© boardworks ltd 2001 the amazon rainforest an example of a large ecosystem (biome)
TRANSCRIPT
© Boardworks Ltd 2001
The Amazon Rainforest
An example of a large ecosystem (biome).
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Where is the Amazon?
Amazon
Internet Link –Amazon Interactive www.eduweb.com/amazon.html
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River Amazon
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The Climate of Amazonia
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Climate Graph – The Amazon
Temperature (ºC)
20222426283032
Rainfall (mm)
Describe the Amazon’s pattern of rainfall and temperature.
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• The temperatures are _____ throughout the year, as this is an area of low _________, - close to the equator.The average temperature is 27.5°C (with a range of __ °C.
• Monthly rainfall is usually very ____. Total annual rainfall is ______mm compared to less than 600mm in some southern parts of Brasil.
• The climate is _________ and ideal for the growth of rainforests.
The Climate of Manaus (Amazonia)
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Why does it rain so much in the rainforest?
Rainforests, such as the Amazon, lie on the Equator. This means that the sun’s rays are more concentrated in these regions and this produces convectional rain.
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Convectional Rain
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1
2
3
4
5
1) The sun heats the earth.2) The earth heats the air above it.3) Hot air rises because it is less
dense.4) As the air rises, the water vapour
in the air cools and condenses into water droplets.
5) A collection of these minute water droplets is known as a cloud. These minute water droplets join together, become heavy and fall as rain.
Convectional rain
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Emergent trees
Canopy
Small trees
Shrubs
Undergrowth
50m
0m
Layers of the rainforest
liana saprophytesbuttress roots
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Simplified Food chain in the Amazon
Who eats whom in the rainforest?
Leaves
Fruit
Nuts
Porcupine
Parrots
Termites
Jaguar
Flowers
Berries
Decay
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The red, tropical soil is naturally infertile.
SOIL
How does so much vegetation grow if the soil is infertile?
BUT…
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Nutrient cycle
Twigs and leaves fall to the ground and become ‘litter’
Decomposition (breaking down) of litter by termites, fungi and bacteria
Nutrients enter the soil
Soil is fertile
Dense vegetation
So what happens if we cut down the trees?
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Broken Nutrient cycle
Deforestation
Less vegetation
Fill in the gaps