Water and carbon cycle in the amazon (part 2)

Question 1

Components of the Amazon Geology

Answer 1

Andean Belt
Guiana and Brazil shields
Amazon Basin

Question 2

Brazil and Guiana shield

Answer 2

Igneous rock
Granite: impermeable
Plateau: flat area of elevated land

Question 3

Amazon Basin

Answer 3

Sedimentary rock
Fluvial sediments like sand and silt
Highly permeable area

Question 4

Andean Belt

Answer 4

High altitude with steep sides
Composed of permeable metamorphic rock, interwoven with granitic rock from volcanic eruption
Fold mountain due to destructive boundary

Question 5

Impact of geology on water cycle in the Amazon: shields

Answer 5

Impermeable
Low infiltrations and percolation; high surface run off
Large volume of surface water due to flat landscape and impermeable rock

Question 6

Impact of geology on the water cycle: Amazon basin

Answer 6

Channel flow and surface run-off bottleneck
High levels of infiltration and through flow due to permeable rock

Question 7

Impact of geology on the water cycle: Andean belt

Answer 7

Rapid run off and channel flow due to topography
Impermeable rock exaggerates this impact
Waterfall due to dramatic change in relief of landscapes
Minimal large surface stores of water due to topography encouraging run off

Question 8

Size of soil carbon store in the Amazon

Answer 8

90-200 T/ha

Question 9

Size of tree (above the ground) carbon store in the Amazon

Answer 9

180 T/ha

Question 10

Size of tree (root system) carbon store in the Amazon Rainforest

Answer 10

40 T/ha

Question 11

NPP in the Amazon

Answer 11

2,500 grams m-2 year-1

Question 12

Total carbon sequestration by amazon per year

Answer 12

2.4 gigatonnes

Question 13

Reasons for soils low in carbon (and nutrients) in the Amazon

Answer 13

Dense
Large competition for nutrients
Surface run-off and channel flow due to high precipitation dissolves organic compounds into rivers

Question 14

Formation of Pebas and Nauta (part 1)

Answer 14

Amazon used to go E to W
Orogeny of the Andes blocks flow resulting in large lake to form
Sediment from the ancient Amazon flowed into the lake, creating a layer of carbon rich geology

Question 15

Formation of pebas and nauta (part 2)

Answer 15

Further orogeny tilted parts of the lake creating faster moving sections of river, including the modern day Amazon.
Path of river washed away sediment in some areas causing low fertility pebas and high fertility nautas

Question 16

Biodiversity of Pebas compared to nautas

Answer 16

Pebas 15x ore fertile than nautas
Forests of these two areas differ by almost 900% in their plant species

Question 17

River Madeira basin

Answer 17

Floods in 2014
Area is flood plains
High levels of deforestation, farming settlements, hydroelectric dams and mining.
Two large dams not complete

Question 18

Causes of deforestation in the Amazon

Answer 18

65-70% cattle ranching
20-25% small scale agriculture
2-3% logging
5-10% large scale agriculture

Question 19

water usage to make beef

Answer 19

2500 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beaf