Watch the vid.. What’s the story?

What do you know? How much TRF has been lost? Why is it being lost? Why don’t we just replant it? What are the consequences of losing it? What are the consequences of continuing to destroy it? http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/interactive/2011/feb/09/most-threatened-forests-interactive

UNDER CANOPY 10- 20 meters above the forest floor Few branches Younger plants waiting to penetrate the upper canopy

The structure of a tropical rainforest 40 - 60m Emergents 35m Main Canopy 20m Under Canopy 5m Shrub layer 1m Forest Floor

FOREST FLOOR Diffused light, therefore not covered with dense plant undergrowth – only receives 1 to 2% of the sunlight The plants have adapted to the dark and quiet Has shrubs at less than 1 meter

The structure of a tropical rainforest 40 - 60m Emergents 35m Main Canopy 20m Under Canopy 5m Shrub layer 1m Forest Floor

EMERGENTS Trees that have grown up out of the canopy Over 50 meters tall (35 – 60) Small leaves to prevent moisture being blown away by the wind, as seeds are Unlimited light and sun

The structure of a tropical rainforest 40 - 60m Emergents 35m Main Canopy 20m Under Canopy 5m Shrub layer 1m Forest Floor

THE CANOPY Covers the rainforest Captures the energy from the sun Largest amount of biomass of any ecosystem on the earth Largest amount of leaves, fruit and flowers in the rainforest At 20-35 meters above the floor Home to 90% of the organisms found in the rain forest; many seeking the brighter light

The structure of a tropical rainforest 40 - 60m Emergents 35m Main Canopy 20m Under Canopy 5m Shrub layer 1m Forest Floor

SHRUB LAYER Only about 5% of the light reaches this layer. It is usually dark and damp Plants here rarely grow to more than 3.5m in height.

The structure of a tropical rainforest 40 - 60m Emergents 35m Main Canopy 20m Under Canopy 5m Shrub layer 1m Forest Floor

Now check your answers...

Watch the vid.. What’s the story?

So?

Deforestation – the removal or destruction of areas of forest. Tropical rainforests are being destroyed at the rate of 32,000 hectares per day. The size of the remaining forest is about 5% of the world’s land surface. 80% of the Amazon is ‘untouched’ - selective and small scale deforestation can benefit local communities. "Who, or what, is to blame for the destruction of the rainforest?"

Why are tropical rainforests being destroyed? Explain each… (use textbook) Logging Road Building/Urbanisation Arable farming Cattle Ranching Mining – minerals Oil extraction Hydro-Electricity Power Stations Drugs trade

Quick questions Where are tropical rainforests located? Why are they considered ‘fragile environments’? What are the main layers of the rainforests? Why are rainforests being cut down (deforestation)? What amount (total and %) is/has been damaged?

High End Questions Destruction of TRF’s should not be limited? Is us telling them to stop is hypocrisy? The worlds resources are there to be used? Long term consequences don’t matter?