Amazon case study

Question 1

How much of South America does the Amazon cover?

Answer 1

40%

Question 2

How many plant species are there?

Answer 2

up to 1 million

Question 3

What causes the Amazon to be so wet?

Answer 3

1. Water evaporates off the Atlantic ocean
2. Warm temperatures mean lots of evapotranspiration in the rainforest, leading to rain

Question 4

What causes the Amazon to be so wet?

Answer 4

1. Water evaporates off the Atlantic ocean
2. Warm temperatures mean lots of evapotranspiration in the rainforest, leading to rain

Question 5

Why does the Amazon have high interception rates?

Answer 5

A dense canopy stops water leading to not much water reaching the rivers

Question 6

What have animals had to adapt to in order to live in the Amazon?

Answer 6

high humidity and high rainfall.

Question 7

Is the Amazon a carbon emitter or carbon sink?

Answer 7

Carbon sink, carbon in stored in vegetation and soil

Question 8

What has lead to increased biomass activity in the Amazon?

Answer 8

More CO2 in the atmosphere has allowed for more photosynthesis

Question 9

What are the main threats to the Amazon?

Answer 9

Deforestation and climate change

Question 10

What are the reasons for deforestation in the Amazon?

Answer 10

Exploit timber and to clear land for farming.

Question 11

What are the effects of deforestation of the water cycle in the Amazon?

Answer 11

1. There will be no tree cover and therefore no interception so more water will reach the soils which will in return cause more surface run off and lead to an increased risk of flooding. (short term)
2. Reduced rate of evapotranspiration so less water vapour reaches the atmosphere, less clouds, less rain. Increased risk of drought. (long term)

Question 12

What are the effects of deforestation on the carbon cycle in the Amazon?

Answer 12

1. less roots to hold soil together so nutrient rich soil washed away which moves carbon into the hydrosphere.
2. Less leaf litter so there is less nutrients in the soil. less carbon absorbed.
3. less trees to remove CO2 from the atmosphere.

Question 13

What are the main effects of climate change on the Amazon?

Answer 13

1. It can cause temperature increase and rainfall to decrease which leads to droughts. This has been seen already in 2005, 2010 and 2015.
2. plants and animals have adapted to the wet climate and will die in a drier climate.
3. It is predicted that a 4 degree temperature rise will kill 85% of the Amazon. This would result in lots of carbon being released. (negative feedback cycle)

Question 14

What are the attempts to limit human impacts?

Answer 14

selective logging, replanting, environmental law, protection

Question 15

What is selective logging?

Answer 15

Only cutting down certain trees, usually the oldest ones to allow growth to still occur.

Question 16

What is replanting?

Answer 16

For every tree that is cut down a new tree of the same species is planted to maintain variety

Question 17

What environmental laws protect the rainforest?

Answer 17

Laws that ban excessive logging, Laws that control land use e.g. Brazilian forest code

Question 18

What protection is happening in the Amazon?

Answer 18

National parks are being set up as well as nature reserves such as the Central Amazon Conservation Complex.

Question 19

How many trees are in the Amazon?

Answer 19

300 billion.

Question 20

What was the rate of deforestation in the Amazon between 2000 and 2007?

Answer 20

19,368km squared per year.

Question 21

How big is the Amazon basin

Answer 21

670 million hectares

Question 22

How many tree species are there?

Answer 22

15,000

Question 23

How many people live in the Amazon region

Answer 23

34 million people who rely on its resources