AMAZON RAINFOREST

Question 1

AMAzon rainforest facts

Answer 1

• worlds largest forest, covers 40% of SOUTH AMERICA landmass
• hot, very wet and vegetation is dense
• indigenous people live in rainforest
  -1 million plant species

Question 2

water cycle importance of AMAZON

Answer 2

• water cycle causes amazon to be wet —> lots of evaporation over the Atlantic ocean —> wet air blown towards AMAZON —> contributes to high rainfall
• warm temps mean evaporation is high —> increases precipitation
• dense canopy —> interception is high —> less waterflows into rivers than might otherwise be expected
• water cycle affects amazon environment —> animals are now adapted to the wet climate///humidity

Question 3

CARBON CYCLE in amazon

Answer 3

• stores lots of vegetation in the soil = carbon sink
• increases concentration of CO2 —> increases productivity of photosynthesis —> biomass increased
• trees are growing more quickly they dying younger thou
• NOT able to RELY on the amazon to continue to be such an effective sink in future.

Question 4

deforestation on water cycle

Answer 4

1) in deforested areas there is no tree canopy so no interception = quicker Throughfall
- too much water soak into soil –> water moves through surface runoff to the river increasing risk of floods

2) reduces rate of evapotranspiration this means less water vapour reaches atm –> fewer clouds form and rainfall is reduced. increases risk of drought

Question 5

deforestation of carbon cycle

Answer 5

1) Without roots to hold soil together, heavy rain washes away nutrient-rich top layer of soil, transferring carbon stored in soil to the hydrosphere

2) Deforestation means less leaf litter –> so humus layer not formed —> soil cant support much new growth –> limits amount of Carbon absorbed

3) Trees remove CO2 from atm and store it –> means more atmCO2 –> enhances greenhouse effect and global warming.

Question 6

Climate change on the AMAZON RIVER

Answer 6

1) Severely impact tropical rainforests. some areas temp inc and rainfall dec = drought (severe drought in 2015/16)

2) Plants and animals adapted to moist conditions = many die in dry weather –> long periods of drought could lead for , MASS EXTINCTION OF ANIMALS

3) Forest fires if droughts occur

4) Scientists predict that if there is a 4 degree temp rise than this could kill 85% of rainforest –> lots of CO2 emitted and less CO2 taken in via PHOTOSYNETHESIS (CO2 + WATER = O2 +GLUCOSE)

Question 7

limit human impact on AMAZON (selective logging)

Answer 7

SELECTIVE LOGGING - only some trees (oldest ones) are felled

• less damaging to trees in area than felling all-> forest structure intact –> forest able to regenerate so impact of carbon and water cycle is very small

Question 8

replanting (limit human impact on AMAZON)

Answer 8

1) New trees are planted to replace old ones that are cut down –> project TEAM TREE by Mr beast planted over 20 million trees around the world.

2) important that the same type of tree is grown that were cut down, so that the variety of trees kept for future as local carbon and water cycles return to initial state

Question 9

(ENVIRONMENT LAW) limit human impact on AMAZON

Answer 9

laws help protect rainforests

• laws that ban use of wood from forests that are not managed sustainably
• laws that ban excessive logging
• laws that help control land use

Question 10

protection (limit human impact on AMAZON)

Answer 10

• many countries have set up national parks and nature reserves to protect rainforests

2) within the national parks and nature reserves damaging activities such as logging can be monitored