Forests and Temperature
What layer of leaves and branches forms the top of the forest and provides shade?
What is the canopy?
What is erosion?
The movement of soil by water, wind, or gravity.
What process do plants use to absorb carbon dioxide?
Photosynthesis
What is deforestation?
The removal of forests or trees from an area.
What is the first environmental change after deforestation?
Soil erosion increases.
What process releases water vapor from plant leaves and helps cool the air?
What is transpiration?
What part of trees helps hold soil in place?
Roots
What gas do plants release during photosynthesis?
Oxygen
Name one cause of deforestation in the Amazon.
Cattle ranching, farming, or land development
What happens to eroded soil after it leaves the land?
It enters rivers as sediment.
Why are forested areas usually cooler than cleared land?
Trees provide shade and transpiration, which cool the air.
What is sediment runoff?
Soil washing into rivers or lakes
What type of gas is carbon dioxide?
A greenhouse gas
What happens to biodiversity when forests are removed?
Biodiversity decreases.
What happens to floodplain soil when nutrients decrease?
Soil fertility decreases.
What happens to temperature when forests are removed?
The land becomes hotter because soil absorbs more sunlight.
Why does erosion increase after deforestation?
Because roots that hold soil together are removed.
Why are forests important in regulating Earth’s climate?
They absorb carbon dioxide and store carbon.
Why do invasive species spread more easily in deforested areas?
Because open disturbed land allows them to grow quickly.
What happens to farms when soil fertility decreases?
Crop yields decline
How can large-scale deforestation contribute to climate change?
Fewer trees absorb carbon dioxide, increasing greenhouse gases.
How can sediment affect aquatic ecosystems?
It makes water cloudy and blocks sunlight needed for photosynthesis.
What happens to atmospheric CO₂ levels when forests are cut down?
CO₂ levels increase
What is the relationship between deforestation and crop yield?
More deforestation → more erosion → lower crop yield.
What type of relationship exists between forest clearing and crop yield?
A negative relationship.