Case Study: AMAZON

Question 1

Which countries does the Amazon cover?

Answer 1

8 quickly developing countries such as:
Brazil
Peru
Ecuador
Columbia
Venezuela
Bolivia
Guyana
Suriname.

Question 2

How much of South America America does the Amazon basin make up?

Answer 2

35.5%

Question 3

What area does the Amazon cover?

Answer 3

7,000,000km2

Question 4

How much of the world’s rainforest does the Amazon make up?

Answer 4

More than half

Question 5

How many different species are there in the Amazon?

Answer 5

10 million

Question 6

How much of the world’s CO2 does the Amazon absorb?

Answer 6

35%

Question 7

How much of the worlds oxygen does the Amazon produce?

Answer 7

20%

Question 8

What is the average rainfall per year?

Answer 8

3000mm

Question 9

Why does up to half of the rainfall never reach the ground?

Answer 9

It is intercepted by forest canopy and reevaporated into the atmosphere

Question 10

What happens to the water intercepted by the canopy?

Answer 10

It drips onto the ground from leaves or flows down the tree via stem flow

Question 11

What % of fresh water each day comes from the Amazon rainforest?

Answer 11

15%

Question 12

What can deforestation increase?

Answer 12

Rainfall downwind of the area

Question 13

What are the main drivers of change to the Amazon water cycle? (3)

Answer 13

deforestation
land use change
Climate change

Question 14

How can land use change effect the water cycle?

Answer 14

Cutting down trees for farming means water can fall straight to the ground causing soil erosion and run off

Question 15

Why does deforestation reduce rainfall in the area?

Answer 15

Because the water cycle is disrupted as evapotranspiration does not occur unless water is stored in plants and soil

Question 16

Why is water less likely to evaporate from soils?

Answer 16

Because the water forms a thin layer on the leaf dso can evaporate quickly with less energy but when it reaches the soil it soaks in

Question 17

What does a decrease in evaporation lead to?

Answer 17

Local warming and droughts

Question 18

What does rainforest act as?

Answer 18

Carbon sinks

Question 19

How do plants store carbon?

Answer 19

As sugars, in the form of starch in their leaves

Question 20

How does deforestation by burning affect the carbon cycle? (4)

Answer 20

NO respiration by trees
NO photosynthesis
NO new biomass
LESS decay

Question 21

What human factors can affect carbon stores and transfers?

Answer 21

Industry and the burning of fossil fuels
Burning of forest

Question 22

How do warmer oceans affect carbon stores?

Answer 22

warmer oceans cannot hold as much CO2 so absorb less carbon

Question 23

What physical factors can affect carbon cycle stores and transfers? (3)

Answer 23

Trees and plants
temperature change
Type and no of animals in the area

Question 24

How can extreme events of climate change alter vegetation?

Answer 24

Heatwaves, droughts and storms can lead to vegetation deaths and fires

Question 25

How will the Amazon have changed by 2050? Becoming a net source

Answer 25

Forest dieback due to vegetation succession and fire is predicted to result in the Amazon region becoming a net source of CO2

Question 26

Why do fires increase w climate change?

Answer 26

A dry season becomes more intense, trees have more time top dry out and forest fires become more common

Question 27

What has been done in the Amazon to mitigate climate change?

Answer 27

National parks and forest reserves have been created

Question 28

What are examples of national parks?

Answer 28

Turnacumaque National park
Para rainforest reserve

Question 29

What is the Amazon often used for?

Answer 29

Biofuel production

Question 30

What initiative is in place to reduce deforestation?

Answer 30

Land owners are paid not to cut down their trees and clear property rights are established to reduce land grabbing and illegal logging

Question 31

What agreements are in place to mitigate climate change?

Answer 31

• Latin American Technical Co-operation Network in watershed management
• The Tarapoto Process Amazon Co-operation treaty agreement

Question 32

What do the Latin American Technical Co-operation Network in watershed management aim to promote?

Answer 32

Aims to promote the adoption of the concept of watershed as the most appropriate method for rational use of natural resources to plan and manage the land

Question 33

What does the Latin American Technical Co-operation Network in watershed management follow?

Answer 33

3 of the UN development goals

Question 34

What is the aim of the Tarapoto process?

Answer 34

Recognises that the Amazon Co-operation treaty is the most effective instrument for discussion and agreement on policies for the region

Question 35

What is an important process for the Tarapoto process?

Answer 35

The development of regional criteria and indicators for the sustainability of the rainforest - recognising that each country’s management has an impact on the region’s forest resources

Question 36

What is the objective of the Amazon co-operation Treaty organisation?

Answer 36

• To promote harmonious development in the region and well-being of their population
• To strengthen the sovereignty of countries over the Amazon territories

Question 37

What is currently being implemented within ACTO?

Answer 37

More than 20 initiatives, projects and programmes in areas such as environment, indigenous affairs etc

Question 38

What do national parks and rainforest reserve protect the forests from?

Answer 38

Deforestation from illegal loggers and farmers

Question 39

What does a decrease in evaporation lead to?

Answer 39

local warming and droughts

Question 40

What is watershed management?

Answer 40

to conserve the soil, plant, and water resources of a catchment while benefiting humanity.

All environmental, social, and economic concerns are combined to treat watersheds in an integrated manner.