Effects of climate change on the tropics

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/effects-of-climate-change-on-the-tropics

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the tropical zone?The tropics are the part of Earth between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. They stay warm all year and have lots of rain and sunshine. Many plants and animals live there.
2. Why are tropical rainforests so special?They are huge forests that absorb a lot of carbon dioxide, helping keep the planet cool. They also hold many kinds of plants and animals that aren't found anywhere else.

Tropics: The geographical zone encircling the Earth's equator, characterized by consistently warm temperatures and high biodiversity.
Climate Change: Long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, largely driven by human activities, impacting tropical regions significantly.
Biodiversity: The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem, with tropical regions being exceptionally rich.
Coral Bleaching: The expulsion of symbiotic algae by corals due to environmental stress, primarily rising ocean temperatures, leading to loss of color and potential mortality.