Carbon Cycle Case Study - The Ubalanced Carbon Cycle

Question 1

What is the impact of climate change on coral reefs?

Answer 1

Importance
* Coral reef structures buffer shorelines against waves, storms, floods - helping to prevent loss of life, property damage and erosion.
* They provide tourism opportunities – e.g. snorkelling along the Great Barrier Reef.
* Their destruction would affect LICs and NICs – For example several million people live in US coastal areas.

Question 2

What is the impact of climate change on tourism?

Answer 2

Tourism and climate change
• Sea level rise will affect coastal tourism infrastructure.
• Climate change will lead to changes in biodiversity (migration of species away, coral bleaching),
affecting eco-tourism.
• Increased stormy weather will discourage people from going on holiday.

Question 3

What deforestation happened in Madagascar?

Answer 3

In 1950, there was 11.6 million hectares of rainforest
In 1985, there was 3.8 million hectares of rainforest

Deforestation has a major impact on terrestrial carbon stores

Question 4

What are the effects of the conversion of grassland to farmland in the USA?

Answer 4

The grasslands are being converted to meet the US Environmental Protection Agency’s renewable fuel standard policy

• Increasing the use of ethanol in petrol.
• Boosting the economies of rural US states.
• Reducing international dependence.
• Reducing CO2 emissions.

Over 5.5 million hectares have disappeared, impacting wildlife hugely.

Question 5

What happened to the Sofia and Betsiboka rivers?

Answer 5

The rivers Sofia and Betsiboka in Madagascar have turned red due to soil erosion.

More than 400 tonnes per hectare per year of loose soil are being washed into these rivers