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Year 10
AQA

Deforestation in the tropical rainforest

I can understand the causes and changing rates of deforestation.

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New
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Year 10
AQA

Deforestation in the tropical rainforest

I can understand the causes and changing rates of deforestation.

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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Tropical rainforests are threatened by deforestation.
  2. Rates of deforestation are changing.
  3. There are several causes of deforestation, such as commercial logging, agriculture and mineral resources.

Keywords

  • Deforestation - large-scale removal or clearing of forests

  • Biodiversity - a measure of how many different species live in an ecosystem

  • Subsistence farmers - farmers that grow only enough food for themselves

Common misconception

Deforestation is primarily caused by small-scale farmers cutting down forests for subsistence farming.

Deforestation is driven by large-scale commercial activities, such as industrial agriculture (like palm oil and soy), logging, and cattle ranching, which are often linked to global demand.


To help you plan your year 10 geography lesson on: Deforestation in the tropical rainforest, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

GIS can be utilised to identify industries currently operating in the tropical rainforest and their growth can be tracked over time.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Where are tropical rainforests located?
north of the Tropic of Cancer
south of the Tropic of Capricorn
Correct answer: south of the Tropic of Cancer
Correct answer: north of the Tropic of Capricorn
Q2.
Why are ecosystems important?
they are all the same
they exist only in rainforests
Correct answer: they support a variety of life forms
Q3.
What is the climate like in a tropical rainforest?
Correct answer: wet, with over 2000 mm of rainfall per year
dry, with under 250 mm of rainfall per year
Correct answer: warm, with an average daily temperature of 28°C
cold, with an average temperature of 10°C
Q4.
Order the layers of the rainforest from the highest above ground to the lowest.
1 - emergents
2 - canopy
3 - under canopy
4 - shrub layer
5 - ground level
Q5.
What is deforestation?
large-scale planting of forest
Correct answer: large-scale removal of forest
working with the forest to meet human needs
Q6.
Tropical rainforests are hotspots as they are home to over 50% of the world’s plant and animal species.
Correct Answer: biodiversity

Exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
Globally, tropical rainforests are threatened by .
Correct Answer: deforestation
Q2.
Tropical rainforests are __________ hotspots as they are home to over 50% of the world’s plant and animal species.
urbanisation
Correct answer: biodiversity
globalisation
Q3.
How is deforestation linked to climate change?
1 - Rainforest plants remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
2 - Trees store masses of carbon for years: this reduces the greenhouse effect.
3 - Deforestation reduces the amount of carbon taken by trees from the atmosphere.
4 - Burning felled trees/letting them rot adds stored carbon back to the atmosphere.
Q4.
What kind of farming is used by subsistence farmers?
cattle ranching
Correct answer: slash-and-burn
organic