Water and Carbon cycles CS (amazon rainforest)

Question 1

how much annual rainfall does the amazon get?

Answer 1

2000+mm

Question 2

what is the temp of the amazon throughout?

Answer 2

27

Question 3

how many people and species is the amazon home to?

Answer 3

200 million people

1/2 world species of plants/animals

Question 4

what is the max hight of trees in the amazon?

Answer 4

45m

Question 5

what % of oxygen does the amazon emit?

Answer 5

28%

Question 6

how many trees are in the amazon?

Answer 6

390 bn

Question 7

what are the 8 countries the amazon is spread across?

Answer 7

• Brazil
• bolivia
• peru
• ecudor
• columbia
• venezula
• suriname
• French Guiana

Question 8

how many tonnes of carbon are stored in the amazon?

Answer 8

80-120 bn tonnes

Question 9

how much carbon does the amazon take in ?

Answer 9

1-3 GTC/yr

Question 10

what % increase has there been in above ground biomass and what does this lead too?

Answer 10

0.3-0.5%= rising productivity due to sequestering of increased co2 concentrations in atmosphere

Question 11

what has cause rising atmospheric levels of CO2?

Answer 11

neg feedback

Question 12

what has happened and continues to be an issue since 2015?

Answer 12

loosing capacity to absorb co2, form peak of 2bn tonnes of CO2 in 1990s- now 1/2 that

Question 13

an increase in atmospheric co2 has led to what?

Answer 13

a growth spurt in tress, yet the growth stimulation leads to trees living faster and die younger. ^ rate of dying trees

Question 14

what is the av discharge of water into Atlantic by the amazon?

Answer 14

175,000 m/s

Question 15

what is the name of the 2nd largest river in the world that is a tributary of the amazon?

Answer 15

Rio negro

-100M deep & 14Km wide

Question 16

what can the rainfall go up to?

Answer 16

6,000mm

Question 17

why doesn’t rain water always reach ground?

Answer 17

1/2 is intercepted by canopy and re-evaporates

Question 18

of the rainfall that evaporated back into atmosphere what % falls again as rain, what % reaches the sea, what happens to the rest?

Answer 18

45% falls again
30% reaches sea
rest stuck in constant closed loop

Question 19

driefyly explain water system in amazon?

Answer 19

• water lost by transpiration from pores In leaves
• dense canopy intercepts rainfall, prevent hitting ground
• rainwater transferred to forest floor by drip/stem flow.
• most plants have shallow roots hat take rainwater and dissolved nutrients directly from decomposing leaf litter

Question 20

what are 3 drivers of change in the amazon ?

Answer 20

• 2000-2007 deforested at rate of 19,000 km^2 yearly
• Brazil 4th largest climate pollster, 75% of GHGE attributed to deforesting and land use change
• removal of forest using slash and burn

Question 21

what are the 4 main difference between trop rainforest and pasture land?

Answer 21

• RF aborb 11% more solar rad
• av temp RF= 24.1, P= 33%
• temp of amazons soils at 20cm <2.8oc, P= 8 oc
• deeper forest roots pump more soil moisture to surface= 30%, more air humidity= 5-20%, more rainfall than pastures

Question 22

what are the 3 main impacts climate change is having on RF?

Answer 22

• all trop RF temp increase of 0.26+- 0.05 degrees every 10 yrs since 1970s
• by 2050= 2-3oc
• was change in rainfall between 1920-70s no change now

Question 23

what are 3 main vegetation changes?

Answer 23

• 2000-10 3.6 mill ha loss of forest
• droughts and 6 temp= kill trees
• 2oc incraese above pre-indust levels would see 20-40% of amazon die within 100yrs (3oc ^=75%)(4oc^=85%)

Question 24

what are 2 characteristics of amazon soil?

Answer 24

• contains 4-9kg of C in ^ 50cm

- when burned 30-60% C lost into atmosphere

Question 25

what can a changes in precipation and extreme rainfall events seasonally lead too?: (4)

Answer 25

• overall reduction is river discharge
• flash flooding
• destroy fresh water ecosystem
• destroy water supply

Question 26

what are 3 impacts of warm waters on amazon rivers?

Answer 26

• kill off temp dependent species
• change biodiversity
• reduce water dissolved oxygen

Question 27

what are the 3 national and international agreement agencies (mitigation)?

Answer 27

• the TARAPOTO- prices to help achieve harmonious forest development
• Latin American Technical Co-op Network on Watershed Management (REDLACH)
• Amazon Co-op Treaty Org (ACTO) to promote harmonious development

Question 28

what are 4 mitigation strategies?

Answer 28

• creation of national parks (e.g. para rainforest reserve 15 mill ha)
• enrichment of degraded forest using native species
• reforestation
• forest biofuel production