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ELSS > Tropical Rainforest: Amazon CS > Flashcards

Tropical Rainforest: Amazon CS Flashcards

1
Q

Where are Tropical rainforests located globally?

A

All between the tropic of cancer and tropic of Capricorn

Vast majority found within 10 degrees north and south of the equator

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2
Q

3 background info facts about the Amazon rainforest

A

Covers 8.2 million km^2

It is the largest single source of fresh water runoff

absorbs around 35% of the world’s CO2 emissions, produces more than 20% of the world’s oxygen

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3
Q

2 evaluations of climate graphs

A

Monthly data hides variations within the month

Doesn’t take spatial variations into account

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4
Q

What’s the inputs in the Amazon’s water cycle?

A

Precipitation

Prevailing wind directions

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5
Q

3 facts about The Amazon’s precipitation

A

10% of rainfall is intercepted

50-60% of precipitation in Amazonia is recycled by evapotranspiration in a strong feedback loop

High rainfall over 2000mm

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6
Q

How does prevailing wind direction impact The Amazon’s water cycle?

A

The wind direction can influence ocean currents and push the evaporated water vapour towards the Amazon leading to high precipitation

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7
Q

What’s the outputs from the Amazon rainforest’s water cycle?

A

River discharge into the ocean

Evapotranspiration

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8
Q

2 Facts about the Amazons river discharge

A

175,000 m3 per second

1/5th of the total discharge into the oceans of all of the world’s rivers

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9
Q

2 Facts about Evapotranspiration in The Amazon rainforest

A

Most evaporation is from interception moisture on leaf surfaces

2/3 of precipitation that falls goes back up through evapotranspiration

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10
Q

3 Factors behind high rates of Evapotranspiration

A

High temperatures

Abundant moisture

Dense vegetation

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11
Q

What are the 4 Flows/stores in the Amazon Water cycle?

A

Run-off - high during high rainfall events

Atmosphere - higher temps mean more storage of water in the air

Soil/groundwater - rainfall means abundant storage in soil and aquifers

Vegetation - Trees play a crucial role absorbing and storing water from the soil and
releasing it through transpiration

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12
Q

What are the 3 physical Factors that affect stores and flows of water in the Amazon?

A

Geology

Relief

Temperature

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13
Q

How does geology impact the flows and stores of water in the Amazon?

A

Much of the underlying rock in the Amazon is impermeable igneous and metamorphic rock

This limits water storage and increases rapid run-off

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14
Q

How does Relief impact the flows and stores of water in the Amazon?

A

Most of the Amazon basin is extensive Lowland

In areas of gentle relief, water moves across the surface (overland flow) or horizontally through the soil (throughflow) to streams and rivers

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15
Q

How does Temperature impact the flows and stores of water in the Amazon?

A

temperatures between 25-28oC throughout the year generate high rates of evapotranspiration

strong Convection leads to high atmospheric humidity, the development of thunderstorm clouds (cumulonimbus)
and intense precipitation

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16
Q

What are the rates of Deforestation in the Amazon?

A

Between 1970 – 2013 around 17,500km2/yr.

1/5th of Primary Forest destroyed or degraded

17
Q

What are 3 effects of deforestation on the Amazon’s water cycle?

A

Increased run-off - converting rainforest to grassland increases rates of run-off by factor of 27

Decreased storage - 1/2 of rainfall on grassland goes directly to rivers compared to nearly all rainfall remaining in an area of rainforest

Breaking the regional water cycle that keeps atmospheric humidity high which then leads to clouds and rain

18
Q

How does farming effect the Amazon’s water cycle?

A

increased need for land means that there is an increase in deforestation

19
Q

3 ways the Amazon rainforest is a carbon sink

A

Major store of global carbon, absorbing 2.4 billion tonnes per year

Net primary Productivity (NPP) is high

Carbon exchange between the atmosphere, biosphere and soils is rapid

20
Q

What are the 3 Physical Factors affecting stores and flows of Carbon in the Amazon?

A

Temperature

Vegetation

Organic matter in soil

21
Q

How does Temperature affect stores and flows of Carbon in the Amazon?

A

Warm temperatures = quick decomposition of dead organic matter AND quick release of CO2

Also enables high levels of primary production

22
Q

How does Vegetation affect stores and flows of Carbon in the Amazon?

A

NPP averages around 2,500 grams/m2/yr

Rainforest Trees store around 180 tonnes of carbon/hectare + another 40 tonnes in their roots

In total, trees in the Amazon store around 100billion tonnes of carbon

23
Q

How does organic matter in soil affect stores and flows of Carbon in the Amazon?

A

Soils average between 90-200 tonnes of carbon/hectare

Amazonia’s leached and acidic soils contain only limited carbon and nutrient stores

Such poor soils only manage to support the biome due to the speed in which organic matter is broken down and recycled

24
Q

What are the Human factors affecting stores and flows of Carbon in the Amazon?

A

Deforestation

25
Q

How does deforestation effect the stores and flows of Carbon in the Amazon?

A

Soils, depleted of carbon and exposed to strong sunlight, support fewer decomposer organisms, reducing the flow of carbon from the soil to the atmosphere

Exhausts the carbon biomass store - the biomass of rainforest is 180 tonnes/ha

For grasslands in areas of former rainforest is 16.2 tonnes/ha and for soya cultivation it is just 2.7 tonnes/ha

26
Q

2 Background facts on managing the Amazon

A

Brazil is committed to restoring 120,000 km2 of rainforest by 2030.

Indigenous people have lived sustainably in the rainforest for thousands of years, maintaining the
water balance, carbon cycle and the forest’s biodiversity

27
Q

What is Agroforestry?

A

When farmers agree to use some of their land to plant trees

28
Q

What is selective logging?

A

When trees are only removed from selective areas

Leaving the best trees to help maintain a good gene pool

28
Q

What is selective logging?

A

When trees are only removed from selective areas

Leaving the best trees to help maintain a good gene pool

29
Q

What is FSC labelling?

A

FSC = Forestry Council Stewardship

Products with this are made with the forest and wildlife in mind

30
Q

What are the Amazon regional protected areas?

A

They cover the size of belgium

2015 - 44% covered by area where farming is banned

31
Q

What is the Surui people scheme?

A

A scheme that aims to prevent illegal logging

reforest areas that have been damaged

32
Q

What is REDD+?

A

The UNs Reducing emissions from Deforestation & Degradation scheme

They pay an indigenous tribe in Amazonia top rotect the rainforest from illegal logging

33
Q

What is the Parica project?

A

Develop a 1000km2 plantation on Government owned deforested land

Consists of 20million fast growing, tropical hardwood seedlings

34
Q

What is 1 negative & 1 positive point of the Parica Project?

A
  • Can’t replicate lost biodiversity as it is a monoculture

+ Sustainable as it can help to rebuild the carbon and water cycles while absorbing CO2

ELSS (13 decks)

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