Answer the following in 1 or 2 lines.
(a) Where are the equatorial forests located?
A: Near the equator in North and South America, Africa, Australia, and Asia (10° North to 10° South).
(b) Name three trees found in the equatorial forests.
A: Mahogany, rosewood, cinchona.
(c) Which different tribes are found in the equatorial region?
A: Bantu, Pygmies, Huli, Semangs, Yanomami, Jarawas, Kubus, Dayaks.
(d) What is shifting cultivation?
A: Clearing and cultivating land until fertility is lost, then moving to another area.
(e) What is cassava?
A: Root crop, staple food in equatorial regions, dried and pounded into flour.
(f) How did the tribes of the rainforests start plantation farming?
A: Introduced by Europeans during colonial rule.
(g) Name the crops grown on plantation farms.
A: Coffee, cocoa, cotton, tobacco, rubber, palm oil.
Long Answer Questions:
(a) Describe the climate of the rainforest areas.
A: Hot and humid with daily rainfall, experiencing convectional rainfall and frequent thunderstorms.
(b) Describe the characteristics of equatorial rainforests.
A: Dense, evergreen forests with distinct layers and a variety of wildlife.
(c) What kind of plant life is found in the evergreen forests?
A: Various trees like mahogany, rosewood, cinchona, ebony, fan palm, strangler fig, and rubber.
(d) What are the different layers in which plants grow in these areas?
A: Emergent layer, canopy, understorey, and forest floor.
(e) What kinds of animals are found in the various layers of the rainforests?
A: Primates in the canopy, diverse reptiles and insects, and larger animals like apes, elephants, and jaguars on the forest floor.
(f) Describe the lives of people living in the rainforests.
A: Tribal people leading simple lives, relying on hunting, gathering, and, in some cases, subsistence farming.
(g) The houses in the equatorial region have to be rebuilt frequently. Why?
A: Harsh climate conditions, heavy rainfall, and hot, damp weather lead to quick decay of wood.
(h) What kind of agriculture is practiced in the equatorial forests and why?
A: Subsistence farming and shifting cultivation to sustain tribes with minimal impact on the environment.
(i) Differentiate between subsistence farming and shifting cultivation.
A: Subsistence farming is cultivating enough for personal needs, while shifting cultivation involves moving to new land when fertility is lost.
(i) Name a few industries found in the equatorial forests.
A: Logging, hydroelectricity production, mining of natural gas and petroleum, and plantation agriculture.
