Tropical rainforests guide for KS3 geography students

What do you know?

What is the climate of a tropical rainforest?

Key points

Tropical rainforests lie along the equator, mainly between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
Rainforests have four main layers: the emergent, the canopy, the under canopy and the forest floor.
There are many causes of rainforest deforestation, which leads to loss of habitats, soil erosion, flooding and global warming.
International agreements, 'debt for nature' swaps and selective logging and replanting of trees can all be used to help reduce deforestation.

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What are tropical rainforests?

Tropical rainforests lie along the , between the Tropics of and . This part of the Earth receives the most solar energy and so air rises, creating clouds and heavy rainfall. Examples of tropical rainforest areas are the Amazon rainforest in South America and the Congo rainforest in Africa.

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The Indian rainforest and its layers, plants and animals

The layers of a rainforest

Rainforests have four main layers: the emergent, the canopy, the under canopy and the forest floor. The top emergent layer of the rainforest receives the most sunlight, while the forest floor at the bottom receives the least amount of sunlight. Each layer experiences different levels of water, sunlight, and air circulation.

Emergent	The tallest trees in the forest, some over 50 m in height. Parrots and bats live here. Parrots have sharp beaks to crack open nuts and large toes to grip the tall trees, which sway in the wind.
Canopy	The canopy receives high levels of solar energy. Monkeys and sloths live here. Monkeys have strong tails to help them to swing through the trees.
Under canopy	A lower level of trees that only receives around 2 to 15 per cent of the sunlight falling on the forest. Frogs and snakes thrive in the damp conditions here. The flying frog has web-like feet, which allow it to glide through the air.
Forest floor	The forest floor is very dark and often covered in fallen leaves. Jaguars and gorillas are found in some rainforests. Jaguars have camouflaged fur, which allows them to blend into the forest. They are also excellent swimmers.

Image caption,
The flying frog lives in the rainforest under canopy. It has web-like feet, which allow it to glide through the air. This can be useful to escape predators.

Question

Which rainforest layer do monkeys live in?

Life in the rainforest for people

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Image caption,
We do not know how many people live within the world’s rainforest. Some areas of rainforest are vast with indigenous tribes who have never had contact with the outside world.
Image caption,
The Mbuti belong to a wider group of people known as Pygmies. They live in the Ituri Rainforest in the north of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Pygmies are renowned as being very short; their average height is only around 4 feet 6 inches.
Image caption,
The Orang Rimba people live in the Sumatran rainforests of Indonesia. The Indonesian government does not recognise their right to the land that they live on. Their way of life is challenged as forests are destroyed to make space for palm oil plantations.
Image caption,
The Tūhoe people live in the rainforests of New Zealand’s North Island. Only an estimated 30% of the Tūhoe people still live in their original forest land. The government of New Zealand have granted ownership of the Te Urewera National Park to the Tūhoe people. They are now the legal guardians of the rainforests there.
Image caption,
The Tupi Guarani people live in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. There are many different Amazon groups in addition to the Tupi Guarani. Much of the rainforest is challenged by the presence of miners and loggers. The government of Brazil have taken steps to remove the rights of rainforest people. The current president, Jair Bolsonaro wants to use the land for farming and mining.

Question

Which country has granted rainforest people ownership of land?

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What are the causes and effects of rainforest deforestation?

An estimated 12 million hectares of rainforest has been lost annually since 2010. This is an area approximately the size of England each year.

Causes of include:

for timber and
large-scale farming
mining
settlements and road building

Deforestation leads to a loss of for people of the rainforest and many animals. Loss of tree cover exposes soil. Heavy rainfall can then cause and flooding. On a global scale, loss of rainforests contributes to . This is because trees store carbon.

Rainforests can be managed to prevent deforestation. The table below summarises some ways that this can be achieved.

Type of management	Explanation
International agreements and debt for nature swaps	These are agreements between different countries. For example, the Paris Agreement on climate change (2015) aims to protect the world’s forests. This happens when a country’s debt is reduced in exchange for rainforest conservation (protecting the forests from harm). There are renewed calls for countries like China to swap ‘debt for nature’ with nations that owe them money, such as Laos and Cambodia.
Selective logging	This means only removing the trees that are worth the most money. Selective logging protects the rest of the forest.
Replanting	Replanting areas of lost forest can help repair the damage already done.

Image caption,
Logging for timber and pulp destroys vast areas of forest

Question

On a global scale, what problem is caused by rainforest deforestation?

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