water and carbon cycle (tundra and rainforest)

Question 1

temperature in the tundra

Answer 1

peak 7 degrees in July
lowest -27 degrees in Febuary

Question 2

precipitation in the tundra

Answer 2

peak in August at 62mm
lowest in feb with 9mm

Question 3

solifluction

Answer 3

the gradual process where soil is saturated and starts flowing down a slope

Question 4

evaporation the tundra

Answer 4

low evaporation due to frozen surface. only 50-60 days with sufficient temp for evaporation

Question 5

transpiration in artic tundra

Answer 5

low NPP in plants
plants store water in cells
short growing season
low biodensity

Question 6

ground stores for water in tundra

Answer 6

limited due to low ppt and active layer only 3-5m deap.

Question 7

surfaces stores for water in the tundra

Answer 7

winter:snow and ice
summer: rivers, lakes, pools and marshes

Question 8

geology of the tundra

Answer 8

igneous impermeable shields
flat
criss cross drainage patterns due to previous ice sheets
low percolation and infiltration due to frozen ground

Question 9

meade river alaska discharge

Answer 9

peak in july and aug
july: surface ice melts, ablation and run off
aug: rain and slow thaw of active layer (115.5 cumens)

Question 10

active layer and carbon cycle

Answer 10

decompressed rocks creates cracks for methane released (methane has 20 times greater impact than CO2 over 100 years)
thawing allows decomp by microbes
organic matter exposed from withdrawing ice sheet

Question 11

flora and fauna of the artic tundra and carbon cycle

Answer 11

low biodiversity
plants e.g. dwarf willow and heather
no woody plants at higher altitude
400 000 caribou in the Western Atlantic Caribou herd (alaska)

Question 12

increasing temperatures in the tundra

Answer 12

40% worlds permafrost risk thawing if temp inc by 2 degrees
92 gigatonnes of carbon released by thawed permafrost by 2100
2.5 million square miles thaws

Question 13

ITCZ

Answer 13

Inter-tropical Convergence Zone
area of most evap due to most insolation
above the rainforest on Jan

Question 14

temp and ppt in Amazon Rainforest

Answer 14

27.4 degree average (Aug peak)
250mm monthly rain in ppt.
summer is dryest and spring is wettest

Question 15

water stores in AR

Answer 15

high temp causes high humidity (atmospheric store)
still quite a small store
2,200 tonnes/ha in biomass

Question 16

channel flow in AR

Answer 16

20% all global freshwater discharge

Question 17

size of carbon stores in AR

Answer 17

90-200 t/ha soil
180 t/ha trees
40 t/ha in roots

Question 18

NPP in AR

Answer 18

high 2,500 g/m2/year

Question 19

CO2 sequestered in AR/year

Answer 19

2.4 gigatonnes
however 20% emits more than captures

Question 20

influence of veg in AR

Answer 20

absorbs 2.2 billion tonnes CO2/year
60% carbon stored in biomass above ground

Question 21

geological history of AR

Answer 21

40-10 mill years ago Amazon river used to go from E->W
Andes blocked flow of Amazon causing lake across basin
orogeny caused quick sections called Nautas where sediment was washed away (low fertility) and Pebas where it remained (HF)
Pebas are older and 15x more fertile