How Do The Water And Carbon Cycle Operate In The Amazon

Question 1

How many countries is the Amazon spread over?

Answer 1

9

Question 2

What is the area?

Answer 2

6 million km squared

Question 3

What percentage of the Amazon is in Brazil?

Answer 3

70%

Question 4

Where is the steepest relief?

Answer 4

West Andes

Question 5

What is the effect of steeper relief?

Answer 5

Higher surface run off

Question 6

What sort of rainfall occurs here?

Answer 6

Convectional

Question 7

What is most of the Amazon’s relief like?

Answer 7

Lowlands
Gentle

Question 8

How does water travel in gentle relief?

Answer 8

Throughflow
Groundwater flow

Question 9

Where is the flattest area and how is water stored?

Answer 9

Pantanal
Stored on surface for months

Question 10

What are temperatures like?

Answer 10

Consistently high
25-30 degrees

Question 11

What is humidity like?

Answer 11

High absolute humidity

Question 12

What % of rainfall is recycled via evapotranspiration?

Answer 12

60%

Question 13

What is the process called when clouds full of water vapor are moved by winds?

Answer 13

Flying rivers

Question 14

Is there more water in the atmosphere or rivers?

Answer 14

Atmosphere

Question 15

What leaves a tree through transpiration?

Answer 15

Water
Particles of salt (allows water to condense quicker)

Question 16

What is the effect of dense evergreen vegetation?

Answer 16

High interception rates

Question 17

What percentage of intercepted rainfall is evaporated?

Answer 17

20%

Question 18

What is the phenomenon known as that involves rapid cycling between the atmosphere and biosphere?

Answer 18

Feedback Loop

Question 19

What are the two types of rock in the Amazon basin?

Answer 19

Crystalline (Igneous)
Sedimentary

Question 20

What is crystalline rock like in terms of the water cycle?

Answer 20

Impermeable
Rapid run off

Question 21

What are sedimentary rocks like in terms of the water cycle?

Answer 21

Porous
Permeable
Stored in aquifers reducing run off

Question 22

What is the net primary productivity like?

Answer 22

High
2500 grams/m cubed/ year

Question 23

What do high temperatures mean for the carbon cycle?

Answer 23

CO2 fixed at fast rate via photosynthesis
Increase decomposition speed and CO2 back to atmosphere

Question 24

What is most soil like and why?

Answer 24

Infertile with limited nutrients
Heavy rainfall washes nutrients away

Question 25

How is all the biomass supported?

Answer 25

Thin, dark fertile layer of soil Humus layer

Question 26

How many tonnes of carbon are in the rainforest?

Answer 26

100 billion

Question 27

How much CO2 enters the rainforest annually?

Answer 27

2.4 billion tonnes

Question 28

How much CO2 leaves the rainforest annually?

Answer 28

1.7 billion

Question 29

Because the rainforest gains more carbon that it loses what is it classed as?

Answer 29

Carbon Sink

Question 30

What is igneous crystalline rock like in terms of the carbon cycle?

Answer 30

Contains little carbonates Hard to weather Not a key store

Question 31

Where is there limestone which does contain carbonates on a regional scale?

Answer 31

West Andes

Question 32

What percentage of carbon is stored above ground?

Answer 32

60%

Question 33

How many tonnes of carbon can a tree store above ground? (branches, stems, leaves)

Answer 33

180 tonnes per hectare

Question 34

How many tonnes of carbon can a tree store below ground? (roots)

Answer 34

40 tonnes per hectare

Question 35

How much of the rainforest has been lost to deforestation?

Answer 35

20%

Question 36

Between 1970 and 2013 what was the rate of deforestation?

Answer 36

17,500km squared/year

Question 37

How much of the Amazon in Bolivia was lost and why?

Answer 37

30,000 km squared Subsistence farming

Question 38

What effect does deforestation have on the carbon store?

Answer 38

76% reduction per hectare

Question 39

Why does deforestation take place? (4)

Answer 39

Sugar Grassland for cattle HEP (cities growing) Palm oil

Question 40

What system do indigenous people use regarding deforestation?

Answer 40

Slash and burn

Question 41

What is the impact of rainforest to grassland land use change?

Answer 41

Run off increased by factor of 27 50% of this goes to rivers Fear of droughts

Question 42

What will increase from deforestation? (2)

Answer 42

Peak flow Absorption of solar energy

Question 43

What will decrease with deforestation? (4)

Answer 43

Humidity Transpiration Interception Soil moisture storage

Question 44

Which area is susceptible to floods because of deforestation? How?

Answer 44

Madeira River Basin By the steep West Andes River = 19.68m above usual Run off and speeds increase

Question 45

What scheme involves carbon credits?

Answer 45

REDD Scheme

Question 46

Who protects from illegal logging?

Answer 46

Surui

Question 47

What is the Parica project?

Answer 47

Reforestation of 1000km squared 20 million fast-growing tropical seedlings Sequesters carbon in 25 year periods