case study - The Amazon

Question 1

location of the amazon

Answer 1

• South America
• covers countries such as Brazil and Peru
• covers 40% of South America
• 17% of forest destroyed in last 50 years
• hot and wet, dense climate

Question 2

carbon in the amazon

Answer 2

acts as a carbon sink
- absorbs 2.2 billion tonnes
- dead trees emit 1.9 billion

amazon accounts for 30-50% of global photosynthesis
stores 20% of biosphere carbon

Question 3

effects of deforestation on the carbon cycle

Answer 3

less photosynthesis, less carbon transferred from atmosphere to biosphere
wood is 50% carbon, released from biosphere
carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gases and effects global climate
exposed to soil erosion - 52% soil carbon in top 30cm (released)

Question 4

water in the amazon

Answer 4

2300mm annual rainfall
50% rainfall is intercepted - dense canopy

water is recycled, evaporation, cloud formation
evaporation high due to warm temperatures

deforestation leads to less moisture in atmosphere which leads to droughts and less rainfall

Question 5

effects of deforestation on the water cycle

Answer 5

less interception, soil more saturated, more surface runoff
soil exposed to sun means more soil erosion
less precipitation, drier climate, future deforestation could lead to 20% decline in regional rainfall
evapotranspiration reduced, less humid

Question 6

causes of deforestation

Answer 6

cattle ranching/ farming - 80%
logging - can be selective which is better, less damage eg mahogany
road building - Trans Amazonian Highway, allows amazon to develop
mineral extraction - space for mines eg gold and zinc
population growth - +23% from 2000 to 2010
energy production - space for HEP, 150 new dams planned

Question 7

mitigation methods in amazon

Answer 7

75% decrease in deforestation between 2000 and 2021

soy/ cattle moratorium - supermarkets and exporters only used products from certified land, not forested land

protected areas - over 50% of amazon protected, deforestation 10% lower in these areas

international support
Norway - pledged $1b to amazon fund if they make progress to reduce deforestation

selective logging
- only removed certain trees
- less damaging
- soil less exposed, less erosion

afforestation
- Peru planned to restore 3.2 million hectares by 2020

Question 8

impacts of climate change on the amazon

Answer 8

decreased rainfall - drought
eg 2005

plants and animals adapted to moist condition
- cant survive drier weather
- extinction

lead to wildfires
- damage forest
- transfer CO2 to atmosphere

4c rise in temperature = death of 85% of forest