amazon rainforest Flashcards
amazon facts
covers 40% S.America
largest rainforest in world
2300mm rain
27 degrees
50% worlds plant and animal species
how carbon and water cycle related
carbon transported in solution
deforest inc overland flow so soil erosion so loss carbon storage
inc atmospheric carbon impact temp so impact water cycle
water and carbon in rainforest
maintain global carbon balance by being sink
1/4 anthropogenic absorbed
300 tonnes carbon stored per Ha
photosynthesis takes in and stores carbon (only day)
respiration releases co2 and water (24hrs)
-becomes source at night
remove trees
less photosynthesis
trees decompose
release co2 - source
NPP tropical v deciduois
2200 v 1200
issue palm oil plants
remove continuous canopy
soil erosion
carbon released from soil
only store 30 tonnes per Ha
every Ha lost - 100 tonnes co2 released
cant grow with natives so completely cleared
channels formed as more runoff
more rain
rainforest adapted to high rain + issue with soil
dense leaves
intercept
drip tips
nutrients leached so very fragile
how do rainforests make own climate
lots evapotranspiration
hot so air rises and consenses (convectional rain)
amazon weather facts
48% of rain falls as rain again
30% reaches sea accounting for 20% freshwater runoff to ocean
convectional - hot rising air/consense/fall as rain
also 8trill tonnes evaporation so high rain
hot as on equator - closest sun so little heat lost and rays focused smaller area
2300mm /yr
27degrees
carbon cycle in rainforest
take in photosynth
release resp
release decomp
stored in litter
100 bill tonnes in vegetation and soil
more co2 so more productive
0.5% more biomass per year
- trees grow quicker but die younger releasing co2
carbon in soil removed in runoff leading to ocean acidification
deforestation in amazon
lowest 2015 = 2000sqkm
highest 2022 = 10,000 sqkm
(inc 1000sqkm per year)
2023 anomaly break 5yr high - drop 10,000 to 5,000 (50% dec)
lots due to inflation making deforestation seem worthwile
country not got money to protect by enforcing rules through patrol for example
impact deforestation
less canopy
less interception
less evaporation
more runoff
more soil erosion so carbon released
more flooding and leaching
soil compact
plants cant grow
positive feedback
less evaporation
less salt in air
less condensation nuclei
less rain
more cumulous than cumulonimbus
drought
air less humid
warms quicker
more thunderstorms
deforestation carbon cycle
roots not hold soil
carbon to hydrosphere
less leaf litter
no new growth
less co2 taken in
more atmospheric
global warming
deforest then pasture carbon cycle
cattle
forests absorb 11% more solar radiation - pasture land hotter
24 v 33 degrees
soil 2.8 v 8 degrees
15% less moisture
less humid
less precipitation
deforest then burn on carbon cycle
carbon in burnt debris
carbon to atmosphere 30-60%
rain direct to ground
carbonised wood dissolved
carbon to sea
used to just be family plots for subsitenence farming
now large scale so loosing carbon
climate change
05’ and 10’ droughts
plants die
extinct
forest fire
release co2
+
inc decomp
carbon atmosphere
thunderstorms
lighting
fire
mitigation national level
tarapoto
amazon cooperation treaty organisation
environmental laws
what is tarapoto
1995
policies and legal freamwork on land use
ecological and economic zoning
not upkept
countries not work together
ACTO
sust development
reverse forest loss
- protect, restore,afforest,reforest, prevent illegal loggin
conservation corridors work together
environmental laws
ban wood not sustainable
ban excessive logging
control land use (owners keep 50-80% land as forest)
legally binding
local policies
national park
agroforestry
reforest
selective logging
soya and cattle moratorium
UNREDD global gov
national park
para reserve 15mill acres
link existing reserves create conservation corridor
protects 50,000km2
allow locals continue use forest
-slash and burn and then subsistence farming
-culture
sattelite observations
agroforestry
plant trees with crops
allow new land use but still sequesting carbon
reforestation
harvest every 3rd tree
get crop and make profit
replant for sustainability
carbon still sequestered
native seedlings restore biodiversity
selective logging
only fell some
leaves canopy open for soil erosion
regen to 2nd forest but takes time and doesnt sequest as much as 1st
