AQA GCSE Geography · 3.1.2

Tropical rainforests

50 revision questions with answers for 3.1.2 Tropical rainforests in AQA GCSE Geography (spec 8035). Practise with flashcards, a topic quiz, a random quiz across the course, 5 crosswords, or read every question and answer below. Not official AQA material.

All 50 questions and answers

Question 1 · Spec 3.1.2.2
Describe the climate of a tropical rainforest.
Answer:
Hot all year (about 25-30 degrees C, little seasonal change) and very wet, with over 2000 mm of rain a year, mostly from daily convectional storms.
Question 2 · Spec 3.1.2.2
Where are tropical rainforests located?
Answer:
Near the equator, mainly the Amazon basin in South America, the Congo basin in Africa and South East Asia (e.g. Indonesia and Malaysia).
Question 3 · Spec 3.1.2.2
Describe the layers of a tropical rainforest.
Answer:
Emergent trees poke above the canopy (40 m or more), the dense canopy forms a green roof, the understorey is shaded, and the forest floor is dark with few plants.
Question 4 · Spec 3.1.2.2
Describe tropical rainforest soils.
Answer:
Deep but infertile. Heavy rain washes out (leaches) minerals, and nearly all nutrients are held in the vegetation and a thin layer of humus at the surface.
Question 5 · Spec 3.1.2.2
Why is nutrient cycling so rapid in a rainforest?
Answer:
Heat and moisture make dead leaves rot very quickly. Shallow tree roots absorb the nutrients straight away, so little is stored in the soil.
Question 6 · Spec 3.1.2.2
How does the rainforest water cycle work?
Answer:
Heavy rain is intercepted by the canopy, and trees release huge amounts of water through transpiration, which forms clouds and more rain. Much of the rain is recycled locally.
Question 7 · Spec 3.1.2.2
How does convectional rain form in the rainforest?
Answer:
Strong sun evaporates water and heats the ground. Warm moist air rises, cools, condenses and falls as heavy afternoon rain.
Question 8 · Spec 3.1.2.2
Explain the interdependence of climate, water, soils, plants, animals and people in the rainforest.
Answer:
Heat and rain fuel fast plant growth, plants recycle nutrients and water, animals eat and spread seeds, and people depend on all of these. Damage to one affects the others.
Question 9 · Spec 3.1.2.2
How do rainforest plants adapt to the conditions?
Answer:
Drip tips shed water, buttress roots support tall trees in thin soil, lianas and epiphytes climb or perch to reach light, and canopy leaves are thick and waxy.
Question 10 · Spec 3.1.2.2
What are buttress roots and why do they develop?
Answer:
Wide, wing-like roots at the base of tall trees. They give extra support in shallow soil and collect nutrients from the surface.
Question 11 · Spec 3.1.2.2
What are drip tips?
Answer:
Pointed leaf tips that let heavy rain run off quickly, preventing fungal growth and the leaf being weighed down.
Question 12 · Spec 3.1.2.2
What are epiphytes?
Answer:
Plants such as orchids and bromeliads that grow on tree branches high in the canopy to reach sunlight, taking water and nutrients from the air and rain.
Question 13 · Spec 3.1.2.2
How do animals adapt to rainforest conditions?
Answer:
Camouflage (jaguars, sloths), warning colours (poison dart frogs), prehensile tails and gliding for life in trees, and large beaks (toucans) to reach fruit.
Question 14 · Spec 3.1.2.2
How have indigenous people adapted to the rainforest?
Answer:
Groups such as the Kayapo and Yanomami live by hunting, fishing, gathering and small shifting plots, using the forest sustainably for food, shelter and medicine.
Question 15 · Spec 3.1.2.2
How much of the world's biodiversity do tropical rainforests contain?
Answer:
More than half of all plant and animal species on land, even though they cover only a small part of the Earth's surface.
Question 16 · Spec 3.1.2.2
Why is the loss of rainforest biodiversity a problem?
Answer:
Species may be lost forever, including plants that could provide medicines. The loss also weakens the food web and ecosystem services such as carbon storage.
Question 17 · Spec 3.1.2.2
Give an example of interdependence in the Amazon.
Answer:
Brazil nut trees depend on orchid bees for pollination and on agoutis to spread their seeds. If any of these are lost, the tree struggles to reproduce.
Question 18 · Spec 3.1.2.2
What is deforestation?
Answer:
The permanent clearing of forest, by felling or burning, so that the land can be used for something else.
Question 19 · Spec 3.1.2.2
How have rates of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon changed?
Answer:
Annual loss peaked in 2004 (over 27,000 km2), fell by about 80% by 2012 after tougher enforcement, rose again in the late 2010s, then fell sharply in 2023.
Question 20 · Spec 3.1.2.2
What affects the rate of deforestation?
Answer:
Government policy and law enforcement, the world price of beef, soya and minerals, new roads, population pressure and satellite monitoring.
Question 21 · Spec 3.1.2.2
Case study: where is the Amazon rainforest?
Answer:
The largest rainforest in the world, around the Amazon River in South America. About 60% lies in Brazil, with the rest in Peru, Colombia and other countries.
Question 22 · Spec 3.1.2.2
Why does subsistence farming cause deforestation?
Answer:
Poor families clear and burn small plots (slash and burn) to grow food. Nutrients are used up in a few years, so they move on and clear more forest.
Question 23 · Spec 3.1.2.2
Why does commercial farming cause deforestation?
Answer:
Large areas are cleared for cattle ranching, the biggest cause, and for soya, mostly grown for export and animal feed.
Question 24 · Spec 3.1.2.2
How does logging cause deforestation?
Answer:
Valuable hardwoods such as mahogany are felled for timber. Roads and damage to nearby trees, and illegal logging, open the forest to further clearance.
Question 25 · Spec 3.1.2.2
How does road building cause deforestation?
Answer:
Roads such as the Trans-Amazonian Highway open remote forest to settlers, loggers and ranchers, and deforestation spreads outward along the roads.
Question 26 · Spec 3.1.2.2
How does mineral extraction cause deforestation?
Answer:
Open-cast mines such as the Carajas iron ore mine clear large areas, and roads, power lines and mining towns clear more. Mercury from gold mining pollutes rivers.
Question 27 · Spec 3.1.2.2
How does energy development cause deforestation?
Answer:
Hydroelectric dams such as Tucurui and Belo Monte flood huge areas of forest and displace people, and power lines and roads add to forest loss.
Question 28 · Spec 3.1.2.2
How do settlement and population growth cause deforestation?
Answer:
Government resettlement schemes and rising population bring people who clear land for homes, farms and growing towns such as Manaus.
Question 29 · Spec 3.1.2.2
What are the economic benefits of deforestation in the Amazon?
Answer:
Jobs and income from beef, soya, timber and minerals, export earnings for Brazil, and new roads, towns and energy supplies.
Question 30 · Spec 3.1.2.2
How does deforestation cause soil erosion?
Answer:
Without the canopy and roots to protect it, heavy rain washes away the thin topsoil. Rivers fill with silt, fish stocks fall and flood risk rises.
Question 31 · Spec 3.1.2.2
How does Amazon deforestation contribute to climate change?
Answer:
Felled trees stop absorbing carbon dioxide, and burning or rotting wood releases the carbon they stored. Less transpiration also changes rainfall.
Question 32 · Spec 3.1.2.2
What other environmental impacts does deforestation have?
Answer:
Loss of habitat and biodiversity, drier local climate, polluted rivers, and loss of land and culture for indigenous people.
Question 33 · Spec 3.1.2.2
What is the value of tropical rainforests to people?
Answer:
Timber, food, medicines, rubber and nuts; jobs and income; ecotourism; and homes for indigenous communities.
Question 34 · Spec 3.1.2.2
What is the value of tropical rainforests to the environment?
Answer:
They store carbon and absorb carbon dioxide, recycle water and influence rainfall, protect soils and provide habitat for a huge range of species.
Question 35 · Spec 3.1.2.2
What does sustainable management of the rainforest mean?
Answer:
Using the forest in a way that meets present needs, such as timber and farmland, without damaging it so future generations can use it too.
Question 36 · Spec 3.1.2.2
How does selective logging help sustainability?
Answer:
Only mature trees of certain species are cut, leaving the canopy mostly intact so the forest can regrow and soil is protected.
Question 37 · Spec 3.1.2.2
How does replanting help to sustain the rainforest?
Answer:
Young trees are planted to replace those felled, so timber supply continues and habitats, soils and carbon stores are restored over time.
Question 38 · Spec 3.1.2.2
How do conservation and education protect the rainforest?
Answer:
National parks and reserves protect areas from logging, and rangers and teaching programmes help local people to use the forest sustainably.
Question 39 · Spec 3.1.2.2
How does ecotourism help to protect the rainforest?
Answer:
Low-impact tourism gives local people jobs and income from keeping the forest intact, and tourist money can pay for conservation.
Question 40 · Spec 3.1.2.2
How can international agreements about tropical hardwoods help?
Answer:
Bodies such as the ITTO and FSC certification promote timber from well-managed forests, and CITES restricts trade in endangered species like mahogany.
Question 41 · Spec 3.1.2.2
What is a debt-for-nature swap or debt reduction?
Answer:
Part of an LIC's debt is cancelled in return for protecting its forest, which reduces pressure to clear the forest for money.
Question 42 · Spec 3.1.2.2
What are the limitations of international agreements to protect rainforests?
Answer:
Illegal logging is hard to police, large areas are remote, countries put development first and consumers may not check where timber and beef come from.
Question 43 · Spec 3.1.2.2
What is the Amazon Fund?
Answer:
A fund supported by countries such as Norway and Germany that pays for projects to prevent, monitor and reduce deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.
Question 44 · Spec 3.1.2.2
Why are rainforests hard to restore once cleared?
Answer:
The soils are thin and nutrient-poor, so regrowth is slow, and the original species mix may take hundreds of years to return.
Question 45 · Spec 3.1.2.2
What is secondary rainforest?
Answer:
Forest that has regrown after clearance. It has fewer species and a simpler structure than primary (undisturbed) forest.
Question 46 · Spec 3.1.2.2
How does cattle ranching affect soils after forest is cleared?
Answer:
Pasture grass cannot hold the thin soil, and trampling by cattle compacts it. After a few years the land loses fertility and is abandoned.
Question 47 · Spec 3.1.2.2
How do indigenous people suffer from deforestation?
Answer:
They lose land, food and homes, may be exposed to new diseases, and their way of life is threatened by loggers, miners and settlers.
Question 48 · Spec 3.1.2.2
Why is the Amazon important at a global scale?
Answer:
It stores huge amounts of carbon, holds a large share of the world's species and affects regional and global weather patterns.
Question 49 · Spec 3.1.2.2
Why do rainforest trees have shallow roots?
Answer:
Nutrients are concentrated in the surface layer of litter and humus, so roots spread near the surface instead of going deep.
Question 50 · Spec 3.1.2.2
How can consumers help protect the rainforest?
Answer:
Buy FSC-certified timber and paper, choose beef and palm oil from deforestation-free sources, and reduce waste.

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