amazon Flashcards
Amazon carbon
-average temperature of 27 degrees
-home to almost 20% of all species on earth including the amazonian manatee- coral and 80% are threatened by 4 degree increase
-stores 2.2 billion tonnes of carbon a year and only releases 1.9 so is a carbon sink
-covers 2.1 million square miles
-emits 30% of worlds oxygen
-has 2300mm/yr of which 48% refalls after evapotranspiration in closed system
Amazon water
-has 2300mm/yr of which 48% refalls after evapotranspiration in closed system
-27 degrees
-high evap+ high precipitation
-high interception
-densely populated with species adapted to high rainfall and humidity
Deforestation impacts
water
-less interception by canopy
-so more water hits surface and runs off
-less evapotranspiration
-less water vapour in atmosphere so less clouds and precipitation meaning more chance of drought
carbon
-with no roots to bind soil together , heavy rain washes away nutrient rich top-soil
-so less carbon in biosphere more in hydrosphere
-means humus cant be formed preventing more growth
-also reduces co2 sequestration meaning more atmospheric co2 , so more climate change
climate change impacts
-temperatures increase and precipitation decreases leading to drought
-can lead to forest fires which release lots of co2 causing positive feedback as temp increase again , less precipitation , more drought and even drier soils
-4 degree rise could kill 85% of amazon rainforest which would result in lots of carbon released as dead organic matter decomposes and less taken in as photosynthesis reduces
Controls
-Selective logging , only cutting down some old trees , maintaining forest structure and canopy so soil not exposed
-Afforestation/reforestation
- BBC reported on the 12th january , 2024 that deforestation halved in 2023
-Protected area legislation such as NNR,LNR , the central amazon conservation complex in Brazil protects an area of 49,000km squared
-Debt for nature swaps , cancelling debt so as to protect the rainforest
