Why are rainforests often referred to as the "lungs of the Earth"?

• They are part of the food web.

• They contribute to the Coriolis effect.

• They influence the El Niño current.

• They play a key role in the carbon-oxygen cycle.

What is a primary reason for land use conflict in the Amazon rainforest?

• Government policies on the movement of farmers.

• Differences among many different groups over how best to use the rainforest

• The amount of land ranchers and farmers want to clear.

• Preservation efforts by environmental groups.

Groups that want sustainable development in the Amazon rainforest are most likely to support

• Those who want to build more infrastructure in the rainforest.

• Those who are focused on harvesting rainforest trees for job creation.

• Those who aim to clear the rainforest for farming and ranching.

• The use of rainforest resources without destroying them.

Which of these groups uses the rainforest in the most sustainable way?

• Farmers

• Rubber tappers

• Logging companies

• Ranchers

These images show the Amazon rainforest in 2000 (top) and the rainforest in 2010 (boom). What threat to the rainforest

does this field photograph illustrate?

• Air pollution

• Climate change

• Deforestation

• Reforestation

Which of the following groups contributes the most to this threat?

• Rubber tappers

• Native peoples

• Logging companies

• Environmental groups

How has Brazil’s government protected the rainforest from this activity?

• By creating protected rainforest reserves

• By removing restrictions on how much land ranchers can clear

• By building roads into the rainforest for logging trucks, ranchers, and farmers

• By taking property rights away from Native Amazonians

Which group of species is estimated to have the smallest population in the Amazon rainforest according to the diagram?

• Reptiles

• Mammals

• Amphibians

• Birds

Why are flowering plants drawn larger than birds on the diagram?

• Because flowering plants are physically larger than birds

• Because there are more species of flowering plants than birds

• Because flowering plants are more important to the ecosystem

• Because the diagram is not to scale

What is a potential consequence for the Amazon rainforest's biodiversity if deforestation continues?

• Increase in the number of species due to new habitats

• No significant change in biodiversity

• Decline in biodiversity due to loss of habitat

• Migration of species to other forests