The Amazon Rainforest- Water And Carbon Cycles

Question 1

The Amazon rainforest water cycle

Answer 1

-It has high annual temperatures between 25-30 degrees Celsius
-small seasonal variation in temperature
-High average annual rainfall (2000mm) with no dry season
-between 50-60% precipitation in the Amazon is recycled by evapotranspiration
-Water losses from the Amazon basin result from river flow and export of atmospheric Vapor. This is countered by influx of moisture from the Arctic Ocean.

Question 2

Exchange of carbon in the Amazon

Answer 2

-Exchanges of carbon between the atmosphere, biosphere and soil are rapid compared to other ecosystems- wet and humid conditions ensure speedy decomposition of dead organic matter and the quick release of co2 as well as high rates of carbon fixation through photosynthesis.

Question 3

Amazon carbon cycle

Answer 3

-Amazonia’s humid climate creates ideal conditions for plant growth
-net primary productivity is high and biomass is between 400-700 tonnes/ha
-The amazon is a major global reservoir of stored carbon, absorbing 2.4bn tonnes a year

Question 4

Strategies to manage the amazon

Answer 4

-Protection through legislation
-Projects to reforest areas degraded or destroyed by subsistence farming, cattle ranching, logging and mining
-Improving agricultural techniques to make permanent cultivation of crops possible

Question 5

How much carbon does the amazon store a year?

Answer 5

-The amazon basin stores 100bn tonnes of carbon in total
-absorbing 2.4bn tonnes a year
-releasing 1.7 bn tonnes through decomposition

Question 6

Cattle ranching in the Amazon

Answer 6

-Cattle ranching is now the biggest cause of deforestation in the Amazon, nearly 80% deforested areas in Brazil are now used for pasture.
-The cattle industry has grown rapidly since the 1970s, giving Brazil the largest commercial cattle herd in the world.
-Since 2003, the country has also topped the world’s beef export charts and the government planned to double its share of the market in 2018.
-The impact this is having on the forest is huge- between 1996 and 2006, an area the size of Portugal was carved out for cattle ranching.
-Large scale forest clearance removes a major carbon store and reduces the intake of carbon via photosynthesis.
-There is also the issue of methane release as a a result of cattle farming.

Question 7

In the Amazon rainforest between 1996 and 2006 an area the size of —————- was carved out?

Answer 7

Portugal

Question 8

What is 80% deforested areas in amazon used for

Answer 8

Pasture

Question 9

Pollution in Brazil

Answer 9

-Brazil ranked as world 4th worst polluter
-of all the emissions 75% comes from deforestation and land use change

Question 10

negative impacts of slash and burn deforestation technique

Answer 10

-Increase albedo
-Decreased pomposity of the soil so increased drainage and silting of rivers

Question 11

3 degrees rise in temperature will lead to _________?

Answer 11

75% forest being destroyed
-many species become extinct or endangered

Question 12

How much reforestation took place between 2011 and 2019

Answer 12

2 million hectares

Question 13

ACTO (mitigation)

Answer 13

8 member countries
-protects the environment
-promotes sustainable use of resources
-improves living conditions and protects rights of indigenous people

Question 14

REDLACH (mitigation)

Answer 14

-aims to improve sustainable development in the region by improving the management of water resources
-by sharing knowledge and educating people about water resources

Question 15

Negative impacts of farming

Answer 15

-71% deforestation is a result of farming
-49% farming was unlawfully or illegally conducted
-unlawful produce goes to China, India, Russia and US
-Locals reluctant to stop as they rely on this for their incomes.

Question 16

Impact of deforestation on water and carbon cycles

Answer 16

-Deforestation impacts on the Earth’s water and carbon cycles.
-Forests transport large quantities of water into the atmosphere via plant transpiration.
-When deforestation occurs, precious rain is lost from the area, flowing away as river water and causing permanent drying.
-When deforestation occurs all the carbon stored in trees is released into the atmosphere and carbon stores lost.
-The transportation and machinery used also produces carbon.
-Slash and burn techniques are also frequently used to clear areas, which significantly increases the carbon levels released.

Question 17

GLOBAL SCALE mitigation- Intergovernmental organisations via UN and World Bank

Answer 17

-Adding to the amount of land that is under strict supervision (with other organisations and NGOs) and protection by the government to 10% Brazil’s Amazon basin.

-25 million hecatres in addition to the already protected 12 million.

-This has countered
deforestation and combined with re-education efforts and support schemes for the locals, teaching of the importance of the Amazon, have been very influential in reducing deforestation (credited with up to 30% of the observed reductions.)

Question 18

NATIONAL SCALE: REDD (Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation)- Part IGO/NGO

Answer 18

-REDD have managed to reforest degraded lands with over 250,000 trees, have made a 360,000 hectare conservation site and is working with not only governments, but landowners and indigenous communities.

-‘The Amazon Fund’ was created in 2008 and aims to contribute to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. Its funding is mainly going into monitoring and combatting deforestation as this is argubarly one of the biggest problems the Amazon faces.

-ENREDD+ is the document that formalises to the Brazilian society and to the UNFCC signatory nations, how the federal government has been stucturing its effortsand how it expects to enhance them, focusing on cordinated actions to prevent and control deforestation and forest degradation, foster forest recovery and sustainable development.

Question 19

LOCAL SCALE- Rainforest Alliance NGO

Answer 19

-This NGO aims to allow current business activity to continue in the Amazon, but in a more sustainable way, thereby removing any negative effects on water and carbon cycles as far as possible.

-This could be influential in the future, not only does it focus on removing the environmental damage and degradation in the amazon caused by huan activity, but also by supporting locals, preserving human rights and encouraging sustainable trading, which will encourage better treatment and behaviour in the Amazon rainforest in a slightly wider scale.

Question 20

How much less carbon is absorbed now compared to the 1990s due to the 1990s? and how much carbon does it absorb/emit?

Answer 20

-30% less
-In an average year Amazon absorbs 2.2bn tonnes of carbon and emits 1.9 bn

Question 21

Amazon as a carbon store: carbon emissions

Answer 21

-2.2bn carbon absorbed in a average year, 1.9bn emitted

-Fires in the Amazon produce 1.5bn tonnes co2 a year, with forest regrowth only removing 0.5bn tonnes.

-The remaining 1bn tonnes is equivalent to Japan’s annual emissions, who is one of the worlds biggest carbon producers.

-In the last decade the Amazon released 20% more CO2 than it absorbed.

-Studies show that the Amazon is losing its ability to absorb atmospheric carbon.

Question 22

What are the 6 main changes to the water and carbon cycles in the Amazon?

Answer 22

-Agriculture
-Logging
-Road building
-Mineral extraction
-Energy development
-Settlement/population growth

Question 23

Change: Road building

Answer 23

-Trans-American highway is open and made parts of the forest accessible

-BR163- Super Highway running 1700km from Cuiaba to Santarem will open up largely untouched areas of the forest.

Question 24

Change: Energy development

Answer 24

-Focus on hydroelectric power, with 150 new dams planned for the Amazon alone
-Will displace locals and the area flooded will have previously been flooded.

-Eg. Belo Monte Dam: began operating in April 2016 and will generate over 11,000 MW power

-São Luiz do Tapajo’s dam: a new scheme on the 8000 MW dam has been held up due to concerns over the impacts on local Munduruku people

Question 25

Change: settlements and population growth

Answer 25

-People moving in looking for work associated with the natural wealth of the environment

-Eg. Parauapebas: an iron ore mining town that has growth rapidly, destroying the forest and replacing it with shanty towns. population has growth from 154,000 in 2010 to 220,000 in 2012. It grew by 23% with is 11% more than national average.

-1.4 million hecatres of forest lost annually between 2001-2012

Question 26

Slash and burn deforestation

Answer 26

-Slash and burn leads to sudden evaporation of stored water which leads to low cumulus clouds which do not produce rain.

-This increases the albdedo effect, soil erosion and silting of rivers which releases more carbon into the atmosphere.

Question 27

Increased number of wildfires

Answer 27

-Direct association to deforestation and the increased intensity of drought
-Belived to be due to increased atmospheric aerosol loads of fires that have decreased droplet sizes, increased the cloud height and lifetime therefore inhibiting the rainfall- positive feedback loop created.

Question 28

CLIMATE CHANGE: Carbon sinks and sources

Answer 28

-Rainforests are carbon sinks, but deforestation is turning them into carbon sources.

Question 29

What is the soy and beef moratorium?

Answer 29

-Allows only beef and soy not produced in deforested areas to be purchased by exporters and supermarkets, eliminating demand for products produced in deforested areas.

Question 30

Impact of the Tucuni Dam (hydroelectric HEP power)

Answer 30

Tucuni dam flooded 2250km2 forest

Question 31

Commercial cattle ranching

Answer 31

-Since the 1950s, 2/3 Amazon has been turned into pasture for grazing and the production of beef

Question 32

Mitigation

Answer 32

-Create national parks and forest reserves, for example, the Pará rainforest reserve, reforestation, enrichment of degraded forest using natural species
-The Tarapoto process is a national project to achieve forest development in the Amazon

Question 33

What is the largest cause of deforestation in the Amazon?

Answer 33

-Cattle ranching

Question 34

What are 80% deforested areas used for

Answer 34

Pasture for cattle

Question 35

Cattle industry in Brazil and beef exporting

Answer 35

-The cattle industry has rapidly grown since the 1970s, giving Brazil the largest commercial cattle herd in the world.
-Since 2003, the country has also topped the world beef export charts, and the government planned to double its market share by 2018

Question 36

Impact of cattle ranching- how much land was carved out

Answer 36

-The impact that this is having on the forest is huge- between 1996-2006, an area the size of Portugal was carved out for cattle ranching

Question 37

Impact of cattle ranching on the carbon cycle

Answer 37

-Large scale forest clearance removes a major store of carbon and reduces the intake of carbon via photosynthesis
-There is also methane release as a result of cattle farming, further contributing to the enhanced greenhouse effect.

Question 38

Positive feedback loops (forest fires/ drought in the state of acre)

Answer 38

-In the state of Acre in Western Brazil, farms and pastures are surrounded by large, undisturbed areas of Amazon rainforest.
-Since 2005, many areas in the state have been experiencing severe drought and the forests have become tinder dry.
-Experts attribute the drought at least in part to be caused by the distribution to convection rainfall.
-The tinder dry conditions have led to forest fires, releasing even more carbon into the atmosphere.