What processes are at work in tropical rainforests

What processes are at work in tropical rainforests? 01 January 2022 Learning Objective: To identify and explain the process that happen in tropical rainforests. Focus Task Describe the climate in a tropical rainforest ecosystem. [3]

What is the climate of the ecosystem? • High average temperature of 26°C • High average rainfall of 2500 mm • Highest rainfall Dec-May • Hot and wet conditions • Temperature is relatively fixed- does not fluctuate massively Tropical Rainforest

Where are they distributed? Describe the distribution of tropical rainforests in the world. [3]

Where are they distributed? There is a high concentration close to the Equator. • • Large concentrations are located in between the Tropics. • Unevenly distributed and are mainly found in the Southern Hemisphere. • Large concentrations can be found in South America and Central Africa.

Water Cycle Create a detailed flow map of the water cycle including the new key words. Rainforests produce their own rainfall. As the rainforest heats up during the morning, the water evaporates into the atmosphere and forms clouds to make rainfall for the next day. This is called convectional rainfall. The canopy intercepts a large volume of rainfall and so much of the rainfall is evaporated from here. Some rainfall reaches the ground and so the roots of plants take up some moisture through transpiration. Water is lost through pores in leaves and then evaporated by heat through a process called evapotranspiration.

Nutrient Cycle Describe the tropical rainforest nutrient cycle.

Key B: Biomass L: Litter S: Soil Transfer of nutrients Store of nutrients Input dissolved in rainfall Nutrient Cycle Fallout as leaves die L B Nutrient cycling is rapid in the rainforest. The figure shows the relationship between biomass, soil and litter. The size of the circles indicate the amount of nutrients held in each store. Uptake by plants Loss in runoff Decomposition by fungi and bacteria S Loss by leaching Input weathered from rock Biomass: the total mass of plants and animals in the ecosystem. Litter: total amount of organic matter, including humus (decomposed material) and leaf litter.

Exam Question Explain how nutrients are recycled in tropical rainforest ecosystems. [4] Key Words Climate Geology Temperature Rainfall Upland Lowland Hard rock Soft rock

Question “Deforestation significantly impacts processes in tropical rainforests. ” How far do you agree? • Agree Disagree

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