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Geography - Carbon Cycle > Unit 2 > Flashcards

Unit 2 Flashcards

1
Q

What is meant by a biome?

A

an ecological community whose global distribution corresponds with climatic regions of the Earth

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2
Q

What two climatic variables determine biome distributions?

A
  1. Annual precipitation
  2. Average temperature
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3
Q

What is the distribution of the tropical rainforest biome?

A

along the equator, North America and South Asia

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4
Q

What are the climatic conditions of the tropical rainforest biome?

A

hot and rainy
- 250 - 450cm annual rainfall
- avg temps between 20 and 30 degrees

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5
Q

What is the distribution of the temperate grassland biome?

A

North and South of the Tropics, E.g North America

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6
Q

What are the climatic conditions of the temperate grassland biome?

A

0 - 20 degrees
30 - 120cm of annual rainfall

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7
Q

What % of all dry weight of plant biomass globally consists of carbon?

A

44%

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8
Q

What are the 4 components of ecosystems in which carbon is stored?

A

= Plants
= Animals
= Litter
= Soil

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9
Q

What are the factors that control the amount of carbon stored in each biome?

A
  • size of the biome
  • number/amount of vegetation
  • whether its coniferous or deciduous
  • seasonal changes are more severe, the further away from the equator
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10
Q

What are the processes that allow carbon flow between ecosystem stores?

A
  • photosynthesis
  • respiration
  • death/leaf shredding
  • decomposition
  • consumption
  • excretion
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11
Q

Draw a Gersmehl diagram with both inputs and outputs ?

A

check from pack

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12
Q

What is meant by leaching?

A

the removal of soluble nutrients in water percolating downwards through soil

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13
Q

Which arrow on a gersmehl diagram doesn’t involve the movement of carbon?

A

Uptake in plants

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14
Q

What are the three factors which influence on plant growth and carbon storage in a tropical rainforest?

A
  • light
  • temperature
  • precipitation
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15
Q

How does light influence on plant growth and carbon storage in a tropical rainforest biome?

A

more light = more plant growth due to photosynthesis
more carbon storage = as carbohydrates produced in photosynthesis

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16
Q

How does temperature (20 - 30 degrees) influence on plant growth and carbon storage in a tropical rainforest?

A

smaller variations in seasons - optimal temps for longer
- plant growth over longer periods of time
= too warm, enzymes denature and too cold = no photosynthesis
- will grow and store carbon all year round

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17
Q

How does precipitation (250mm a month approx) influence on plant growth and carbon storage in a tropical rainforest?

A
  • optimal rainfall all year round
  • lots of precipitation
  • little variation
    = growth and carbon storage all year round
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18
Q

What are tropical rainforests referred to as, in terms of carbon storage?

A

Carbon sinks

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19
Q

What are the two ways in which biological productivity are measured?

A
  1. GPP
  2. NPP
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20
Q

What is Gross Primary Productivity?

A

the amount of energy produced by photosynthesis in a unit area during one year

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21
Q

What is Net Primary Productivity?

A

GPP - energy lost in respiration

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22
Q

What are the Units for NPP?

A

g C m(-2) yr (-1)

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23
Q

What are the 4 layers of the rainforest?

A
  • Emergent
  • Canopy
  • Under Canopy
  • Shrub Layer
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24
Q

What are the key features of the emergent layer?

A

sometimes up to 50m tall, have thick waxy heaves, to protect from the sun

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25
What are the key features of the Canopy?
Largest layer, usually 30m tall trees
26
What are the key features of the Under Canopy?
- smaller trees, only absorb about 50% of sunlight - high levels of interception
27
What are the key features of the Shrub layer?
- dark, other layers shade from sunlight - high levels of decomposition - very carbon rich due to speedy decomposition
28
How many tonnes of carbon do rainforest store per hectare, per year?
200 - 300 per year -> including biomass = 700 tonnes per hectare
29
Why are rainforests important for the global carbon cycle?
- help maintain global carbon balance - stores 1/4 of all carbon emissions that humans produce
30
Draw gersmehl diagram to demonstrate nutrient stores and flows of nutrients?
Picture on phone (Ask me for it shev if you need detailed version to check) -> took on 3rd April 2025
31
During the last 50 years, what proportion of tropical rainforests have been deforested by humans?
1/3 of rainforests
32
What are the reasons for deforestation of the rainforest?
- timber harvesting of valuable wood such as mahogany - creates land for agriculture - cattle ranching - crop production (palm oil)
33
Which 2 countries have the highest deforestation rates?
1. Brazil 2. Indonesia
34
What were Brazil's tropical deforestation rates in 2000-2005 compared to rates in 2023?
2000 - 2005 = 3.2 million hectares 2023 = 2.8million hectares - they reduced deforestation rates
35
What were Brazil's tropical deforestation rates in 2000-2005 compared to rates in 2023?
2000-2005 = 1.8 million hectares 2023 = 1.4 million hectares
36
What is the case study for palm oil plantations and deforestation?
Borneo, Indonesia
37
How many tonnes of carbon are stored per hectare in the primary forest?
300 tonnes approx, in terms of leaves and roots
38
What affect does deforestation have on the carbon store and GPP of a forest?
- less plants are undergoing photosynthesis - reduces the amount of carbon storage - forests become a carbon source - GPP is decreased
39
Why does deforestation turn rainforest from a carbon sink to a carbon source?
- more CO2 is released than is being stored - increase in outputs: decomposition, leaching and run off - decrease in inputs: photosynthesis, overall biomass reduced
40
How many tonnes of carbon are stored per hectare in a palm oil plantation?
approx 30 tonnes they are also replaced every 30 years = not long term strorage
41
How much precipitation does a tropical rainforest typically receive per year?
250 - 300cm annually
42
Which processes operate on the rainforest floor, which is aided by the high levels of rainfall?
- decomposition - leaching - run off
43
Why are rainforest soils heavily leached of nutrients?
surface runoff high levels of rainfall all year round, means that the soil is constantly saturated
44
What affect does deforestation have on levels of runoff and the litter layer/soil?
- increased runoff, due to decreased interception and throughfall - decomposition reduced in the litter store - increased leaching reduces the litter store
45
What affect does deforestation have on levels of evaporation and rainfall?
- reduction in evapotranspiration - reduction in rainfall over the long term, potential for drought and forest die back - (positive feedback loop)
46
Since 1950 how much of the rainforest in Borneo has been lost to deforestation and palm oil plantations?
50%
47
Draw a gersmehl diagram to demonstrate how monoculture (palm oil) can afect the flows of carbon?
photo on phone taken 4.5.2025
48
Which tribe has been affected by palm oil plantations and land grabs in Indonesia?
Orang Rimba nomadic tribe
49
In which decade did the oil company arrive in Indonesia?
1990's
50
What did the oil company that arrived in Indonesia do to the tribe and land?
- took control of the land, and returned half when it was planted with oil palms - tribe could sell harvested fruit to the company - for 25 years the company sold the fruit to big companies, and the tribe never really benefitted - didn't earn enough to sustain themselves
51
What is an example of how deforestation is being tackled?
Afforestation
52
What is an example of a project that is afforesting?
UN-REDD programme which aims to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation
53
What is an example of a search engine that uses their profits for afforestation projects?
Ecosia
54
What is the case study for afforestation?
Paris Agreement, Brazil pledged to voluntarily reduce co2 emissions by 43% by 2030
55
How did Ecosia help Brazil meet the target they set?
Ecosia funded the planting of 1 million trees during 2019 in the remaining patches if the Atlantic Forest in Brazil
56
What is an example of a temperate grassland?
The prairies of USA and Canada
57
What type of rainfall accounts for slightly higher levels of precipitation during the summer months?
Convectional rainfall
58
What are the dominant vegetation species of grasslands?
- grass (long growing season) e.g. turf, burch grasses
59
What are the main animal species in temperate grasslands?
Gazelle, Bison (grazing animals)
59
Why do fires naturally occur in temperate grasslands?
lightning, burns a lot of dry grass
60
Why do natural fires in temperate grasslands help maintain the grassland?
- exposes new buds to grow = reduces competition for food - help warms the soil, which aids in decomposition
61
Why is tree growth restricted in grasslands?
- presence of herds and grazing animals - fires which sporadically burn vegetation - lack of rainfall to support large water dependent vegetation
62
What are the three climate factors which influence the carbon cycle?
1. Light 2. Temperature 3. Precipitation
63
How does light affect the carbon cycle in temperate grasslands?
during summer, insolation is more concentrated, weaker in winter = seasonal variation in growth and carbon storage
64
How does temperature affect the carbon cycle in temperate grasslands?
mean temps vary between 22 and -5 degrees = seasonal variation in temp= variation in carbon storage
65
How does precipitation affect the carbon cycle in temperate grasslands?
low average annual rainfall around 500mm, can be a limiting factor to growth
66
Draw a gersmehl diagram of carbon flows within the grassland biome?
Picture on phone - taken 4/5/2025
67
What is the average NPP of temperate grasslands?
600 g C m(-2) yr(-1)
68
Why is NPP relatively low in a temperate grassland?
due to lower temps, less sunlight = less photosynthesis - plants become dormant there is also competition between plants due to limited nutrients
69
Why is biomass relatively low in temperate grasslands?
low temps = seasonal growth rates, sunlight and water can fluctuate seasonally -> low levels of biodiversity
70
What is the natural system of biomass in temperate grassland compared to the intensive farming system?
natural = death, carnivores, fires, seasonal die back human = monoculture - modified crops = sprayed with chemical pesticides (use fossil fuels in their production and application
71
What is the natural system of litter in temperate grassland compared to the intensive farming system?
natural = excretion and decomposition human = biomass removed, only stubble left = litter layer depleted
72
What is the natural system of soil in temperate grassland compared to the intensive farming system?
natural = inputs from decomposition, fires = soils bound together through deep root systems human = limited inputs of organic matter = artificial chemical fertilizers = loss of deep root system, wind erosion from dry weather = depleted
73
What is the difference between the natural system of temperate grasslands compared to the intensive farming system?
natural = net carbon sink human = net carbon source
74
What is the case study for drought and erosion?
Dust bowl of 1930's Mid-West USA
75
During the 20th century by how much did top soil in Iowa, USA decrease?
from 14 - 18 inches to 6 - 8 inches
76
What % of the World's land has been taken over by agriculture?
40%
77
When was the drought period in the USA?
1934 - 1939
78
How many acres of land were affected by the USA drought?
100 million acres across Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado
79
How many people abandoned their farms during the USA drought?
2.5 million people
80
SHEVAUN ask me for the diagram for this unit its on my wardrobe

Geography - Carbon Cycle (3 decks)

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