Rainforests & Global Climate · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Rainforests: Nature's Carbon Bank

Science · Rainforests · ages 9-11
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. What is released into the air when a rainforest is burned to clear land?

    • Extra oxygen with no carbon dioxide
    • The stored carbon, as carbon dioxide
    • Nitrogen only

  2. What do rainforest trees do with carbon dioxide as they grow?

    • They store carbon in their trunks, branches, and roots
    • They release it right back into the air
    • They turn all of it into oxygen with nothing left over

  3. True or false: rainforest trees release water vapor that helps rain clouds form.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Scientists say deforestation 'accelerates' climate change. What does that mean?

    • It speeds up how fast the climate is changing
    • It slows down climate change for a while
    • It has no real effect either way

  5. A young rainforest tree and a 200-year-old rainforest tree both photosynthesize. Which one stores more total carbon, and why?

    • The young tree, because young trees grow faster
    • Both store the same amount, since age doesn't matter
    • The 200-year-old tree, because it has been storing carbon for far longer

  6. A large area of rainforest near a farming region gets cleared. What is most likely to happen to rainfall there?

    • Rainfall will definitely double
    • Rainfall may drop, since fewer trees release water vapor
    • Rainfall stays exactly the same no matter what

  7. A region loses most of its rainforest cover. Ten years later, nearby farms report drier soil and less predictable rain. What best explains this?

    • Fewer trees mean less water vapor released, which disrupts the local rainfall pattern
    • The dry soil is caused only by less carbon dioxide in the air
    • Rainforests have no connection to rainfall in nearby areas

  8. Diego says: 'Cutting down trees is fine for the climate as long as we don't burn them, since the wood just sits there.' What is the flaw in his thinking?

    • There is no flaw. Diego is completely correct
    • Trees release all their carbon the moment they are cut, so nothing else matters
    • Wood that rots or decays over time also releases its stored carbon
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Rainforests: Nature's Carbon Bank W1-mt_HJd-8EEC6N-s1

  1. The stored carbon, as carbon dioxide · Burning breaks down the wood, so the carbon locked inside escapes back into the air as CO2.
  2. They store carbon in their trunks, branches, and roots · Trees pull CO2 from the air and lock the carbon inside their wood as they grow, acting as a carbon sink.
  3. True · Trees release water vapor through their leaves, and that moisture helps form the clouds that bring rain nearby.
  4. It speeds up how fast the climate is changing · Releasing stored carbon adds more greenhouse gas to the air, so the climate changes faster than before.
  5. The 200-year-old tree, because it has been storing carbon for far longer · The older tree has had many more years to absorb CO2 and build up carbon in its wood.
  6. Rainfall may drop, since fewer trees release water vapor · With fewer trees releasing water vapor, less moisture rises into the air to form rain clouds.
  7. Fewer trees mean less water vapor released, which disrupts the local rainfall pattern · Rainforest trees help generate rain through the water vapor they release. Removing many trees breaks that pattern, so nearby areas can get drier.
  8. Wood that rots or decays over time also releases its stored carbon · Even without burning, cut wood eventually breaks down and lets its stored carbon escape into the air over time.
Worksheet · LightMySky