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
why is the amazon losing its a ability as a carbon store?
plants are dying much quicker than they are growing/being planted meaning that much more carbon will continued to be lost making it a carbon source
what are some of the main drivers of change in the amazon?
deforestation climate change soil change vegetation change rivers
why does deforestation occur in the amazon?
to produce timber or to use the land for farming
what % of brazils carbon emissions is down to deforestation and bring in the amaozn
59%
between 2000-2007 how much forest was cut down?
an area the size of greece
how does deforestation of the amazon affect the water cycle?
there are less trees for interception to occur, so there is a higher risk of flooding
however drought can also be a risk as there are less plants for evaporation to occur so less rainfall
why might drought occur in the amazon?
as trees cut down no evaportransipiration
how is carbon held in the soil lost through deforestation?
any carbon that is in the soil is not held together by roots meaning heavy rain will wash away the top layer of soil adding the carbon into the hydrological cycle
why does slash and burn increase levels of carbon?
as the trees are burned any co2 stored will be released into the atmosphere and cannot be reuptaken as the trees are no longer there
what technique reduces soil porosity and what does the lead to?
slash and burn
less water is taken up by the soil meaning that surface run off is increases causing faster drainage and erosion
by 2050 how much will temperatures have risen by?
3 degrees
how does climate change impact the amazon?
temperatures are increasing but rainfall is decreasing causing rights
in 2005 nd 2010 they had droughts
when did the amazon have severe droughts?
in 2005 and 2010
how is drought linked to release of co2?
as there is no water being stored in the vegetation the likelihood of forest fires is larger releasing co2 as the veg is burnt
if temperature sin the amazon rise by 4 degrees what would occur?
85% of the amazon would die out
how is soil change linked to amazon?
deforestation reduces the cover that soil has meaing that the top layer of soil is easily washed away which has most of the nutrients
what are ways of reducing impacts?
selective logging
replanting
environmental law
protection
what is selective logging and hwo does it help?
only the oldest trees are allowed to be felled
means that less trees are taken and the forest keeps its structure meaning that it is able to regenerate
what is replanting and how does it help?
new trees are planted, timber farms are nwow being created so that less forest is being lost
who is planning on replanting 3.2 million hectares and by when?
peru by 2020
what is the brazilian forest code?
it states that land owners must keep 50-80% of their land as forest
what is being set in order to protect the amazon rainforest?
national parks and reserves
what can be monitored in national parks?
logging
what is an example of a reserve and how much does it cover?
the para rainforest reserve and covers 15 kilometres
