ELSS SG3 Flashcards
Define Tropical Rainforest
Lowland equatorial evergreen forest with tropical climate - no dry season, all months have average precipitation of at least 60mm
What is the average annual temperature in the Amazon Rainforest?
26 - 27.7 degrees C
What is the average annual rainfall in the Amazon Rainforest?
2289mm
What is the NPP of the Amazon Rainforest?
2,500gm2yr
What fraction of the planet’s biomass carbon store is represented by the ARF?
1/5
What are three characteristics of the ARF soil?
Leaching due to high precipitation, Top 15-20cm is nutrient rich leaf litter, Very deep due to rapid chemical weathering of the bedrock
How long is the Amazon River?
4,000 miles
What % of all water discharged to the Earth’s oceans is carried in the Amazon River?
20%
What % of rain is intercepted in the ARF?
10%
What fraction of the Earth’s water does the Amazon store?
1/2
What % of Amazonian rainfall is recycled in evapotranspiration?
50%
What are five stores of water in the ARF?
Atmosphere, Clouds/water vapour, Surface water, Biomass, Soil
Define Absolute Humidity
The mass of water vapour in a given volume of air
What three factors affect the water cycle in the ARF?
Temperature, Geology (porosity and permeability), Relief
How many tonnes of carbon does the ARF absorb per year?
2.4 billion tonnes
What % of carbon in the ARF is found underground?
40%
How many tonnes of carbon is stored in roots, microorganisms, fungi and plants below the ground in the ARF?
Between 90 and 200 tonnes
How many tonnes of carbon per hectare/year is stored in branches, leaves and trunks in the ARF?
180 tonnes
What is the total carbon absorption by photosynthesis?
30.4 tonnes of carbon/ha/year
What is the total carbon emissions by respiration?
24.5 tonnes of carbon/ha/year
What four factors affect the carbon cycle in the ARF?
Temperature, Vegetation, Organic matter in the soil, Mineral composition of rocks
What was the average rate of deforestation in Amazonia between 1970 and 2013?
17,500km2/year
Since 1970, what fraction of the primary forest has been destroyed or degraded?
1/5
What are five causes of deforestation?
Cattle ranching, Subsistance farming, Commercial farming, Logging, Other activities (Mineral extraction, Energy development, Building new settlements)
What % of deforestation does cattle ranching account for?
65-70%
What % of deforestation does subsistance farming account for?
20-25%
What % of deforestation does commercial farming account for?
5-10%
What % of deforestation does logging account for?
2-3%
What % of deforestation does other activities account for?
1-2%
Define Shifting Cultivation
A traditional, sustainable method of agriculture which has been practised by indigenous tribes for thousands of years (Slash and Burn)
How is shifting cultivate carried out?
(1) Small area of land chosen, trees cleared (slashed) and vegetation burned
(2) Soil remains fertile from ash for a few years so tribes grow crops
(3) Tribe abandonnes the site and moves on to another site to begin again, the original site is left fallow (empty)
How much carbon is released into the atmosphere as a result of cattle ranching?
0.34GT/year
What eight things decrease as a result of deforestation to create pasture land?
Evapotranspiration, Cloud formation, Forest albedo, Precipitation, Interception, Water stored in biosphere, Water stored in soils, Water stored in atmosphere
What four things increase as a result of deforestation to create pasture land?
Absorption of solar energy and ground temperatures, Total run off, Run off speeds, Risk of flooding
What is the Madeira River?
A major tributary of the Amazon, occurs in the south west of the Amazon Rainforest. Its watershed is in Bolivia, Peru and Brazil
By what factor is runoff increased as a result of converting forest into grassland?
26.7
By what factor is soil erosion increased as a result of converting forest into grassland?
10.8
How many people died due to flooding of the Madeira River?
60
How many families were displaced due to the Madeira River flooding?
68,000
What are three modern strategies to manage the Amazon sustainably?
Protection through legislation of large expanses of primary forest so far unaffected by commercial developments, Projects to reforest areas degraded or destroyed by subsistance farming, etc., Improving agricultural techniques to make permanent cultivation possible
How does the creation of ARPA address deforestation?
Established conservation in primary tropical rainforest are untouched by commercial development e.g. National Parks, Wildlife Reserves and Indigenous Reserves
What was ARPAs target in 2003?
To increase ARPA to 10% of the Amazon by 2013
What % of the ARF is now protected by ARPA?
44%
Who funds ARPA?
The Brazilian Government and NGOs e.g. World Bank and WWF
What did the Surui People aim to do?
Protect primary tropical rainforest from illegal logging and mining, plus replant areas - the Surui Forest Carbon Project
How did the Surui People do their project?
Can request more detailed satellite photos if they spot illegal logging or mining and refer them to the authorities, as well as being provided with fast growing native seedlings
Define Carbon Offsetting
Businesses receive annual quotas which can be bought/sold, making reducing carbon emissions economically profitable
Define Carbon Credits
Allowances that permit given levels of CO2 emissions, excess emissions must be covered by credits
What is the UN’s REDD scheme?
The Surui People now receive an income from REDD for their environmental services, mainly funded by carbon credits
What does REDD stand for?
Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation
Define Agroforestry
Agriculture combined with tree planting e.g. plots are planted by farmers with banana trees
What is the CREES Foundation?
A Peruvian NGO which manages 1,500 acres located in Manu National Park. They provide small loans, training and resources to farmers
Why is agroforestry a popular solution to deforestation?
Agroforestry plots sequester more carbon than conventional agriculture and it improves soil fertility and species diversity
