Climate & ecosystem services

Question 1

• Rainforests are not the lungs of the world, but are in relative equilibrium with the atmosphere, neither removing nor adding much oxygen.
• Though nutrient cycling in tropical rainforest is famously efficient, long-term loss of nutrients exceeds the retention rate.
• Water purity results from effective nutrient capture.

Answer 1

Ghazoul & Sheil 2010

Question 2

Stream water from usambara mountains in Tanzania was cleaner than compared distilled water!

Answer 2

Hamilton & Bensted-smith 1989

Question 3

Indonesias tropical peatland forests are a really significant store of carbon

Answer 3

Page et al 2002

Question 4

Land-sea breeze patterns intensified after increased forest loss in SE kalimantan

Answer 4

Nooteboom 1987

Question 5

Effects of climate on rainforest carbon storage are unclear… the increase in biomass with temperature may be offset by a decrease in similar magnitude of soil carbon, and vice versa (assuming no loss of forest!!)

Answer 5

Raich et al 2006

Question 6

Though forest cover can reduce effects of flooding at local scales, their role in flood reduction at larger spatial scales is over-popularised

Answer 6

Kaimowitz 2004 (+G&S)

Question 7

Forests may help combat climate change through their creation of sunlight-reflecting clouds via evapo-transpiration, (lower albedo) and cooling temperatures

Answer 7

Cochard 2013

Question 8

bornean forest can recycle as much as 79% of rainfall water back into the atmosphere
• This water vapour is then more likely to fall over cooler forests than hotter open areas, so water is kept in a conveyer belt (cochard)

Answer 8

Kumagai et al 2004

Question 9

Deforestation in Indonesia may result in a decrease in precipitation of up to 17%

Answer 9

Hoffman et al. 2003

Question 10

• Conservation value of logged forest is significant.
  Logged forest accumulates carbon at 5x the rate of primary forest
• and whilst has lower fauna species has higher floral species, inc. threatened species, (probably due to increased habitat heterogeneity)
• Its fast restoration of carbon means that can still provide a valuable contribution to meeting carbon dioxide mitigation targets
• Logged forest is much, much better than no forest at all.

Answer 10

Berry et al. 2010

Question 11

Logged forest are under threat to being converted into more profitable land use, as their regeneration isn’t happening fast enough and unprotected primary forest available for further logging is running out… by 2010 all non-conserved forest was likely to have been logged at least once.
Commitment by signatories to the Convention on Biodiversity to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss requires concentrated action to reduce deforestation

Answer 11

Laurance 2007

Question 12

Reduced Emissions from Deforestation & Degredation (REDD) – compensation for developing countries for preserving carbon stores

Answer 12

Gullison et al 2007

Question 13

Timber extraction rates in Borneo are among the highest globally. Regeneration of logged forest could be assisted by planting of native tree species

Answer 13

Putz et al 2001