amazon rainforest Flashcards
what % of south america does the amazon cover>?
40
what is the amazon?
the largest rainforest in the world
what are the characteristics of the rainforest?
very wet, hot and vegetation is dense
how lives in the amazon?
many groups of indigenous people
how many plant species are there?
over one million
what endangered animal lives in the amazon?
the amazonian manatee
why does the amazon have high rainfall?
evaporation occurs over the atlantic and wind blows it towards the amazon
what % of fresh water comes from the amazon into the atlantic?
15
what is significant about the rio negro?
it is the second largest river in the world in terms of water flow
100m deep and 14 km wide
how much rainfall does the amazon receive annually?
2300 mm
sometimes it can reach up to 6000
why might rainfall in the amazon never reach the ground?
it is intercepted by forest canopy where it is stored and re evaporated due to the high temporaries
how much rainfall that is evaporated from the amazon falls again as rain?
48%
why is the azmon a carbon sink?
it stores large amounts of carbon faster than it releases it
who much carbon is stored in the amazon?
between 80-120 billion tons
why ha the biomass in the amazon increased?
due to rising levels of carbon in the atmosphere, meaning that plants uptake more in photosynthesis
what is happening to the trees even though they are taking up more carbon?
they are growing much faster but dying quicker, creating a positive feedback loop