Amazon

Question 1

Where is the Amazon

Answer 1

Between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn
Majority lies in Brazil
Remainder in Peru and Columbia

Question 2

How many square miles does it cover

Answer 2

2.1 million

Question 3

How much of S.America does it cover

Answer 3

40%

Question 4

How much of the Earth’s surface does it cover

Answer 4

6%

Question 5

How much of global photosynthesis does it account for

Answer 5

30-50%

Question 6

Annual rainfall

Answer 6

2000+mm

Question 7

How many of the worlds species is it home to

Answer 7

50%

Question 8

Why are inputs into the local water cycle so high

Answer 8

High levels of precipitation

Due to low pressure and high humidity

Question 9

How much precipitation does the canopy intercept

Answer 9

75%

Question 10

How much of its own precipitation does the Amazon basin produce

Answer 10

1/3

Due to recycling of evapotranspiration

Question 11

How much of the primary rainforest has been lost in the last 50 years

Answer 11

17%

80% of which is due to clearance for cattle ranches

Question 12

What happens to the cleared areas of the forest in terms of the water cycle

Answer 12

Reduced evapotranspirarion
Means air is less moist
Results in less cloud cover and therefore less precipitation
No trees results in no interception and therefore a very small lag time
Water leaves the area as overland flow so less is returned to the atmosphere locally
Increased rates of runoff means an increased risk of flooding

Question 13

What do estimates suggest the regional rainfall could decrease by and what is this due to

Answer 13

20% decrease

Due to deforestation which means less evapotranspiration and more water is lost from the local system

Question 14

How many tons of CO2 are absorbed and emitted in 1 year

Answer 14

2. 2 billion absorbed

1. 9 billion emitted

Question 15

Where is 40% of the carbon in the Amazon stored

Answer 15

Underground

Question 16

Is the Amazon a source or sink of carbon

Answer 16

Sink

Question 17

What has increased atmospheric levels of CO2 led to

Answer 17

Increased productivity as the vegetation is able to access more CO2 for photosynthesis
Therefore amount of carbon sequestration increases

Question 18

What is the second largest anthropogenic source of CO2

Answer 18

Deforestation after burning of fossil fuels

Question 19

What is the rate at which the forest has been decreasing at and since when

Answer 19

0.3%

Since 2000

Question 20

In terms of the carbon cycle, what happens after parts of the forest are burnt away

Answer 20

Ash is washed into the soil
Increasing the soil carbon content in the short term
Some of this carbon will leave the system via runoff
Rain washes away the top layer of nutrient rich soil

Question 21

4 attempts to limit human impacts

Answer 21

• Selective Logging
  Only the oldest trees are felled
  This is less damaging to the forest as it means the area can keep its structure
  Soil doesn’t become exposed as the canopy remains intact
  Rainforest is able to regenerate and therefore the impacts on the W+C cycles is less
• Replanting
  New trees are planted to replace the ones being cut down
  Peru plans to restore 3.2 million hectares by 2020
• Environmental Law
  Ban the use of wood that was obtained unsustainably
  Laws ban excessive logging
  Laws control land use e.g Brazilian land owners have to have 50-80% of their land as forest
• Protection
  Many countries have set up reserves and national parks
  Damaging activities are monitored within these parks