A balanced carbon cycle

Question 1

Enhanced Greenhouse effect

Answer 1

The same short-wave radiation from the Sun enters the atmosphere.

The Earth still emits long-wave radiation, but due to increased greenhouse gases, more heat is trapped.

Less heat escapes into space, causing the atmosphere to warm more than normal.

This extra layer of greenhouse gases (from human activities like burning fossil fuels) leads to global warming and climate change.

Question 2

What is soil health dependent on

Answer 2

Soil health relies on the amount of organic carbon stored in the soil which is dependent on:

The inputs - plant and animal residues and nutrients

The outputs - decomposition, erosion and use in plant and animal productivity

Question 3

How does the Greenhouse gas effect lead to climate change?

Answer 3

Climate change may increase the frequency of drought due as a result of shifting climate belts, which will have an impact of the role of forests as carbon stores

There are around 30 different climate zones which can be simplified as:
Equatorial
Tropical
Temperate
Polar

These climate zones are not static and the increasing of earth’s temperatures could lead to 5% of the Earth’s land area shifting to a new climate zone

There is already evidence of the expansion of subtropical deserts and poleward movement of stormy wet weather in mid-latitudes.

Question 4

The Amazon’s changing climate

Answer 4

Since 1990, a more extreme cycle of drought and flood has developed in Amazonia, which can be linked to shifts in the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)

Rainfall has noticeably decreased downwind of deforested areas leading to São Paulo suffering a water crisis

The Amazon rainforest which is already affected by deforestation is now being hugely impacted by droughts in 2005 and 2010