๐ elss sg3 Flashcards
SG3!!! location of amazon rainforest
south america, 70% in brazil
average annual temp in amazon
27.7 c
average annual rainfall in amazon
2000mm
describe seasons in amazon
summer: drier
winter/spring: wetter
similar temps all year round however slightly warmer in summer
vegetation in amazon
- over 50% of worlds plant and animal species
- 300 billion trees
- 15000 species
- 20% of worlds oxygen produced
soil characteristics in amazon
- deep due to chemical weathering of bedrock
- low concentration of nutrients
- top of soil is high in nutrients but this is washed away by rain
significance of amazon in water cycle
river carries 20% of water discharged into earths oceans
significance of amazon in carbon cycle
- NPP of 2500 g/m squared per year
- in 1980s absorbed 2.4 billion tonnes of carbon per year
inputs of water into amazon
- intense sunlight so sun heats oceans and lots of water evaporates
- hot air and water vapour rises
- clouds form over ocean (condensation)
- clouds blow towards amazon
- rainfall over amazon
explain evapotransporation (ET) positive feedback loop in amazon
- heavy rainfall
- dense canopy intercepts lots of rainfall, some is lost by transpiration (25% of all evaporation
- some rain reaches ground
- water taken up by roots from soil
- water lost through transpiration from leaves
- high ET leads to clouds forming
is the amazon a carbon sink or source
carbon sink bc takes in more carbon than absorbs
where is most carbon stored in amazon
below ground in soil and organic matter - 226 tonnes per hectare
describe flows of carbon in amazon
photosynthesis: lots of carbon absorbed bc lots of plants (30 tonnes per hectare)
respiration: lots of carbon released bc lots of plants and animals (25 tonnes released per hectare)
decomposition: lots of organic matter eg leaf litter
describe stores of carbon in amazon
atmosphere: little in atmosphere due to lots of photosynthesis
soil: very deep so stores lots of carbon, lots of decomposition
vegetation: lots of plants due to climate so lots of carbon stored in it due to photosynthesis
describe flows of water in amazon
precipitation: heavy bc lots of ET
evapotranspiration (ET): lots of it because of climate recycles 50% of all rainfall
run off: high in steep areas (andes) & due to saturated soil