The Amazon Rainforest - Carbon And Water Cycles Flashcards
Where is the Amazon rainforest? How much land does it cover?
South America, 6 million km^2
How much carbon is stored in forest trees above ground? How much is stored below ground?
180 tonnes C/ha above ground, 40 tonnes C/ha below
How much carbon is stored in the Amazon rainforest?
100 billion tonnes
How much carbon is absorbed by the rainforest annually?
2.4 billion tonnes
How much deforestation occurs annually in the Amazon?
17,500km^2
What proportion of the Amazon had been deforested/degraded since 1970?
1/5
What is the average rainfall in the Amazon?
> 2000mm per year
How much precipitation is recycled by evapotranspiration?
50-60%
How much of all evaporation is due to interception?
20-25%
How much precipitation is intercepted by forest trees?
10%
What event occurred in 2014 that demonstrates the impact of deforestation on the water cycle?
Devastating floods of Madeira River
How does deforestation impact flood risk?
Reduced tree cover, less interception of precipitation, soil over-saturated, run-off rate increases, rivers overwhelmed by rapid inward-flux of water, flood risk rises
How does deforestation impact precipitation rates?
Fewer trees mean less rainfall is intercepted, thus less evapotranspiration, less convectional rainfall
What is the estimated decrease in rainfall due to deforestation?
20%
Why is subsistence farming damaging to the Amazon’s carbon cycle?
Significantly less carbon is stored per hectare
