Amazon Case Study Water and Carbon

Question 1

how much area does the Amazon rainforest cover?

Answer 1

6 million km2

Question 2

what type of trees are in the Amazon rainforest?

Answer 2

tall, evergreen, hardwood

Question 3

what are the average annual temperatures?

Answer 3

between 25-30 degrees C
high

Question 4

is there much seasonal variation in temperature?

Answer 4

no

Question 5

what is the annual average rainfall like?

Answer 5

high
>2000mm per year

Question 6

how much precipitation is recycled by evapotranspiration in the Amazon?

Answer 6

50-60%

Question 7

what are the characteristics of precipitation in the Amazon?

Answer 7

high average rainfall, <2000mm
evenly distributed throughout the year
high intensity convectional rainfall
forest tress intercept 10%
intercepted rainfall accounts for 20-25% of all evaporation

Question 8

what are the characteristics of evapotranspiration in the Amazon?

Answer 8

high rates of evaporation and transpiration due to high temperatures, abundant moisture and dense vegetation
strong evapotranspiration-precipitation feedback loops sustain high rainfall totals
50% of incoming rainfall is returned to the atmosphere by evapotranspiration
most evaporation is intercepted moisture from leaf surfaces
most moisture lost in transpiration is derived from the soil via tree roots

Question 9

what are the characteristics of run-off in the Amazon?

Answer 9

rapid run-off is related to high rainfall, intensive rainfall events and well-drained soils
river discharge may peak in one or two months of the year

Question 10

what are the characteristics of atmosphere in the Amazon?

Answer 10

high temperatures allow the atmosphere to store large amounts of water
absolute humidity is high
relative humidity is high

Question 11

what are the characteristics of soil/groundwater in the Amazon?

Answer 11

abundant rainfall and deep tropical soils leads to significant water storage in soils and aquifers

Question 12

what are the characteristics of vegetation in the Amazon?

Answer 12

rainforest trees absorb and store water from the soil and release it through transpiration.

Question 13

how many tonnes of carbon is absorbed by the Amazon Rainforest?

Answer 13

2.4 billion/year

Question 14

how many tonnes of biomass is in the Amazon?

Answer 14

400-700 tonnes / hectare

Question 15

why are exchanges of carbon between the atmosphere, soil and biosphere so quick in the Amazon?

Answer 15

warm humid conditions means that there is a quick rate of decomposition of dead organic matter and quick release of CO2
meanwhile, rates of carbon fixation through photosynthesis

Question 16

the Amazon has the highest NNP and biomass of all terrestial ecosystems.
what is NPP?

Answer 16

net primary productivity

Question 17

how does geology effect the flood hydrograph?

Answer 17

impermeable catchments have minimal water storage capacity, resulting in rapid run off
permeable and porous rocks such as limestone and sandstone store rainwater and run off.

Question 18

how does relief effect the flood hydrograph?

Answer 18

Most of the Amazon Basin is on extensive lowlands
in areas of gentle relief water moves across the surface, overland flow
or horizontally through the soil, throughflow
widespread inundation across extensive floodplains occurs annually, storing water for several months and slowing its movement into rivers

Question 19

how does temperature effect the flood hydrograph?

Answer 19

high temps all year generate high levels of evapotranspiration
convection is strong, leading to high atmospheric humidity, development of thunderstorm clouds and intense precipitation
water is continuously cycled between the land surface, forest and the atmosphere by evaporation, transpiration and precipitation

Question 20

how much carbon is stored in the amazon rainforest?

Answer 20

100 billion tonnes

Question 21

how much carbon does the Amazon release by decomposition?

Answer 21

1.7 million tonnes/year

Question 22

what percentage of the Amazons carbon is stored above ground, and where?

Answer 22

60%
tree stems, branches and leaves

Question 23

how does temperature effect the stores and flows of carbon?

Answer 23

stimulate primary production
NPP averages about 2500 grams/m2/year
Amazon alone accounts for 15-25% of all NPP in terrestrial ecosystems

Question 24

how do humid conditions effect the stores and flows of carbon?

Answer 24

promotes rapid decomposition of leaf litter and other dead organic organisms that accumulates on the forest floor
emits CO2

Question 25

how does geology effect the stores and flows of carbon?

Answer 25

dominated by ancient igneous and metamorphic rocks
carbonate largely absent

Question 26

how much deforestation occurs in the amazon?

Answer 26

17,500km2/year between 1970&2013
since 1970, 1/5 of the primary forest has been destroyed or degraded

Question 27

what has happened to the rate of deforestation in recent years?

Answer 27

slowed

Question 28

what happened in Madeira 2014?

Answer 28

devastating floods
19.68m above normal
68,000 families evacuated

Question 29

what were the floods in Madeira caused by?

Answer 29

deforestation reduced water storage in forest trees, soils, permeable rocks
less evapotranspiration and interception

Question 30

how much is it predicted regional rainfall will decline and why?

Answer 30

20%
deforestation

Question 31

what has Brazil committed to do to help protect the environment?

Answer 31

restore 120,000km2 by 2030

Question 32

explain the three categories that modern strategies to protect the Amazon rainforest fall in to.

Answer 32

-protection through legislation of areas currently unaffected
-projects to reforest areas degraded or destroyed or destroyed by substinence farming, cattle ranching, logging, mining
-improving agricultural techniques to make permanent cultivation possible

Question 33

how much of the Amazon is conservation areas?

Answer 33

44%
twenty times the size of Belgium

Question 34

what is the aim of the Parica project in Rodonia in western Amazon?

Answer 34

aims to develop a 1000km2 commercial timber plantation on government-owned deforested land
they plan to plant 20 million fast growing tropical trees to grow over the next 25 years

Question 35

what is a flaw in the Parica project?

Answer 35

monoculture
cannot replicate the high biodiversity found in the tropical rainforest

Question 36

what are the benefits of the Parica project?

Answer 36

is sustainable
sequesters carbon
reduced co2 emissions from carbon
reduces run off
reduces loss of plant nutrients

Question 37

what do the Suruí people do to help the rainforest?

Answer 37

they plant seedlings in deforested areas in their villages
native species planted are chosen to provide them with timber for construction, food crops, and a sustainable source of income, through logging

Question 38

what does the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation REDD do?

Answer 38

provides payment to the tribe for protecting the rainforest and abandoning logging
they sell carbon credits to international companies which have exceeded their quotas
surui tribe were the first indigenous group in Amazonia to join.

Question 39

how has diversifying helped improved agriculture?

Answer 39

maintains soil fertility by rotational cropping and combining livestock and arable operations
allows a 5x increase in productivity which could help slow rates of deforestation

Question 40

what are ‘dark soils’?

Answer 40

soils made form inputs of charcoal, waste and human manure
the charcoal attracts micro-organisms and fungi that allows soil to maintain their fertility long term

Question 41

why are scientists investigating ‘dark soils’?

Answer 41

if they can be recreated they can allow intensive and permanent cultivation which would drastically reduce deforestation and carbon emission