Amazon Rainforest Flashcards
How many hectare
670 million
How many trees
300 billion
How many people live in the amazon
34 million
What is climate like
Hot, very wet and very dense vegetation
Who estimates carbon stored in amazon
Helmholtz centre for environmental research
How many tons of carbon stored
76 billion tons in 2019
What negative feedback loop exists
The increasing concentration of co2 in the atmosphere led to increased productivity because more co2 for photosynthesis
Why is interception high
Dense canopy
Why is evaporation high
Warm temperatures
Average rainfall per year in Amazon
2,300 mm
How much rainfall never reaches the ground
Half
Between 2000 and 2007 at what rate was the Brazilian Amazon deforested
19,368km2
What is the effect of deforestation on the water cycle?
-less canopy so less interception, soil becomes saturated so more surface runoff
-less evapotranspiration
Effect of deforestation on the carbon cycle
- without roots to hold the soil together, heavy rain washes away the nutrients rich top layer of soil, transferring carbon stored in the soil to the hydrosphere.
- less leaf litter and humus, supporting less growth
- less photosynthesis
By 2050, what will the % increase in temperature be
2-3 degrees
Effect of climate change
Climate change can affect species sustainability by directly altering the conditions needed to grow and survive. Droughts and unusually high temperatures in the Amazon in recent years may also be playing a role in killing millions of trees although the tree mortality increases began well before an intense 2005.
How much carbon does the top layer of soil contain
4 to 9 kg in upper 50cm
What is selective logging
-only some trees ( the oldest ones ) are felled
-this is less damaging to the forest. If only a few trees are felled - the canopy is still there and the soil isn’t exposed.
-low impact on water and carbon cycle
In Peru, how many acres of trees were planted
115 acres of forest
The creation of national parks and forest reserves
E.g para rainforest reserve - 15 million hectares
