Carbon cycle: Amazon rainforest

Question 1

Name the 4 attempts to limit human impacts on the Amazon

Answer 1

Selective logging
Replanting
Environmental Law
Protection

Question 2

What is selective logging and why is it a good way to limit human impacts?

Answer 2

Only some old trees are felled- there is still a forest structure and no soil is exposed and the forest is able to regenerate.

Question 3

What is replanting and why is it a good way to limit human impacts?

Answer 3

When new trees are planted the replace the ones that were felled- Peru plans to restores 3.2 million hectares by 2020.
The same types of trees that were felled need to be planted, so the variety of trees is kept for the future.

Question 4

What is environmental law and why is it a good way to limit human impacts?

Answer 4

Laws that help to protect rainforests: Laws banning…

• excessive logging
• unsustainable logging

Question 5

What is protection and why is it a good way to limit human impacts?

Answer 5

-National parks and nature reserves set up by countries.
-In National parks and reserves, logging can be monitored and prevented.
E.g. In 2003, Brazil set up the Central Amazon Conservation Complex to protect biodiversity in an area of 49,000 km2.

Question 6

How are human activities like human-induced climate change affecting the Amazon rainforest’s water cycle?

Answer 6

-The temperatures increase and rainfall decreases
=Drought (e.g. 2005 and 2010).
-Plants and animals adapted to moist conditions may die in dry weather
-Drought= Extinction of some species + forest fires

Question 7

How are human activities like human-induced climate change affecting the Amazon rainforest’s carbon cycle?

Answer 7

• Droughts= forest fires= destruction of rainforest + Co2 in the atmosphere
• 4 degrees increase could kill 85% of the Amazon rainforest= lots of carbon released into the atmosphere as the dead material composed will not have the trees to take in the co2 for photosynthesis.

Question 8

How many species of fish live in the Amazon rainforest?

Answer 8

Over 2000

Question 9

What percentage of the South American landmass is the Amazon rainforest?

Answer 9

40%

Question 10

How does the water cycle affect the Amazon rainforest?

Answer 10

• There is a lot of evaporation over the Atlantic Ocean and the wet air is blown towards the Amazon = high rainfall.
• Warm temperatures= high evaporation= high precipitation.
• The density of the rainforest= high interception= less water flows into the rivers.
• All species there are adapted to high humidity and frequent rainfall.

Question 11

How does the carbon cycle affect the Amazon rainforest?

Answer 11

-Lots of carbon is stored in its vegetation and soil
=carbon sink.
-Increased productivity in the Amazon rainforest, is caused by the increasing concentration in the atmosphere
= increased biomass.
-Increased productivity= carbon fertilization
= the enhancement of the growth of plants from the increase in carbon concentration in the atmosphere.

Question 12

How are human activities like deforestation, affecting the Amazon rainforest’s water cycle?

Answer 12

-No interception= the soil becomes saturated
= increased runoff = flooding.
-Reduction in the rate of evapotranspiration
= less water vapour in the atmosphere= less rainfall
=Drought.

Question 13

How are human activities like deforestation, affecting the Amazon rainforest’s carbon cycle?

Answer 13

• Heavy rain washes away nutrient-rich (top) layers of soil = soil transferred from soil (biosphere) to the hydrosphere.
• No leaf litter= no humus= limited plant growth + limited carbon storage.
• Fewer trees= fewer stores of carbon = enhanced greenhouse effect and global warming.