the amazon rainforest Flashcards
what is the amazon rainforest
-worlds largest rainforest
-covers 40% of south americas land mass
-it has a very hot, wet climate
-dense vegetation
-many indigenous people live in the amazon
-it is home to 1 million plant species, over 500 species of mammals and 2000 species of fish, it is also home to endangered species
how is the water cycle important to the amazon rainforest
-the water cycle causes the amazon to be very wet, there is a lot of evaporation over the atlantic ocean, and the wet air is blown towards the amazon
-warm temps mean that evaporation is high in the rainforest itself which increases the amount of precipitation
-the rainforest has a dense canopy, this means that interception is high as a result less water flows into rivers that might otherwise be expected and it does so more slowly
- the water cycle affects the amazon environment, it is populated by species that are adapted to high humidity and frequent rainfall
how is the carbon cycle important for the amazon rainforest
- the amazon rainforest stores lots of carbon in its vegetation and soil, so it is a carbon sink
-the increasing concentration of co2 in the atmosphere has led to increased productivity in the amazon rainforest because the vegetation is able to access more co2 for photosynthesis, the amount of biomass has been increasing.
- as a result the amount of co2 sequestered by the amazon rainforest has increased making it more important carbon store
-as a result we may not be able to rely on the amazon rainforest to continue to be such an effective carbon sink in the future
how is deforestation affecting the amazon
effects on the water cycle:
- in deforestated areas there is no tree canopy to intercept rainfall so more water reaches the ground surface, meaning there is more water to soak into the soil, meaning it then runs off causing flooding
-deforestation reduces the rates of evapotranspiration this means there is less water vapour reaching the atmosphere, fewer clouds form,
