Class 5 Equatorial Forests Questions and Answers
Chapter 3: Equatorial Forests
1. Tick (✓) the correct answer
(a) The Semang tribe lives in the forest of -
✓ (ii) Indonesia
(b) The equatorial region is located between - North latitude and -
South latitude.
✓ (ii) 10°, 10°
(c) Plantation farming was introduced by -
✓ (iv) Europeans
(d) The Yanomami tribe lives in the rainforests of -
✓ (i) Brazil
(e) Sleeping sickness is caused by -
✓ (ii) tsetse flies
2. Fill in the blanks
(a) The regions closer to the equator get direct rays of the Sun.
(b) The winter season never comes in the equatorial forests.
(c) In the rainforest, there is little difference in the duration of day and night.
(d) Equatorial forests have a four-layered vegetation.
(e) Pygmies are the primitive people of the equatorial region.
3. Match the following
|
Column A |
Column B |
|
(a) Plantation farming |
(v) Introduced by Europeans |
|
(b) Plantation crops |
(iii) Tea and coffee |
|
(c) Forest floor |
(ii) Receives very little sunlight |
|
(d) Pygmies |
(i) People of the rainforests |
|
(e) Shifting cultivation |
(iv) Practised by Amazon forest tribes |
4. Write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false
(a) The trees in the equatorial rainforests are evergreen. - T
(b) The tallest trees form a canopy. - F
The tallest trees form the emergent layer. The second layer forms the
canopy.
(c) The days are long and the nights are short in the
equatorial region. - F
Days and nights are almost equal in length.
(d) The equatorial region is found in the frigid zone. - F
It is found in the Torrid Zone.
(e) In plantation farming, crops are grown for commercial purposes. - T
5. Short-answer questions
(a) Where are the equatorial forests located?
Equatorial forests are located between 10° North and 10° South of the Equator. They are found in South America, Africa, Asia, Australia and the Caribbean Islands.
(b) Name three trees found in the equatorial forests.
Three trees found in equatorial forests are:
1. Mahogany
2. Rosewood
3. Ebony
(c) Which different tribes are found in the equatorial region?
The tribes found in the equatorial region include the Pygmies, Bantu, Semang, Yanomami, Huli, Jarawas and Dayaks.
(d) What is shifting cultivation?
Shifting cultivation is a type of farming in which a patch of forest is cleared and crops are grown there for two or three years. When the soil loses its fertility, the farmers leave the land and move to another place.
(e) What is cassava?
Cassava is a root crop. It is an important staple food of the Bantu people. It is dried, pounded into flour and used to make bread.
(f) How did the tribes of the rainforests start plantation farming?
During colonial rule, Europeans introduced plantation farming by clearing parts of the rainforests. Some native tribes later began practising plantation farming in these cleared areas.
(g) Name the crops grown on plantation farms.
The main plantation crops are coffee, cocoa, cotton, tobacco, rubber, tea and palm oil.
6. Long-answer questions
(a) Describe the climate of the rainforest areas.
The equatorial rainforest region has a hot and humid climate throughout the year. The average temperature is about 30°C. There is very little difference between day and night temperatures.
The region receives heavy convectional rainfall, usually in the afternoon. The rainfall is often accompanied by thunderstorms. Rain falls almost every day, and there is no distinct winter or dry season.
(b) Describe the characteristics of equatorial rainforests.
The main characteristics of equatorial rainforests are:
· They are very thick and dense.
· The trees remain green throughout the year.
· The forests contain a great variety of plants and animals.
· Trees grow very tall and close together.
· Vegetation grows in four different layers.
· Very little sunlight reaches the forest floor.
· Trees have shallow roots and large buttress roots.
· Climbers, creepers and shrubs grow in the lower layers.
· The forests receive heavy rainfall throughout the year.
(c) What kind of plant life is found in the evergreen forests?
Evergreen forests contain tall, broad-leaved trees that remain green throughout the year. Important trees include mahogany, rosewood, ebony, rubber, cinchona, fan palm and strangler fig.
Climbers, creepers, shrubs and small plants also grow in these forests. The plants grow densely because the region receives high temperature and heavy rainfall.
(d) What are the different layers in which plants grow in this area?
Plants in equatorial rainforests grow in four layers:
1. Emergent layer
It is the topmost layer. It contains the tallest trees, which may grow up to 200 feet high.
2. Canopy
It is the second layer. The branches and leaves of tall trees form a thick roof or ceiling called the canopy.
3. Understorey
It is the third layer. Small trees, shrubs, climbers and creepers grow here.
4. Forest floor
It is the lowest layer. Very little sunlight reaches this layer. Fallen leaves and fruits decay quickly because of the hot and wet conditions.
(e) What kinds of animals are found in the various layers of the rainforests?
Different animals live in different layers of the rainforest.
· Birds, monkeys, lemurs, squirrels, bats and marmosets live mainly in the canopy.
· Snakes, frogs, insects, shrubs-dwelling animals and creepers are found in the understorey.
· Apes, elephants and jaguars live on the forest floor.
· Gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans are common in the rainforests of Africa and Southeast Asia.
· Reptiles such as pythons, anacondas and lizards are also found here.
· Colourful birds such as toucans, parrots and macaws live in these forests.
(f) Describe the lives of people living in the rainforests.
Most people living in rainforests belong to tribal communities. They lead simple lives and depend on forests for food, shelter and clothing.
Many tribes hunt animals, gather fruits, nuts, honey and roots, and practise farming. Some also rear animals and catch fish. Their houses are made of wood, clay, palm leaves and thatch.
The Bantu people live in small villages and grow cassava. The Pygmies live a nomadic life and hunt animals and gather food. People often suffer from diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, cholera and sleeping sickness because of the hot and humid climate.
(g) The houses in the equatorial region have to be rebuilt frequently. Why?
The houses are mainly made of wood, clay, palm leaves and thatch. Heavy rainfall and the hot, damp climate make the wood rot quickly. Therefore, the houses do not last long and have to be rebuilt frequently.
(h) What kind of agriculture is practised in the equatorial forests and why?
The people of the equatorial forests practise:
· Subsistence farming
· Shifting cultivation
· Plantation farming
Subsistence farming is practised to grow food for the family. Shifting cultivation is practised because the soil has only a thin fertile layer and quickly loses its fertility. Plantation farming is practised to grow commercial crops such as tea, coffee, cocoa and rubber for sale.
(i) Differentiate between subsistence farming and shifting cultivation.
|
Subsistence farming |
Shifting cultivation |
|
Crops are grown mainly for the farmer’s family. |
A forest patch is cleared and cultivated temporarily. |
|
Only enough food is produced for daily needs. |
Crops are grown for two or three years. |
|
Farming may continue on the same land. |
The land is abandoned when the soil loses fertility. |
|
It is generally carried out on a small scale. |
Farmers move to a new patch of land. |
(j) Name a few industries found in the equatorial forests.
The main industries and economic activities found in equatorial regions are:
· Logging and timber industry
· Hydroelectricity generation
· Mining
· Petroleum and natural-gas extraction
· Copper and precious-stone mining
· Processing of plantation crops such as rubber, coffee, cocoa and palm oil
7. HOTS Questions
(a) Why does the Torrid Zone record a small diurnal range of temperature?
The Torrid Zone receives strong sunlight throughout the year. It also has high humidity and thick cloud cover. Clouds prevent the land from becoming extremely hot during the day and reduce heat loss at night. Therefore, the difference between day and night temperatures is small.
(b) What are the reasons for high humidity in the Equatorial Region?
The Equatorial Region receives heavy rainfall and has high temperatures throughout the year. Heat causes water from rivers, lakes, wet soil and plants to evaporate rapidly. This large amount of water vapour in the air causes high humidity.
(c) What is convectional rainfall? Why is it caused in the Torrid Zone?
Convectional rainfall occurs when the Sun heats the land and water. The warm, moisture-filled air rises, cools and condenses to form clouds. These clouds produce heavy rainfall, often accompanied by thunder and lightning.
It commonly occurs in the Torrid Zone because this region receives strong heat from the Sun and has a high rate of evaporation.
(d) Why is an equatorial forest known as a rainforest?
An equatorial forest is called a rainforest because it receives heavy rainfall almost every day throughout the year. The high rainfall supports the growth of thick, dense and evergreen vegetation.
(e) Why do plantation farmers not abandon their land like shifting cultivators? How do they maintain soil fertility?
Shifting cultivators leave their land because repeated cultivation quickly removes nutrients from the thin fertile soil.
Plantation farmers do not abandon their land because plantations are permanent commercial farms. They maintain soil fertility by using manure and fertilisers, protecting the soil from erosion, removing weeds and following proper farming methods. They may also grow cover crops and replace nutrients lost from the soil.
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