Amazon Rainforest

Question 1

How much carbon does the Amazon store? (Ranged)

Answer 1

80-120 billion tonnes of carbon

Question 2

How much carbon can the Amazon capture per year? (Ranged)

Answer 2

1-3 GtC/year

Question 3

Increased CO2 in the atmosphere has caused trees to…

Answer 3

Live faster and die younger.

Question 4

What is the approx. discharge of the Amazon river into the Atlantic Ocean?

Answer 4

175,000 m3/s

Question 5

What percentage of greenhouse gases are attributed to deforestation?

Answer 5

75%

Question 6

How does the loss of trees affect precipitation?

Answer 6

Forests will emit salts and organic fibres that act as condensation nuclei so less clouds will form and evapotranspiration will be reduced as well.

Question 7

How much less is the moisture content of pastures than forests?

Answer 7

15%

Question 8

How much carbon is stored in the upper layer of soil in the Amazon? (Ranged)

Answer 8

4-9kg

Question 9

When was the Amazon Cooperation Treaty signed and by how many countries?

Answer 9

1978 and 8 countries signed

Question 10

What does the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation (ACTO) do?

Answer 10

Implemented the Tarapoto process - sustainable forest management - monitoring pop. change and forest coverage - train staff to become decision makers (grassroots approach).

Question 11

What is the Central Amazon Conservation Complex?

Answer 11

Monitor rates of deforestation - involves Amazonia Association that is developing 3 sustainable reserves in the Amazon.

Question 12

What did the Greenpeace “Eating up the Amazon” report accomplish?

Answer 12

By 2009-10 <1% of soybeans were grown on land deforested since 2006.

Question 13

What did the Greenpeace “Slaughtering the Amazon” report accomplish?

Answer 13

Slaughterhouses globally agreed to only buy cattle from ranchers registered with the Brazilian Rural Environmental Land Registry.
(but happened much slower than the soya bean moratorium).

Question 14

What initiative did the UN implement to combat deforestation in the Amazon?

Answer 14

The UN-REDD Programme (United Nations initiative on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) and launched in 2008.

Question 15

What did the UN-REDD Programme achieve?

Answer 15

Involved the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) - it got US$200 million in funding by 2014 to support sustainable management and conservation of forests (to increase carbon stocks/sinks).