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Geography - A LEVEL > tropical rainforests - P > Flashcards

tropical rainforests - P Flashcards

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1
Q

how much rain do rainforests receive per year

A

around 33 feet

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2
Q

how much of the earths surface area is made up of rainforests

A

6%

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3
Q

what does the green vegetation of the rainforest help do

A

regulate global temperatures - by absorbing radiation from the sun and CO2

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4
Q

why are rainforests being destroyed

A

through deforestation for human uses

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5
Q

where are tropical rainforests usually located

A

in the tropical climate region

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6
Q

why do tropical rainforests have a humid climate

A

they are hot and wet all year round

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7
Q

what is the annual rainfall like in the tropical rainforest

A

high - as it rains almost every day

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8
Q

what are the temperatures like in the tropical rainforest

A

they are constant all year round usually with a range if a few degrees - there are no distinct seasons

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9
Q

what are the two main kinds of rainfall in the tropical rainforest

A
  • convectional rainfall
  • relief rainfall (orographic)
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10
Q

what is convection rainfall

A

occurs when the ground is heated by the sun, causing evaporation of moisture - this condenses into the air creating clouds which the rain

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11
Q

what is relief rainfall

A

occurs when air carrying moisture is forced to rise over mountains - this causes the air to condense forming clouds which rain over high ground areas

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12
Q

how large is the amazon rainforest

A

6.7million km**2

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13
Q

what are the three distinct features of the climate in tropical rainforests

A
  • small seasonal variation in temperature
  • higher average temperatures 20-30 degrees C due to intense insolation
  • high average precipitation >2000mm with no dry season
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14
Q

what is the temperature range throughout the year in tropical rainforests

A

25-28 degrees C

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15
Q

what does a 25-28 degree C lead to in tropical rainforests

A
  • high rates of evapotranspiration
  • rapid rates of decomposition and low levels of soil carbon
  • facilitate high levels of plant growth and biosphere sequestration
  • enhance biological and chemical weathering rates
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16
Q

what are the effects of convection in tropical rainforests

A
  • high atmospheric humidity, the development of thunderstorm clouds (cumulonimbus) and intense precipitation
  • water cycled continually between land, vegetation and atmosphere
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17
Q

how much precipitation is recycled in the Amazonia

A

50-60%

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18
Q

what does high humidity result in in the tropical rainforest

A
  • high levels of soil saturation
  • high ppt and soil moisture - rapid decomposition rates and nutrient leaching so low soil carbon storage
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19
Q

what pattern does decomposition in tropical rainforests follow

A

rates of precipitation - Feb-May are the highest, Jun-Aug are the lowest

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20
Q

what does precipitation result in in the tropical rainforest

A
  • high annual ppt >2000mm
  • strong convection - high atmospheric humidity - development of thunderstorm clouds (cumulonimbus) and intense ppt
  • rapid runoff and overland flow is experienced due to intense rainfall
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21
Q

how much precipitation is intercepted by the forest canopy in tropical rainforests

A

10%

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22
Q

how many trees are there in the Amazon rainforest

A

400 billion trees

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23
Q

how much carbon is stored in the Amazon rainforest

A

60 billion tonnes of carbon

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24
Q

what are the effects of vegetation in tropical rainforests

A
  • dense vegetation enhances biological weathering
  • dead plants provide material for decomposition
  • roots absorb water from soil which reduces soil organic content and carbon store.
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25
Q

what is the dense canopy layer made up of in the tropical rainforest

A

emergent trees

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26
Q

what height can emergent trees grow to in the tropical rainforests

A

40m in height

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27
Q

how much carbon do emergent trees store above and below ground

A

180 tonnes C/ha - above ground
40 tonnes C/ha - below ground in roots

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28
Q

what type of roots do large trees have in tropical rainforests

A

shallow buttress roots - they don’t tap into groundwater supplies

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29
Q

what is the average net primary productivity of the Amazon rainforest per year

A

2000 g/m***2/yr

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30
Q

what does rock type affect in a tropical rainforest

A
  • the underlying geology of the Amazon is impermeable, ancient igneous and metamorphic rocks
  • these have minimal storage capacity - rapid run off
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31
Q

how does relief affect the tropical rainforest

A
  • most of Amazon is lowlands with lots of overland flow, throughflow
  • in the West the Andes create steep catchments with rapid run-off
  • in the South widespread flooding across floodplains stores water for months slowing movement into rivers
  • the rapid runoff rates and enhanced nutrient leaching results in rapid and sustained transport of C in the Amazon
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32
Q

where is the Madeira Basin

A

in Southern Brazil - Madeira river is the largest tributary in the Amazon

33
Q

how many km**2 of the rainforest were deforested

A

11,088 km**2

34
Q

how much did deforestation increase from the previous year (rainforest)

A

9.5%

35
Q

why could deforestation of the rainforest have increased by 9.5%

A

Jair Bolsonaro (the president) encouraged agriculture and mining activities

36
Q

how many species live in the Amazon

A

around 3 million species

37
Q

how many indigenous people live in the amazon

A

around 1 million people

38
Q

what was the goal of slowing the pace of deforestation by 2020

A

cutting deforestation to 3,9000km**2 annually by 2020 - however Bolsonaro cut funding to federal agencies with power to fine and arrest those breaking environmental law

39
Q

what are the main reasons for deforestation in the Amazon

A

cleared for: cattle grazing, soya cultivation and mining

40
Q

what did Bolsonaro describe the Amazon as

A

a periodic table

41
Q

at the time how large of an area was cleared every minute

A

an area the size of a football pitch

42
Q

what does MAAP stand for

A

the Monitoring of the Andrean Amazon Project

43
Q

what did MAAP find

A

that 1.9 million hectares of the Amazon were lost last year

44
Q

when did the Amazon lose a lot of Primary Forest

A

2021

45
Q

where is most of the deforestation happening

A

Brazil and Bolivia

46
Q

where does MAAP show most deforestation is happening

A

along major roads in states that are hotspots for legal & illegal cattle ranching

47
Q

what does the biomass of the Rainforest represent of all CO2 in the atmosphere

A

60%

48
Q

what is the above ground carbon biomass

A

180 tonnes/ha - most C is in the soil and roots & dead organic matter

49
Q

what does burning produce more of

A

3x more CO2 than the forest absorbs

50
Q

how much more CO2 has the Amazon absorbed than released in the past decade

A

20%

51
Q

what is happening to the efficiency of rainforests at trapping carbon

A

they are becoming less efficient

52
Q

how much land of previously intact forests are now submerged in the Madeira River Dam

A

78% - this decays and decomposes releasing CO2 and methane

53
Q

how does Agriculture affect the tropical rainforest

A
  • biomass of grasslands in former rainforest is 16.2 tonnes/ha and soya cultivation is 2.7 tonnes/ha
  • deforestation removes organic matter - so soils are depleted of C and support fewer organisms - reducing flow from soil to atmosphere
  • thinner soils are less able to store water heightening flood risk
  • drier soils are more susceptible to being eroded by the wind which transfers C stored in soil to the atmosphere
54
Q

how are carbon levels measured

A

by flux towers - located in rainforests as they are important C stores which help maintain the C balance

55
Q

why is photosynthesis important for trees

A

it provides them with energy to grow and fix themselves

56
Q

what are the 4 layers of the tropical rainforest (with heights)

A

shrub layer - ground - 10m
lower tree canopy - ground - 20m
main canopy - 20 - 40m
emergents - over 50m

57
Q

which two layers are part of the understory

A

shrub layer and lower tree canopy

58
Q

how much light reaches the shrub layer

A

less than 3%

59
Q

what is gross primary productivity (GPP)

A

the amount of carbon removed from the atmosphere by plant photosynthesis

60
Q

how much carbon do trees use to make new tissue

A

40%

61
Q

what is net primary productivity (NPP)

A

the difference between the amount of carbon taken up through photosynthesis and the amount that’s lost through respiration - measured in grams of C per square meter

62
Q

how much of the CO2 we release is fixed by tropical rainforests

A

around a quarter of all CO2 released

63
Q

how much carbon is stored in the tropical rainforest above and underground

A

250 tonnes in one hectare above ground
50 tonnes per hectare underground
30 tonnes per hectare in deadwood

64
Q

how often are flux measurements taken in tropical rainforests

A

every week - so we can tell if it is a sink or source of carbon and water vapour

65
Q

is the tropical rainforest a sink or source in the day and night

A

day - sink
night - source
this is because trees only photosynthesise with light but they constantly respire

66
Q

how much carbon can primary tropical rainforests store

A

300 tonnes of C per hectare

66
Q

what do research teams use to see how much carbon is allocated to plant growth in the tropical rainforest

A

leaf traps, growth bands and CO2 collars

67
Q

how much can selective logging reduce the carbon stored by

A

around 50%

68
Q

what happens to trees and stumps left from logging in tropical rainforests

A

decomposers or detritovores break down the organic matter and produce CO2

69
Q

after logging what happens in tropical rainforests

A

there is more light for photosynthesis so trees grow rapidly and become carbon sinks again however this takes time

70
Q

what is a common for logged areas to become in tropical rainforests

A

they become palm oil plantations which only store 30 tonnes per hectare of C in comparison to 200

71
Q

how often do oil palms have to be replaced

A

every 20 - 30 years so the carbon they fix is not a long term biomass

72
Q

how much more land will be converted into palm plantations by 2025

A

9 million hectares

73
Q

for every hectare converted from primary rainforest what happens

A

more than 100 tonnes of C is released and for each year plantations remain another 13 tonnes are released instead of stored

74
Q

how much rain does a tropical rainforest get each year

A

at least 2000mm but most get 3000-4000mm

75
Q

how are plants in the tropical rainforest adapted to not rot

A

they have leaf drips and smooth bark which means water runs off them so they don’t rot - the water landing on the ground allows for decomposition of materials

76
Q

what is a positive feedback loop to do with the tropical rainforest and palm oil plantations

A

plantations reduce evapotranspiration and cloud formation preventing rain which then repeats the loop.

77
Q

what does the volume of rain means happens in the soil of the tropical rainforest

A

the volume of rain dissolves and leaches nutrients from the soil leaving behind insolubles like iron, and aluminium oxides giving the soils a reddish colour

Geography - A LEVEL (16 decks)

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