef prices were at a high in 2016.

Many soy farmers are planting soybeans on savannas or old cattle ranches as these have easier access routes, forcing cattle ranchers deeper in to the forest where they clear new land.

Hydroelectric dams along the rivers in the Amazon require a lot of deforestation, both for the dam itself and the access routes and infrastructure.

Logging is big business in the Amazon.

Causes of Increasing DeforestationThere are many reasons why the deforestation of the Amazon is increasing so rapidly:

Gold mines are expanding, requiring more quarries and deforestation.

There continues to be a profitable illegal trade in coca plants for the production of cocaine. Coca farms take up a lot of space.

Brazil’s Forest Code was changed in 2016, making it easier to obtain a licence for deforestation. This has attracted a surge of investment in the area.

An increase in residential developments and roads has required deforestation.

Why Is the Amazon Important?The Amazon rainforest is an extremely important natural resource:

It is home to unequalled biodiversity, supporting thousands of bird, animal, insect, plant and tree species.

Many of these species are unique and not found anywhere else on the planet.

Trees produce oxygen. The Amazon rainforest is often referred to as ‘the lungs of the Earth’.

Many of our medicines use ingredients found in the Amazon rainforest.

Worldwide, there are 3000 plants that have been found to be useful in treating cancer. 70% of them only grow in the rainforest.

We have only explored and studied 1% of the Amazon rainforest. There are likely to be many more undiscovered species and potential cures yet to find.

What Should Be Done about It?The Brazilian government really need to establish protected areas of the Amazon rainforest as a matter of urgency. This will prevent further deforestation and unlimited development within the rainforest.

However, deforestation and the various uses of the Amazon are very profitable. Protected areas are also very difficult and expensive to police. Therefore, the government is actually downsizing protected areas. They are also actively encouraging deforestation and human activity in the area by easy, low-cost loans for farmers and builders who want to work in the rainforest. This is leaving the Amazon in a very vulnerable position.

What do you think?To what extent do you agree with the following statements?

The Amazon rainforest is a natural resource and everyone has a right to use it as they choose.

The Amazon rainforest should be protected in its original, natural state.

The only people who have the right to cut down trees in the Amazon are the indigenous local tribes.

Deforestation should be permitted but strictly limited by the government.

Scientists should be allowed to explore the Amazon for medical benefits before any further deforestation is allowed.

Create Your MapYou will need a map outline and three coloured pencils.

Look closely at the map opposite and shade the three different areas in different colours.

Don’t forget to colour your key!

TASK 18 – NOTESTERMS• Weather – the temperature, rainfall and wind on a particular day• Climate – what the weather is over a long period of time• Humid – when the air feels hot and wet• Vegetation – plants, bushes and trees that grow in an area• Logging – cutting down of trees that to use the wood• Wildlife – animals/plants growing in natural conditions• Deforestation – the clearing of forest land• Tropical rainforest – a forest that grows in an area that is hot and wet for most of the year• Emergents – the tallest tree layer• Canopy – tree tops that block out the sun layer• Understorey – smaller trees and shrub layer• Forest floor – the lowest layer in the rainforest

TROPICAL RAINFOREST – LAYERS OF VEGETATIONTropical rainforest have a hot and wet climate. There are four main layers – emergent at the top, canopy layer is below the emergent layer, understory layer follows after the canopy and the last layer at the bottom is known as the forest floor. There is a variety of vegetation as well as wildlife for example poison dart frogs, parrots and lianas.

50

TASK 18 – NOTES CONTINUED

Deforestation occurs when forests are cut down and cleared away for a particular purpose. Large parts of rainforests are cut down or burnt because of logging for example farming, road-building or mining.

THE EFFECTS OF DEFORESTIONLack of biodiversity: The number of different species becomes smaller.

Soil erosion: Tree roots help hold the soil and prevent it being washed away. Without trees, the soil is washed into rivers and streams, blocking them, causing flooding and contaminated drinking water.

Climate change: Scientists believe deforestation has a worldwide effect on climate. Trees store carbon dioxide. When they are cut down, carbon dioxide builds up in the atmosphere and is known as a greenhouse gas which causes global warming.

Habitat loss: Animals and plants lose their home so some may become endangered or extinct.

Droughts: Trees are an important part of the water cycle. Without them, there will be a lack of rain.

51

ACTIVITY 1 : Draw a table like the example below and fill in the relevant information for each layer and animal. Provide a description for each layer and the animal that can be found in that layer.

ACTIVITY 2 : Answer the following questions on Deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest.1. The problem.

1.1 What changes are occurring to the size of the Amazon Rainforest?1.2 What has happened to the rate of deforestation in 2016?

2. Causes of deforestation.2.1 Why are there more and more soybean farmers in 2016?2.2 What happened to the price of Brazilian Beef in 2016?2.3 Why do cattle ranchers cut down trees?2.4 Why do soy farmers like to use old cattle ranches to plant their crops?2.5 Where are the cattle ranchers forced to move to?

LAYER ANIMAL

52

2.6 What development requires a lot of deforestation along the river?

2.7 What big business in the Amazon literally means cutting down trees to sell wood?

2.8 Gold miners are deforesting huge areas to create what?

2.9 What crop is illegally grown and used to make cocaine in the Amazon?

2.10 What was changed in 2016, making it easier to obtain a license for deforestation?

2.11 What two types of development have also required a lot of deforestation?

2.12 What are the effects of deforestation?

53

54