Amazon case study

Question 1

What percentage of terrestrial carbon is stored in the vegetation of the Amazon rainforest?

Answer 1

17%

Question 2

What percentage of trees in the Amazon account for half of total carbon stored?

Answer 2

11% (182 tree species)

Question 3

How much has aboveground biomass in the Amazon decreased by since the 1990’s?

Answer 3

1/5

Question 4

What is the absorption rate of carbon via photosynthesis for:
Forest
Pasture
Mines/Settlements

Answer 4

Forest = 2000g/m (grams per metre)
Pasture = 600g/m
Mines/Settlements = 0g/m

Question 5

How much rainfall does Amazon rainforest get a year?

Answer 5

2500 - 3000mm a year

Question 6

How much does interception account for total rainfall?

Answer 6

75%
The rest is evaporated(25%), or reaches the ground via stemflow.

Question 7

The Amazon is very humid, contributing to heavy cloud formation –>

Answer 7

Bringing rainfall to Southern regions via ‘Flying rivers’.
Without this, climate would be very arid/drought (e.g. 2010 or 2014 - 2015)