The Amazon Flashcards
what fraction of the world’s biomass is in the Amazon?
1/5
How many trees are in the Amazon?
300 billion
How many countries is the Amazon in?
9
What fraction of the world’s carbon is stored in the Amazon?
1/5
How much of the Amazon has been lost since 2005?
17%
How much rainfall do some areas of the Amazon have annually?
6000mm
What is the ITCZ?
intertropical convergence zone; where two winds, coming from area of high pressure between hadley and ferrel cells, meet, at an area of low pressure between 2 hadley cells
What % of photosynthesis occurs in the Amazon?
30-50%
How much is biomass increasing annually in the Amazon?
0.5%
How much carbon does the Amazon absorb?
2.2 billion tonnes
What are 2 threats to the Amazon?
- climate change
- deforestation
How much is temperature expected to increase in the Amazon by 2050?
2-3C
If all fossil fuel emissions stopped, how much warming has been committed to?
2C
How many trees would die if temperatures rose by 2C?
20-40%
How many trees would die if temperatures rose by 3C?
75%
What is the biggest cause of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon?
pasture, 63%
What % of Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions are from deforestation?
75%
How does burning trees impact precipitation?
reduced due to more condensation nuclei and fewer heavy clouds
How much did fires increase in the first 9 months of 2020 compared to 2019?
13%
If environmental and deforestation policies from 2002 continue, what is the predicted impact on rainfall by 2050?
Decrease by 21% in dry seasons and 12% in wet seasons
How much rainfall is recycled in tropical rainforests?
25 - 56%
What percentage of Brazils electricity is from hydroelectric power?
65%
What percentage of Brazil’s land is protected under environmental law?
25%
What is the average deforestation rate in the Amazon?
1.4 million hectares
What did the vice president claim the anticipated increase in deforestation was? What was me increase between 2019 - 2020?
20% anticipated; 9.5% real
How does deforestation and climate-change impact rivers?
- Reduces river discharge in the long-term
- flash flooding
- kill off species
How do changes to the Amazon impact the Carbon cycle?
- surface runoff and soil erosion
- decrease respiration
- carbon released in fires
- less photosynthesis
- less decomposes
- small inefficient plants
How much did Brazil cut deforestation by, by 2005?
80%
How much untouched forest do landowners have to preserve?
80%
What percentage of the Amazon’s water stays in the Amazon?
50-80%
