🌍 elss sg3

Question 1

SG3!!! location of amazon rainforest

Answer 1

south america, 70% in brazil

Question 2

average annual temp in amazon

Answer 2

27.7 c

Question 3

average annual rainfall in amazon

Answer 3

2000mm

Question 4

describe seasons in amazon

Answer 4

summer: drier
winter/spring: wetter
similar temps all year round however slightly warmer in summer

Question 5

vegetation in amazon

Answer 5

• over 50% of worlds plant and animal species
• 300 billion trees
• 15000 species
• 20% of worlds oxygen produced

Question 6

soil characteristics in amazon

Answer 6

• 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

Question 7

significance of amazon in water cycle

Answer 7

river carries 20% of water discharged into earths oceans

Question 8

significance of amazon in carbon cycle

Answer 8

• NPP of 2500 g/m squared per year
• in 1980s absorbed 2.4 billion tonnes of carbon per year

Question 9

inputs of water into amazon

Answer 9

• 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

Question 10

explain evapotransporation (ET) positive feedback loop in amazon

Answer 10

• 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

Question 11

is the amazon a carbon sink or source

Answer 11

carbon sink bc takes in more carbon than absorbs

Question 12

where is most carbon stored in amazon

Answer 12

below ground in soil and organic matter - 226 tonnes per hectare

Question 13

describe flows of carbon in amazon

Answer 13

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

Question 14

describe stores of carbon in amazon

Answer 14

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

Question 15

describe flows of water in amazon

Answer 15

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

Question 16

describe stores of water in amazon

Answer 16

atmosphere: lots stored due to high ET rates
soil and ground water: high due to deep soil
vegetation: high because lots of plants

Question 17

ahow much of amazon has been deforested since 1970?

Answer 17

20%

Question 18

what are the 4 main causes for deforestation in amazon

Answer 18

cattle ranching (65%)
small scale agriculture (17%)
large scale agriculture (7%)
logging (3%)

Question 19

what are the 3 strategies for managing deforestation in the amazon?

Answer 19

legalisation - amazon regional protected areas (ARPA)
protection & carbon trading - Surui people and un-redd
agroforestry - CREES foundation

Question 20

summarise the legalisation strategy (ARPA)

Answer 20

• aims to protect 15% of amazon
• largest TRF conservation programme in history (21 years)
• 37% decrease in deforestation
• avoids 1.4 billion tonnes of co2 emissions
• however it doesn’t stop illegal activities from happening eg logging

Question 21

summarise the protection and carbon trading strategy (Surui people & un-redd)

Answer 21

• indigenous people could sell carbon credits to large businesses
• financed 6 sustainable community developments to generate income
• however the credits kind of gave big companies a ‘guilt free pass’ to carry on polluting
• some of tribe members didn’t like money going to big businesses so teamed up with loggers
• project was suspended in 2016

Question 22

summarise agroforestry stratergy (CREES foundation

Answer 22

• growing crops while keeping some trees
• 30,000 trees planted
• protects soil in long term
• smaller scale than other projects

Question 23

how does clearing trees affect the carbon cycle

Answer 23

• less photosynthesis
• more carbon released bc of burning, soil erosion etc
• more carbon in atmosphere, less in biomass

Question 24

how does converting forest to grassland affect the carbon cycle

Answer 24

• less photosynthesis but still a little bit
• less decomposition so less carbon stored underground
• means more carbon has to be stored in atmosphere = global warming

Question 25

how significant are the changes to the carbon cycle in the amazon due to deforestation

Answer 25

global: if amazon becomes carbon source, lots more carbon in atmosphere = enhanced greenhouse effect = global warming

Question 26

is the impact of deforestation long term or short term in the amazon

Answer 26

long term: tipping point could be reached (when amazon loses the ability to renew itself & permanently becomes a carbon source)

Question 27

how does deforestation increase flood risk in amazon

Answer 27

no trees to intercept rainfall so more to soil, soil is saturated, more surface run off into rivers so flood risk is increased

Question 28

named flood event:

Answer 28

**madeira river basin** - south west of amazon, april 2014 - slopes were clear due to deforestation so water flowed quickly - 60 people died - 68000 families displaced

Question 29

how can deforestation lead to drought in the long term

Answer 29

- deforestation - less tree coverage to shade grounds so higher air temps - more water evaporates from soil - soil becomes drier - less vegetation supported - less evaporation - less condensation - less rainfall

Question 30

how significant is the impact to the water cycle in the amazon due to deforestation

Answer 30

local: mostly just local floods due to increased surface run off

Question 31

is the impact of deforestation short term or long term on the water cycle

Answer 31

long term: could destroy soil and make it infertile so vegetation may not be able to grow back

Question 32

is the impact of the drought local, regional or global?

Answer 32

local/regional: air has less water vapour so dry air pushed towards andes by winds where it would rise and rain; as there’s less water vapour there would be less rain

Question 33

are the impacts of the droughts long or short term

Answer 33

long term: if 20-25% of TRF is cut down it could reach a tipping point (would change to a savannah like ecosystem)