Tropical Rainforests

Key terms:

• ​
Abiotic ​–​ the nonliving parts of an ecosystem e.g. temperature, rainfall, soil

• ​
Biotic​ –​ the living parts of an ecosystem e.g. vegetation, animals and it also includes man

The abiotic characteristics of the tropical rainforest

Revision time – true or false?
1. TRF are found between 0 and 15​0​N and S of the equator.
true
2. TRF are the hottest places on Earth.
false - the temperatures are usually in the 20s.
3. TRF has no seasons.
true - the sun is overhead for 365 days
4. Rainfall totals are less than we receive in Reading.
false - rainfall totals are more, As Reading receives more less rainfall
5. TRF are located in an area of low pressure.
true - air rises, giving low pressure and heavy rainfall

The climate - ​Complete the questions 1-5 below:

1. Complete the climate graph for Manaus, Brazil.

Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
0​
Temp​ C 28 28 28 27 28 28 28 29 29 29 28 28

Rainfall 278 278 300 287 193 99 61 41 62 112 165 220

mm
2. Describe the climate of Manaus. ​(HINT: you should include the maximum temperature and the month in
which it occurs, the minimum temperature and the month in which it occurs, the range of temperature, the
maximum rainfall and the month in which it occurs, the minimum rainfall and the month in which it occurs, the
total annual rainfall.)

The climate of Manaus is very fluctuated for the annual rainfall, however for temperature the
data shows very similar temperatures all year around, with a difference of 3 degrees. Lowest
temperature in April with 27 degrees and highest in the end of summer (August, September,
October) with 29 degrees celsius. The mode temperature is 28 degrees, which occurs in six of
the twelve months.

The rainfall varies between the months, with high amounts of rainfall in the beginning of the
year from values up to 300mm in march. There is lower amounts of rainfall in summer (July
and August) with mean average of 51mm, as the climate is warmer and therefore drier. The
amount of rainfall drops dramatically from May, then increases after september.

3. Explain why the temperature in Manaus remains a fairly high constant throughout the year.
HINT: think about its latitude, the seasons and cloud cover.

The temperature in Manaus remains a fairly high constant throughout the year, due to the
equator, which means the sun is overhead all year around. Trees act as cloud cover all year
and they remain fairly high, due to the shelter of trees from prevailing winds. However., they
are colder than expected ​because it rains every day and the clouds block the sunlight.

4. Why does Manaus have 12 hours daylight and 12 hours darkness every day? HINT: think
about its latitude and the seasons

​ It's at the equator so the sun is overhead all year round and it does not therefore
experience any seasons.

5. Why do Manaus have rainfall all year round? HINT: what pressure does this area have all year
round?

Air rises due to the sun's rays. The sun therefore heats the ground, to create low pressure. As
air rises it cools. it is less dense than the warm air surrounding, so goes on to form clouds and
therefore precipitation can occur.
The soil -​ Fill in the blanks using the PowerPoint to help you:

The soil in the tropical rainfall can be ……​30-40m​ ……​……………….. deep. However, it is of poor
quality as it contains few plant nutrients.
The warm and moist conditions are perfect for ………​chemical
weathering​…………………………… of the rock beneath the soil. This is called the bedrock. Rapid
chemical weathering releases ……​minerals eg. plant
nutrients​……………​…………………………….. into soil, but because the soils are so deep these
minerals are out of reach of the plant roots.
Constant rainfall means that a lot of water……​infiltrates​…​……………………… down through the
soil taking nutrients and plant minerals with it. This process is called
…………​leaching​…………………… and it makes soil low in nutrients.
The biotic characteristics of the tropical rainforest

The vegetation, the animals and man

Biodiversity​ – the amount and type of different species of plants and animals.

Tropical rainforests have ​………​the greatest biodiversity on

Earth​……………………………………………………………​. It is a stratified (contains layers) which
adds to the biodiversity. It is estimated that 50% of the world’s plant and animal species live in
tropical rainforests. A typical 5-hectare area of rainforest contains:
● 750 tree species,
● 1,500 species of flowering plants,
● 400 bird species,
● 150 butterfly species and
● 100 reptile species.

Why is biodiversity so high?​ Use the PowerPoint to help you answer this.

The biodiversity is so high, due to the optimum temperatures. This gives plants the perfect
conditions to grow and therefore increases the amounts in the rainforest. there are high levels of
humidity, which allows warm optimum temperatures. To add, there are high levels of rainfall around
2000mm all year, which gives the plant nutrients to grow at faster rates.

Growing season lasts all year, due to inexperienced seasons and therefore plants can grow at
whatever time and place, causing high biodiversity.

Rainforests are interdependent ecosystems​ Fill in the blanks using the PowerPoint to help you:
The biotic (plants and animals) and the abiotic (climate, soils and water) components of the
rainforest are interdependent – if one changes then the other is affected too.
● The warm, wet climate encourages rapid plant growth. This dense vegetation cover and root
system protects the soil from …​…erosion​…………………………..
● Plants and animals often have a symbiotic (they
depend on each other for survival) relationship.
For example, an a ​ gouti​…​……………. is one of
the few animals that can crack open a Brazil nut
seed pod. They often bury the nuts that then
sprout into new seedlings. Without the agouti
the number of Brazil nut trees would decline
affecting all the animals that live in or feed on those trees.
● On a global scale, deforestation of the rainforest reduces the amount of CO​2​ absorbed from
the atmosphere, as part of the​ carbon cycle​…………………………………, which adds to the
greenhouse effect resulting in climate change.

TASK:​ Complete the cut and stick on sheet 3 and 4 to show how the plants are adapted to this
environment. Then research how animals are adapted to the rainforest.