ELSS 10 markers

Question 1

2023- the effect of temp on the carbon cycle in the amazon rainforest

Answer 1

-fast decomposition
-more rain equals higher NPP because means more nutrient rich soil. High rain also means leaching from soil into rivers
-carbon sequestion help in plants

Question 2

specimen: Examine the significance of the role of vegetation in linking the carbon and water cycles.

Answer 2

Vegetation: does both photosynthesis and respiration which both processes in carbon and water cycles. diurnal scales. Also hold both NPP sequestion and holding water in plant but also on the surface. Water storage Capacity of soil increases with organic content. more water high NPP. because of promotion of mineralization. to what extent interdependence is a two-way relationship one more dependent of the other. Oceans potentially more significant because. links e.g. discussion of smaller stores (for example oceans contain 38,000 billion tonnes of carbon compared to around 2000 billion tonnes combined in living plants and animals

Question 3

2021. Examine how water extraction influences flows and stores in the water cycle.

Answer 3

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Question 4

2020 ‘Examine the extent to which an individual tree can influence the water and carbon cycles within a tropical rainforest.’

Answer 4

Each leaf affects the water cycle by releasing water through the stomata into the atmosphere as well as fixating carbon through photosynthesis in the leaves
Roots will absorb water from the soil which affects organic content and carbon store. Discussion of the influence of a tree on transpiration, interception, photosynthesis and so on are all relevant. Individual trees will have a significantly lower impact than the entire forest, however each tree has a small and vital role
* Level of influence relates to the size of the tree, the larger the tree, the larger the carbon store, the more leaf litter is produced which would have a larger influence on organic content of soil
* Seasonal changes in influence are limited as seasonal variations are small, however prolonger drier seasons would limit growth and cycling rates
* Rates of transpiration high for trees, higher for emergents as leaves exposed to sunlight and able to heat quickly and transpire water effectively, although wind chill may small effect
. temporal and diurnal changes

Question 5

2022.Examine the extent to which the developing oil and gas industry affects the water cycle in the Arctic tundra.

Answer 5

-more runoff on global melt permafrost
-surface water
- Removal of vegetation reduces transpiration
-on local less run off because water is being extracted

Averagetemperaturesbelowfreezingso water stored in permafrost. In summer the active layer melts creating meltwater pools.
o Lowlevelsofinfiltration(blockedby permafrost)
o Winterevapotranspirationisblockedby sub-zero temperatures, in summer some occurs from standing water
o Humiditylow,precipitationlow

Question 6

2019 examine short term changes to flows and stores of the water cycles

Answer 6

seasonal and diurnal

Question 7

Examine how feedback loops can affect the processes and stores within the carbon cycle.

Answer 7

positive:
decomposition CO2 atmosphere
permafrost co2 atmosphere
also expose darker rock albedo effect
higher levels of atmospheric CO2 should encourage photosynthesis by phytoplankton, however as temperatures rise and warm the oceans, the amount of phytoplankton could decrease as they prefer to thrive in cool, nutrient-rich waters, the ocean is a less efficient carbon sink. More CO2 remains stored in the atmosphere and enhances the greenhouse effect

negative feedback loops
higher levels of CO2 encourage photosynthesis
(carbon fertilisation) by plants as long as there are no other limiting factors to growth. This converts CO2 into carbon sinks such as forests and reduces the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. Carbon is transferred from the atmosphere to the biosphere, increasing the carbon stored in the biosphere.

deeper analysis. is dynamic equilibrium