FAQs - The following are links to sections of the site for various commonly asked questions about rainforests. This is meant to be a learning excercise.

• Where are rainforests located?
• How much land area rainforests do cover?
• What percentage of Earth is covered by rainforests?
• How many rainforest biogeographical realms are there?
• What biogeographical realm has the most rainforest?
• True or false - less than 5% of Earth's land is covered with rainforests.
  
• Rainforests are generally broken into how many biogeographical realms?
• The largest expanse of rainforest is located on what continent?
• Most of the rainforest in Africa is found in what basin?
• How is African rainforest generally different from rainforests of Asia and South America?
• What is the world's second largest island?
• Does Australia naturally have monkeys?
• What is the Wallace Line?
• How did the Ice Ages affect islands and forests in southeast Asia?
• True or False—The Amazon River Basin is roughly the size of the forty-eight contiguous United States.
• Is the Amazon River the largest river, in terms of volume, in the world?
• Is the Amazon River the longest river in the world?
• What continent loses the most area of forest each year?
  
  
• What is the difference between primary and secondary forest?
• True or false—Cloud forest is found in mountainous areas.
• True or false—flooding is common in the Amazon rainforest.
• Why are mangrove forests important?
• Why are mangrove forests being destroyed?
  
  
• Where are rainforests located?
• What are the tropics?
• Where/how does the rainforest get its energy?
• Rainforest are _________ since they are warm and have a lot of moisture in the air.
• How much rain do rainforests get?
• How do rainforests create their own rain?
• What is an evergreen tree?
• What are two things affecting the water cycle of tropical rainforests?
• Drought makes rainforests susceptible to what?
  
  
• Most of the plant and animal species live in what level of the rainforest?
• What are epiphytes?
• What is an example of an epiphyte? (Hint: think of a popular kind of flower)
• What are lianas?
• What is a symbiotic relationship?
• What is a keystone species?
• Why are agoutis important in the rainforest ecosystem?
  
  
• What is biodiversity?
  
  
• Why does biodiversity generally increase towards the tropics?
• Where does the rainforest ultimately get its energy?
• Why are few species relatively abundant in the rainforest?
  
  
• How does the canopy amplify rainforest biodiversity?
• How does area impact biodiversity?
• Does forest fragmentation reduce forest diversity?
• How do soils affect forest diversity?
  
  
• How can climate change affect the distribution of species?
  
  
• Why are some rainforest animals (especially insects and frogs) brightly colored?
• How do plants protect themselves from predators?
  
  
• What are three types of mimicry?
• Why is camouflage important?
  
  
• Where does the rainforest derive its energy?
• Where do the majority of rainforest species live?
  
  
• Why is it important to study the rainforest canopy?
  
  
• What is the overstory?
  
  
• Why is most rainforest life found in the canopy?
• How do rainforest canopy trees disperse their seeds?
• What are common pollinators in the rainforest?
  
  
• What are epiphytes?
• True or false—Orchids are a type of epiphyte.
  
  
• What is a liana?
• How does ants and some tree species mutually benefit from their sybiotic relationship?
  
  
• How do animals communicate in the canopy?
• Why do relatively few animals eat leaves as the staple of their diet?
• Where does the organutan live and why is it endangered?
  
  
• What are some ways that animals move through the canopy?
• What is a prehensile tail?
  
  
• What is a flying fox and what does it eat?
• Why are important for an ecosystem?
• Are vampire bats real?
  
  
• What are lemurs and where are they found?
• Generally, how are New World monkeys different from Old World monkeys?
  
  
• How many bird species are there in the world?
• What do parrots eat?
• What continent has the most species of birds?
  
  
• What is the most abundant type of amphibian in the rainforest?
• What is the most diverse group of creatures in the rainforest?
  
  
• What is the difference between jungle and rainforest?
• Why is there generally little light on the forest floor?
  
  
• Why does traditional agriculture often fail in rainforests?
• How are nutrients recycled in the rainforest environment?
• How are tropical forest soils different from soils in temperate forests?
  
  
• How do animals help the reproductive cycle of plants?
• Why are many seeds poisonous?
  
  
• What is a light gap and why is important to forest regeneration?
  
  
• What role do elephants play in forest dynamics?
• What is an Okapi?
  
  
• Why are large predators relatively rare in the rainforest?
• Why are tigers endangered?
  
  
• What are bowerbirds known for?
  
  
• Why are poison dart frogs colorful?
• Why are frogs endangered?
  
  
• What are leafcutter ants?
  
  
• Why are some of the world's largest rivers found in tropical regions?
  
  
• What are three major water types in the rainforest?
  
  
• What is the world's largest river by volume?
  
  
• How do changes in water level affect the Amazon?
  
  
• What is the capybara?
  
  
• How are floodplain forests different from upland forests?
  
  
• Why is the Amazon River important to local people
• What is an oxbow lake?
  
  
• How are rainforest rivers under threat?
• How do dams contribute to global warming?
• Why are dams usually bad for native fish species?
  
  
• Who lives in the rainforest?
  
  
• Are pygmies real?
• Why is the traditional lifestyle of African forest people threatened?
  
  
• Why is the traditional lifestyle of native forest dwellers threatened in Asia?
  
  
• How has life changed for most forest dwellers over the past 50 years or so?
• Who are the Yanomani?
  
  
• What is happening to traditional indigenous cultures of rainforest peoples?
• Who are the new "people of the rainforest"?
  
  
• What is the difference between deforestation and forest degradation?
• What are some examples of activities that cause deforestation?
• What are some causes of forest degradation?
  
  
• What are some natural causes of rainforest destruction?
• How could climate change threaten rainforests?
  
  
• What is the leading cause of deforestation?
  
  
• What is slash-and-burn agriculture?
• Why do colonists and poor farmers destroy the rainforest?
  
  
• How does globalization affect deforestation?
  
  
• How do oil operations impact the rainforest?
• How can oil development actually hurt an economy?
  
  
• Why can selective logging be destructive in the rainforest?
• What is the hunting of wild animals for food called?
• What is greenwash?
  
  
• How does mining affect the rainforest and local rivers?
  
  
• Why are forest fires getting worse in the Amazon?
  
  
• What is the impact of war on deforestation?
• How can war result in more deforestation? Less deforestation?
  
  
• How does large-scale agriculture damage the rainforest?
• Why are soybeans generally bad for the Amazon?
  
  
• What is the largest source of deforestation in Latin America?
• Why do land speculators clear rainforest?
  
  
• What environmental problems can dams cause?
• Why are tigers endangered?
• How can alien or invasive species impact the environment?
  
  
• What is an important energy source for rural poor in the tropics?
• Why is forest fragmentation bad for rainforest biodiversity?
• How will climate change effect the distribution of rainforests?
  
  
• How does international debt impact deforestation in the tropics?
  
  
• How does population growth impact the environment?
• How can a falling population growth rate in developed countries still result in deforestation and other environmental problems?
  
  
• How does consumption in the United States affect rainforests on the other side of the world?
  
  
• Why are rainforests important?
• Why should rainforests be protected?
  
  
• How do rainforests help moderate flood and drought cycles?
  
  
• Why do rainforests help prevent erosion?
• Why is erosion a problem?
• What are environmental refugees?
  
  
• How is deforestation linked to the emergence of disease?
  
  
• Why are seconday forest products important?
  
  
• Why does local rainfall decline with deforestation?
  
  
• How does deforestation affect global warming?
• Why are rainforests called "the lungs of the world"?
  
  
• Why is there a "lag time" for species extinction?
• Why do small populations have a lower probability of survival?
• How might climate change impact global biodiversity?
• Why are frogs dying around the world?
  
  
• How should rainforests be protected?
• How can we save rainforests?
• Why is saving tropical rainforests a challenge?
• Why do national parks often fail to protect rainforests?
• Why is economics important in conservation?
  
  
• Why are agriculture techniques important to the future of rainforests?
• What can we learn from past cultures about agriculture in the Amazon?
  
  
• How can people living near the rainforest earn a living without logging?
• What are some examples of non-wood forest products that can be sustainably harvested from the rainforest?
• How can the harvesting of non-wood forest products damage the rainforest ecosystem?
  
  
• How can ecotourism help the environment?
  
  
• Why is it important to promote sustainable use of forest resources?
• Why are extractive industries like logging generally not the best for long-term economic growth?
  
  
• Why is genetic diversity important for agriculture?
  
  
• Why are plants a good source for medicines?
• What is biopiracy?
  
  
• Why are plants a good potential source for natural pesticides?
  
  
• Why is illegal logging a problem for governments?
  
  
• What is sustainable forestry? Can logging be sustainable?
• How does timber certification work?
• How can Western consumers help encourage eco-friendly logging?
• How do subsidies drive deforestation?
  
  
• What are some ways to reduce the impact of logging in the rainforest?
• What are alternatives to rainforest wood?
  
  
• Why is cattle grazing popular in the Amazon?
• What is intercropping?
• How can the impact of cattle be minimized in the rainforest?
  
  
• What are some alternative sources of energy beyond oil, gas, and coal?
• Why can palm biodiesel be damaging to the rainforest?
  
  
• Why is increasing productivity on deforested lands important for rainforest conservation?
• How do birds and bats help in habitat rainforest regeneration?
  
  
• Why is it important to conduct species inventories in tropical forests?
• How can satellites help in rainforest conservation?
  
  
• What is a multiple-use reserve and how does it help save rainforests while providing economic benefits to local people?
  
  
• How does reserve size or area impact levels of biodiversity?
• Why is economic anaylsis of ecosystems important?
  
  
• How can pollution by wealthy countries be used to protect rainforests in poor countries?
• What is a debt-for-nature swap?
  
  
• Why do government agencies responsible for biodiversity conservation in the developing nations need reform?
  
  
• How do subsidies drive deforestation?
• Why is corruption bad for conservation?
  
  
• Why were past World Bank projects often destructive?
• How has the World Bank changed its approach towards the environment?
  
  
• Why are grassroots movements often successful in conservation efforts?
  
  
• How can I help save the rainforest?
  
  
• Does pressure from activist groups work?
  
  
• What can we learn from indigenous people about rainforest conservation?