Amazon Rainforest Case Study Water And Carbon

Question 1

Describe the location of the Amazon Rainforest

Answer 1

Southern hemisphere - South America
Found in band between tropics of cancer and Capricorn
Majority lies in Brazil
Includes parts of 8 South American countries - covers 40% of the continent
20°N and S of equator lies in between tropics

Question 2

Key facts - size

Answer 2

The Amazon rainforest is the largest on earth - 4% of earth’s surface and 2.1 million square miles of land

Question 3

Key facts - climate

Answer 3

Hot (27°) and wet (2000+mm) - perfect conditions for plant growth

Question 4

Key facts - biodiversity

Answer 4

Home to 20% species of plants and animals
1000 species of bird and 60,000 species of plants

Question 5

What are the causes of deforestation in the Amazon?

Answer 5

Agriculture
Logging
Road building
Mineral extraction
Energy development
settlement and population growth

Question 6

How does agriculture contribute to deforestation in the Amazon?

Answer 6

Agriculture to grow crops like Soya or Palm Oil or for pasture land for cattle grazing

Question 7

How does logging contribute to deforestation in the Amazon?

Answer 7

Cutting down trees for sale as timber for building homes, furniture etc and pulp for making paper and paper products. Selective logging as wood highly valued is chosen.

Question 8

How does road building contribute to deforestation in the Amazon?

Answer 8

Trees clear for roads, which are essential for Brazilian government to allow development of rainforest.
Making untouched forest more accessible and under threat from environment.
Trans Amazonian highway opened up large parts of forest and new road is going to be paved

Question 9

How does mineral extraction contribute to deforestation in the Amazon?

Answer 9

Forests cleared to make way for huge mines.
Brazilian part of Amazon extract minerals such as iron, gold, nickel, copper, zinc

Question 10

How does energy development contribute to deforestation in the Amazon?

Answer 10

Hydro-electric power use focus - 150 new damns planned for Amazon Rainforest alone.
Huge Belo monte started operating in April 2016 and generates over 11,000Mw of power

Question 11

How does settlement and population growth contribute to deforestation in the Amazon?

Answer 11

Populations and settlements growing.
Many people migrating to forest to look for work.
Settlements have grown rapidly and replaced parts of forest

Question 12

What are the impacts of deforestation on the water cycle?

Answer 12

Reduced evapotranspiration - cleared areas means air is less moist, resulting in reduction of cloud cover and less precipitation

Little trees so little interception compacting ground - rain reaches ground quicker. Increased rates of runoff and flood risk.

Exposed soil at risk of erosion, limits chances of regrowth.

Question 13

Describe the canopy of the rainforest

Answer 13

Canopy - thickest layer 20-40m
Up to half interception of precipitation in canopy
1/3 of rainfall may never reach the ground

Question 14

Regional impacts on water cycle

Answer 14

Rainfall levels likely to reduce as vegetation decreases with deforestation
Reduced evapotranspiration from cleared areas means air is less moist, resulting in reduction of cloud cover and less precipitation
Exposed soil at risk of erosion
Most rainfall reaches ground immediately + less interception increases runoff rates and flood risk
Future deforestation of Amazon could lead to 20% decline in regional rainfall

Question 15

Local impacts on water cycle

Answer 15

Replacement of forests by pasture/crops - less evapotranspiration suppressing precipitation.
‘Vegetation breezes’ - air warms faster over cleared land creating local low pressure and moisture in air from forest areas, increase cloud cover, thunder, heavy rain over cleared land.

Burning forest areas produces airborne aerosols which vapour condenses on results in droplets too small to form rain clouds

Question 16

Carbon cycle key facts

Answer 16

Rainforests store more carbon per unit area than in other ecosystems
Untouched forest takes more carbon than puts back in atmosphere
Wood is 50% carbon so rainforest are huge carbon stores
Human activity influences clearance for cattle ranching

Question 17

Impact of deforestation on carbon cycle

Answer 17

30-60% carbon lost to atmosphere when forest is cleared
Photosynthesis ceases until new plants colonise area
Respiration drops

Question 18

Water cycle key facts

Answer 18

Only around 1/3 of rain that falls into Amazon basin is discharged into Atlantic Ocean.
Up to 50% rain in some areas may never reach ground being intercepted by forest and reevaporated into atmosphere
50-80% remains in ecosystems water cycle in Amazon.

Question 19

Feedback loops

Answer 19

Positive -
trees die due to drought and lack of water, carbon increase into atmosphere, warms atmospheric temp, increases drought
Vegetation breeze - air over cleared land warms faster, rises quick and creates localised low pressure drawing moist air from forest. Increase cloud cover, thunder, heavy rain

Question 20

What is soy / cattle ban mitigation strategy

Answer 20

End deforestation
Linking soy bean industry to deforestation, global warming, water pollution
Won’t buy soy beans/beef from deforested areas
businesses only buying products from certified areas

Question 21

Protection mitigation strategy

Answer 21

Over half of Amazon protected - indigenous land

Question 22

Norway mitigation strategy

Answer 22

Pledged $1billion for brazils Amazon fund
Only paid when they can prove they have reduced deforestation