Tropical Rainforest - Powerpoint
Transcript: Tropical rain forests have shallow soil with few nutrients. The Amazon rainforest soil holds only 20% of the nutrients in the forest. The old age of tropical rain forests contributes to low nutrient levels in the soil. In addition, decomposition happens quickly in tropical regions, meaning few nutrients from things like decaying leaves make it into the rain forest soil. Tropical rain forest soil is often red or yellow because of high iron and aluminum oxide levels. Tropical rain forests have many types of soil, including Ultisols and Oxisols. Over two-thirds of the world's rainforests can be considered "wet-deserts" in that they grow on extremely poor soils which are acidic and low in minerals and nutrients. The key to the luxuriant vegetation of these forests lies in the rapid nutrient cycling of the rainforest. Fish are able to swim through the flooded forest-> most important pollinators of the forest eating fruits from the trees and dispersing their seeds lungs of the planet Effects of deforestation Ecological importance of tropical rainforests!!! Immense role in world's natural cycles: Energy Cycle Water Cycle Carbon and oxygen cycle Nitrogen cycle some tribes deep in the rainforest remain out of contact with the modern world. example: Aerial they grow their own vegetables, hunted animal in the forest for meat they decorated their bodies with red paint the men wore their hair long, except on their foreheads 1/5 of all running water flows through Amazon! Rainy season from November to June, the main rivers in the Amazon rise and flood vast area of the forest. WATER Without tree roots to anchor the soil and with increased exposure to sun, the soil can dry out, leading to problems like increased flooding and inability to farm The WWF states that scientists estimate that a third of the world’s arable land has been lost to deforestation since 1960 Cash crops planted after clear cutting or burning — like soy, coffee, and palm oil — can actually exacerbate soil erosion because their roots cannot hold onto the soil the way trees’ can. belief system sees the rainforest as the home of spiritual life, every flower, plant and animal containing its own spirits example: Yanomami a group of people live in Amazon rainforest between southern Venezuela and northern Brazil They use the virola tree to make hallucinogenic drugs in perform ritual to see the spirits NEGATIVE NEGATIVE - ECOTOURISM < aims to be sustainable < minimal impact on ecosystem < diversity of wildlife in the Amazon educates and has much to offer to tourists Isolated Tribe most Amazon tribes are very strong in hunting skill as they depends on hunting for survival. they have to move to different places may be because of weather conditions; natural resources such as food, water etc. in recent years many tribes were able to live in communal buildings and share resources have its own language and culture, including dance, crafts, songs and medicines ( according to Erik Linton of Brigham Young University.) Other common use of the wood Amazon rainforest Oxygen are replenishable Carbon stocks of around 120 billion tonnes Amazon River: 6,868km/ 4000miles long (two times of Mississippi, five times longer than the river Rhine) Vegetation represents the cleaning health of plant life and the amount of ground soil provided by plants and animals . Vegetation has no particular taxa, life forms or structure. Amazonia, is one of the world's greatest natural resources - Since vegetation continuously recycles CO2 in O2. plays a critical role in the rain forests ecosystem by pruning the vegetation, which stimulates new growth, and breaking down the leaves to renew the soil. The forest floor is the lowest layer and almost no plants grow here. - Only about 2% of the sunlight filters through. - Floor is littered with decomposing vegetation and organisms that are broken down into usable nutrients. - Many nutrients are locked into this biomass. The vegetation to renew the cycle quickly absorbs the nutrients that are released. This is the tightest, most efficient ecosystem in nature. The destruction of one part of the system can spell the destruction of the whole system. “Tropical forests hold more than 210 gigatons of carbon, and deforestation represents around 15 percent of greenhouse gas emissions,” [WWF] - infrastructure - population growth, demand of product become higher - producing resources such as paper -agriculture Forests help to maintain a humid environment Half of all rainfall in the Amazon basin produced locally from the forest- atmosphere cycle Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 68-78 inches. The monsoon trough, alternately known as the inter-tropical convergence zone, plays a significant role in creating Earth's tropical rain forests. Water continually recycled through the Amazon forest by evaporation and rain. In Amazon rainforest, there is more than 1000 kinds of plant can become