Transcript Geography - Sky Rainforest Rescue

Geography
The equator
The equator is an imaginary line which divides the world
in half.
The tropics
There is also another imaginary line above the equator
called the Tropic of Cancer and one below called the
Tropic of Capricorn.
The tropics
The space between these lines is known as the tropics.
The tropics
Because the earth is
round the tropics are the
parts which are closest to
the sun.
This means that they are
usually very hot.
The tropics
Because it is so
hot, lots of water
evaporates from
the seas and rivers
in this area and
turns into clouds.
This means that
there is also lots of
rain in the tropics.
The tropics
Tropical rainforests
need lots of heat
and rain to survive
so all of the tropical
rainforests can be
found in this band
around the equator.
© Zig Koch / WWF
Weather
Weather is used to describe the
conditions which a place is
experiencing.
For example:
• The temperature
• Precipitation (if it is raining,
snowing, sleeting)
• Wind
These factors can change
minute by minute, day by day.
© Greg Armfield / WWF-UK
Climate
Climate is the average weather
which a place normally experiences.
The climate is different across the
world and can be affected by lots of
different things.
For example:
• How high the place is
• Where it is on the earth
• Whether it is close to, or far
away from, the sea
Climate
The shape of the world has a big
effect on climate.
Because the earth is a globe the
middle part is much closer to the
sun than the parts at the top and
bottom.
This means that countries around
the centre of the earth can get
much hotter than those at the top
and bottom.
Climate
The charts on your worksheet show
you the average temperature and
amount of rainfall which three
destinations get over one year.
Look at the charts and make some
notes on the climate of each place.
Now use your detective skills to
work out where each destination is
on the map.
Answers
The answers to the questions on worksheet 6 are…
• Destination A: Manaus, Brazil
• Destination B: London, UK
• Destination C: Reykjavik, Iceland
The layers of the Amazon
Rainforests are very tall, dense forests made up
of loads of plants and animals.
They can be separated into four different layers:
• Forest floor
• Understory
• Canopy
• Emergent layer
Different plants and animals live in each layer…
The layers of the Amazon
The layers of the Amazon
Emergent layer
This is the tops of the tallest
trees in the forest. They can
be up to 200 feet tall! This
layer gets lots of sunlight.
The layers of the Amazon
Canopy
This is the main roof and
busiest part of the
forest. All the treetops
grow closely together to
catch most of the sun.
There are lots of fruits
and flowers to eat which
means a lot of animals
live in this layer.
The layers of the Amazon
Understory
This layer is made up of
smaller trees and plants.
Not much sunlight gets
through the layer above
so the plants have big
leaves to catch the
sunlight where they can.
The layers of the Amazon
Forest floor
Hardly any sunlight reaches the
bottom layer so it is dark and
stuffy here. Not many plants
can grow down here but there
are lots of dead leaves which
have fallen from above which
makes it a paradise for insects.
Guess the layer
Now you know about the different layers of the Amazon
guess which layer each of these animals lives in…
Guess the layer
Harpy eagle
Guess the layer
Sloth
Guess the layer
Jaguar
© David Lawson WWF-UK
Guess the layer
Toucan
Guess the layer
Tree frog
© Zig Koch / WWF
Guess the layer
Giant Anteater
Guess the layer
Leafcutter Ant
Guess the layer
The harpy eagle
lives in the
emergent layer at
the top of the
forest.
Guess the layer
The sloth lives in the
canopy of the forest
to try and stay away
from the quicker
predators on the
ground.
Guess the layer
The jaguar lives on
the forest floor but
can also climb up to
the understory in
order to catch its
prey.
© David Lawson WWF-UK
Guess the layer
The toucan lives in
the canopy where
it uses its huge
beak to crack open
hard nuts.
Guess the layer
The tree frog lives on
the leaves in the damp
understory of the
rainforest.
© Zig Koch / WWF
Guess the layer
The giant anteater
lives on the forest
floor where it can
forage for delicious
ants.
Guess the layer
The leafcutter ant
climbs tall trees to
collect green leaves
for its burrow, but its
home is on the forest
floor.
Conscience alley
Logging can provide an
important source of income
to the people and
governments of the
Amazon countries.
But it is crucial that logging
is done sustainably to
protect the forest and the
people and animals which
live in the Amazon.
Conscience alley
Governments play an
important role.
They need to set good
standards for the
environment and working
conditions. And they
need to ensure that
logging companies stick
to the rules and punish
those that do not.
Conscience alley
But we can also make a
difference by making sure to
only buy paper or wood
products which are FSC
certified.
By tackling illegal logging we
can make the best use of the
Amazon’s resources without
destroying the rainforest for
future generations.
Rainforest at home
Did you know that many of
the products we use
everyday and have in our
homes contain products from
the rainforest?
Rainforest at home
For example….
• Rubber
• Lipstick
• Pineapples
• Furniture
Rainforest at home
Rubber
Rubber (which we use in tyres
and many other items)
originates from a tree that grows
wild in the Amazon rainforest.
These days, most of the rubber
we use comes from plantations
or from synthetics. But they
would not have existed without
this amazing Amazonian plant.
Rainforest at home
Lipstick
Lipstick and many other
beauty products contain
products like dyes and oils
which are harvested from
the Amazon.
Rainforest at home
Fruits
Many of the delicious
fruits which we enjoy
like pineapples and
bananas are grown in
the Amazon!
© Greg Armfield / WWF-UK
Rainforest at home
Furniture
Unfortunately some furniture is still
being made from trees which are
cut down unsustainably from the
Amazon and other threatened
forests.
You can make sure you avoid
products like these by only buying
furniture which is FSC certified.
FSC means the wood has been
harvested in a way that is good for
the forest and for workers.