Amazon rainforest

Question 1

About the amazon?

Answer 1

Worlds largest rainforest, 1 million plant species
stores 1/5 of all carbon in the planet’s biomass.
5.5. million km2 and is spread across 9 countries.

Question 2

Explain the Amazons carbon?

Answer 2

80-120 billion tonnes of carbon stored

Increasing above ground biomass by 0.3-0.5% per year

Question 3

What have increased co2 concentrations led to?

Answer 3

High productivity (negative feedback offsetting rising atmospheric levels) and growth spurt of trees-live faster, die younger- surge in rate of trees dying

Question 4

Explain the Amazons water?

Answer 4

15% of the fresh water entering the oceans each day.
The Rio Negro, a tributary of the amazon, is the second largest river in the world in terms of water flow- mouth at Manaus, Brazil

Question 5

Describe the Amazons rainfall?

Answer 5

2,300mm annually, NW portion up to 6000mm
up to 1/2 never reached ground- intercepted by canopy and re evaporated + transpiration from leaves
48% falls again as rain, only about 30% reaches sea- closed system loop

Question 6

Amount deforested?

Answer 6

2000-2007- an area of forest larger than Greece lost -> 17% of primary rainforest in last 50 years

Question 7

Side impacts of Slash and Burn

Answer 7

increases albedo (reflectiveness) and temperature, reduces soil porosity, holds less, soil erosion and flooding, moisture evaporated from deforested areas doesn’t lead to rains

Question 8

difference between rainforest and pasture land

Answer 8

forest absorbs 11% more solar radiation

24 degrees vs 33 in pasture

Question 9

climate change?

Answer 9

temps increase by 2-3 degrees by 2050

4 degree rise would kill 85% of forest in 100 years

Question 10

vegetation change?

Answer 10

2000-2010: 3.6 million hectares lost per year- most from deforestation, some climate change
some species limited by their tolerance to temperature change

Question 11

Soils?

Answer 11

4-9kg of carbon in upper 50cm of soil in forest, only 1 kg in pasture land- released if burnt
on pasture land, soil exposed to rainfall- topsoil washed to rivers

Question 12

Rivers? Change in precipitation, extreme rainfall, seasonality

Answer 12

reduction in river discharge
increase in silt washed into river, disrupt river transport routes
flash flooding, disrupting ecosyetems & water supplys
higher water temps: kill species, introduce new species, reduce water dissolved oxygen concentrations (eggs and larvae depend on them)

Question 13

Mitigation techniques

Answer 13

national parks and forest reserves- Para rainforest reserve- 15 million hectares
forest biofuel production compete with ethanol from sugarcane by 2030
reforestation- timber comes from planted forests making up 2% of forest area
enrichment of degraded forests using native species

Question 14

Mitigation agreements

Answer 14

TARAPOTO process to help achieve harmonious forest development - 8 member countries, 12 criteria
Amazon cooperation treaty organisation (ACTO) to promote harmonious development- monitor, prevent illegal logging

Question 15

Impacts of less transpiration

Answer 15

less cloud cover-soil dries out- more trees die
less salts & fibres (condensation nuclei), less rainfall overall
drier air, 20% decline in regional rainfall

Question 16

Impacts of tree combustion

Answer 16

more particulate aerosols (condensation nuclei), smaller rain droplets, less local precipation

Question 17

Explain vegetation breezes

Answer 17

cleared land- air above corps warms faster, rises faster, localised low pressure, moist air from surrounding forested areas- more cloud coverage, thunderstorms and rainfall