Chapter 6

Forests of the World

Answer the following questions:

1- How‘s a rainforest different from other forests? In which country is the world’s largest tropical
rainforest?

Ans: Tropical rainforests are found between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Their climate is hot
and humid. They receive rain throughout the year and the average temperatures each month are
between 18°C and 35°C. The world’s largest tropical rainforest is in Brazil.

2- Find out from the map on page 50 the latitudes between which the tropical rainforests are located?

Ans: Between 10° north and 10° south of the Equator.

3- Describe the climate of a tropical rainforest.

Ans: There is hot climate with no dry season, and rain during every month of the year.

4- Describe the different layers of the tropical rainforest.

Ans: Emergent layer: the topmost layer, which receives the most sunlight. Leaves are big and leathery
or hairy, with a pointed shape that lets water run off easily.

Canopy: the second layer, which has shorter trees that do not need much sunlight. The leaves are so
dense that they form a canopy and block out sunlight to the lower layers. Most of the animal and plant
life of the forest is found here.

Under canopy: the third layer, which has shorter trees than the canopy and need even less sunlight, but
need shelter from heavy rain. They get water that drips off the leaves of the canopy trees.

Forest floor: the bottom layer, which is very cool and shaded, so very few plants grow there, apart from
those that do not need much sunlight, such as shrubs, mosses, ferns, and bushes. Some small trees can
grow up to 3.5 metres, while other forest floor plants grow up till the trees to reach sunlight

Q5: What helps the Kapok tree to survive in a tropical rainforest?

Ans: Kapok is an emergent tree that grows very quickly to the top of the canopy, where plenty of sunlight reaches it.
It has a thick trunk and many roots that spread out to support the tree in shallow soil. These large roots help the tree
to take up water. Its leaves turn to face the Sun and their fan shape helps the rain to run off them.

Q6: How can plants that grow on the forest floor survive? Explain two ways.
Ans: i) Some plants do not need much sunlight
ii) Others can climb up taller plants to reach the sunlight.

Q7: How do rubber-tappers collect latex from rubber trees?

Ans: They make a small cut in the bark of the tree and fix a cup to collect the latex that runs out. Later in the day, they
go back to collect the cups of latex. The next day, they tap different trees.

Q8: How do rubber-tappers help to look alter, the rubber trees?

Ans: The rubber-tappers and Brazil nut harvesters look after the forest by making sure they do not damage the
trees. They are aware of the fact that they need the forest so that they can make a living out of it. The rubber-tappers
tap different trees each day and hence do not damage them. The Brazil nut harvesters collect Brazil nut pods that
have fallen and cut down other nuts carefully.

Q9: Which three countries of the Amazon rainforest are the main producers of Brazil nuts?
Ans: Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru

Q10: Name three plants that grow in the Amazon rainforest.

Ans: Kapok tree, Brazil nut, rubber tree
Q11: Why do the national and provincial governments of Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru help rubber-tappers and
Brazil-nut harvesters?
Ans: The government pays them to help them make a living from the trees in the wild. Only wild trees are tapped, so
no forest is cut down to plant rubber trees. They tap different trees each day.

Q12: Describe a day in the life of a Brazil nut harvester.

Ans: Each morning they go along forest trails to gather the pods of nuts that fall from the trees.
They open the pods using a machete and then take out the nuts. They put the nuts in large bags and carry them to a
nearby house or settlement near a road or river. Then they hand over the nuts to the people who transport them by
road or river to processing plants in towns.

Q13: Another crop of the rainforest is the acai berry. Find out what acai berries are like, how they are
harvested, and how they are used.
Ans: The acai berry is a small, round, dark purple fruit, similar to a grape, but smaller and with less pulp. It grows
on the acai palm in rainforests. It is used in making fruit juices and other healthy food products. The leaves are used
for making hats, mats, baskets, brooms, and roof thatch. The trunk wood is used in construction as well as for
producing dietary minerals.

Q14: Name some animals you could see at Changa Manga.

Ans: Gyps vulture, blue bull, urial, spotted deer, peacock, partridge, various species of monkey.

Q15: How can visitors to Changa Manga spend their time?

Ans: They can go to the zoo, walk in the forest, ride on the train, visit the pagoda, water turbine, or waterfall. They can
also go to the children’s play area, on the boating lake, and have a picnic.

Q16: How do you think Changa Manga affects the lives of the people who live nearby?
Ans: The forest could help to prevent flooding, because trees take up a lot of water from the soil. It could provide
shelter from wind and hot sunshine. It provides a pleasant place for a day out. It brings tourists to the area; this could
provide income for local businesses. It could also make local roads and railways busier. This might lead to improved
roads for the area which could be useful for local people and businesses.