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Geography > Unit 5: Carbon Stores In Different Biomes > Flashcards

Unit 5: Carbon Stores In Different Biomes Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a biome?

A

Is an ecological community whole global distribution corresponds with climatic regions of the Earth.

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2
Q

What two climatic variables determines biomes distribution?

A

• Temperature -> plant growth, transpiration, evaporation
• Precipitation-> determines vegetation, water availability, photosynthesis, growth

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3
Q

What are the world’s 3 major rainforests?

A

• Amazon Rainforest - Brazil
•Central African rainforest - Congo Basin
•Indo-Malaysian Rainforest

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4
Q

What is the distribution of tropical rainforests?

A

Between the tropics (cancer and Capricorn) . On/near the Equator

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5
Q

What is the Climate of tropical Rainforests?

A
  • High average rainfall ( 250-450cm)
  • High average temperature (20-30 degrees)
    > High humidity
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6
Q

What is the distribution of temperate grasslands?

A

Bordering desert regions. Outside the tropics mainly.
On every continent bar Antarctica

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7
Q

What is the climate of Temperate Grassland?

A

> Variance in temperature -10 to 20 - seasonal
* Moderate average rainfall of 3mm to 110mm

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8
Q

What is carbon and approximately how much percentage of the dry weight of plant biomass globally does it make up?

A

Carbon is an essential plant macronutrient and makes up approximately 44 % of the dry weight of plant biomass globally.

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9
Q

What is the total amount of carbon stored in he terrestrial (land) biosphere?

A

3,000 Gigatons

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10
Q

Explain the carbon storage in green plants

A

Nearly 20% of carbon in earths biosphere is stored in plants, including root systems below the soil surface

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11
Q

Explain the carbon storage in animals

A

These play a small role in carbon storage because the biomass of animals is much less than plant biomass

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12
Q

Explain the carbon storage in litter

A

This is fresh and un-decomposed plant debris on the surface of the soil; it includes leaves, other dead organisms and excrement

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13
Q

Explain the carbon storage in soil

A

Humus is a black substance that remains in the soil after most of the organic litter has decomposed; it gets dispersed throughout the soil by earthworms

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14
Q

The amount of carbon stored in each global biome varies, due to what factors?

A

> The size of the surface it covers
The type and the amount of vegetation present
Human activities - deforestation, climate change, materials, land use - agriculture
Climate conditions - seasons

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15
Q

How does carbon in green plants get to carbon in animals?

A

Consumption

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16
Q

How does carbon in green plants get to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

A

Respiration

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17
Q

How does carbon in animals get to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

A

Respiration

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18
Q

How does carbon dioxide in the atmosphere get to carbon in green plants?

A

Photosynthesis

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19
Q

How does carbon in the soil get to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

A

Decomposition

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20
Q

How does carbon in animals get to carbon in litter?

A

Excretion and death

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21
Q

How does carbon green plants get to carbon in litter?

A

Death and leaf shedding

22
Q

How does carbon in litter get into carbon in the soil?

A

Decomposition

23
Q

What is the diagram called which represents the movement of all nutrients within an ecosystem?

A

Gersmehl

24
Q

What is leaching?

A

This is the removal of soluble nutrients in water percolating downwards through the soil.

25
Q

Describe the tropical rainforest biome

A

The tropical rainforest is a hot, wet biome found near Earths equator. They generally found between 10 degrees north and 10 degrees south of the equator in South America, western Africa and Asia.
> consistent rainfall - no less than 200mm a month
> very consistent temperature - little variance

26
Q

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

A

Light is consistent.
Dense coverage of biomass means its hard for small plants to get light - only 35% of light penetrates to the ground floor.

27
Q

How does temperature influence plant growth and carbon storage in a tropical rainforest?

A

Consistent temperature
Increases shoot growth
If its too hot plants will wilt and die

28
Q

How does precipitation influence plant growth and carbon storage in a tropical rainforest?

A

Aids with plant growth
Plants under water stress will wilt

29
Q

Globally how many gigatons of carbon do tropical rainforests store?

A

550 gigatons

30
Q

Tropical rainforests are a globally important what?

A

Carbon sink

31
Q

How many tonnes of carbon are released each year by deforestation?

A

1.5 billion tonnes

32
Q

How many tonnes of carbon are taken in by the Amazon each year?

A

1.7 billion tonnes

33
Q

How many tonnes of carbon are stored each year?

A

4.8 billion tonnes

34
Q

What is the Gross Primary Productivity (GGP)?

A

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

35
Q

What is the Net Primary Productivity (NNP)?

A

To measure the amount of carbon stored, the amount of new biomass produced each year need to be measured; this is measure by the NPP, which is GPP minus the energy lost in respiration.

36
Q

What are the units which NNP is measured in?

A

g C m-2 yr-1

37
Q

What is the average Rainforest NNP?

A

Around over 2000g C m-2 yr-1
Comparison - British temperature deciduous forest - 1000g C m-2 yr -1

38
Q

What is the rainforest biomass in tonnes per hectare?

A

700
reflecting the optimum climatic conditions for growth

39
Q

What are the key factors of the emergent layer?

A

> over 50m tall
waxy leaves
advantage over other biomass
buttress roots of tall trees which spread out roots

40
Q

What are the key factors of the Canopy layer?

A

> absorbs 80% sunlight
high interception loss
Liana - vines
up to 30m tall

41
Q

What are the key factors of the under canopy layer?

A

> limited plant growth
shrubs/small trees
20m tall

42
Q

What are the key factors of the ground/shrub layer/understorey layer?

A

> dark- sunlight blocked by canopy - less than 3% of sunlight gets to ground floor
litter
top layer of soil contains nutrients
mushrooms and fungi thrive - moist and warm conditions

43
Q

What is the carbon efficiency of the rainforest?

A

40-60%

44
Q

How many tonnes of carbon do rainforests store per hectare each year?

A

200 - 300 tonnes

45
Q

Why are rainforests important in the global carbon cycle?

A

They take CO2 out of the atmosphere, maintain the global carbon balance, are a huge carbon sink, never are in negative flux, there’s more carbon stored in the above ground vegetation in rainforest than all ecosystems put together.

46
Q

Describe the circles and arrows of the Gersmehls Nutrient Cycle?

A

Circles: Compartments size proportional to amount of nutrient stored
Arrows: Width proportional to amount of nutrient flow

47
Q

Why is the biomass the largest store?

A

High volume of vegetation (most biodiverse ecosystem). Optimum climatic conditions - large uptake pathway.

48
Q

Why is the litter store the smallest store?

A

Small volume of litter, trees have leaves all year round(evergreen) but limited leaf input. Rapid decomposition occurs so carbon doesn’t stay in litter store for long, large decay pathway.

49
Q

Explain the soil store

A

Rapid plant uptake (top portion of soil) to support the biomass. 2 large exit pathways - weathering and leaching (large volume of precipitation moves soluble things through soil.

50
Q

During the last 50 years approximately how much of the tropical rainforests have been deforested?

A

A third

51
Q

What does increasing demand for resources from a growing and increasingly affluent global population lead to?

A

> timber harvesting of valuable tropical hardwoods such as mahogany and teak
to create land for agriculture - cattle ranching (red meat/beef) and crop production (soya beans, palm oil, grow in food/feed for animals/cattle)

52
Q

During the 1980s and 1990s how much of the amazon was deforested per year?

A

17500km^2

Geography (13 decks)

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