Amazon rain forest

Question 1

How big is the amazon rainforest

Answer 1

6 million km^2

Question 2

what percentage of the amazon rainforest is in Brazil

Answer 2

70

Question 3

What is the weather like in the rainforest

Answer 3

25-30 degrees Celsius annual temps
Small seasonal variation in temperature
High average annual rainfall > 2000mm with no dry season
March wettest month 310 mm of rainfall

Question 4

How much of precipitation is recycled

Answer 4

Between 50 and 60 percent of the precipitation in Amazonia is recycled by evapotranspiration

Question 5

How would you describe the precipitation

Answer 5

High intensity convectional rainfall

Question 6

What percentage of evaporation is accounted for by interception

Answer 6

20-25 percent of all evaporation

Question 7

What percentage of rainfall is intercepted

Answer 7

10

Question 8

characteristics of Evapotranspiration in the amazon rain forest

Answer 8

High rates of evapotranspiration due to high temperatures, abundant moisture and dense vegetation

Question 9

Characteristics of Run-off Amazon rainforest

Answer 9

Rapid run-off related to high rainfall intensive rain-fall events and well drained soils river discharge may peak in 1 or 2 months of the year

Question 10

Characteristics of atmosphere Amazon rainforest

Answer 10

High temperature allows atmosphere to store large amounts of water

Question 11

characteristics of soil/groundwater Amazon

Answer 11

Abundant rainfall and deep tropical soils lead to significant water storage in aquifiers and soils

Question 12

characteristics of vegetation Amazon

Answer 12

Rainforest trees play a crucial role in the water cycle absorbing and storing water from the soil and releasing it through transpiration

Question 13

What is the net primary productivity of the Amazon

Answer 13

2500 grams/m^2/year
15-25 percent of NPP of the world

Question 14

What is the biomass of the rainforest

Answer 14

400-700 tonnes per hectare

Question 15

How much carbon does large forest trees store

Answer 15

180 tonnes of carbon per hectare above ground and 40 tonnes per hectare under ground in the roots

Question 16

How much carbon does the soil store

Answer 16

90-200 tonnes/ hectare

Question 17

How much carbon does the rainforest store per year

Answer 17

2.4 billion tonnes

Question 18

Why is there speed decomposition

Answer 18

High heat levels average annual temperature of 25-30 degrees Celsius

Question 19

How does geology affect the water cycle in the amazon

Answer 19

Impermeable Catchments from impermeable crystalline rocks results in rapid run off

Question 20

How does relief affect the water cycle

Answer 20

Most of the Amazon comprises of lowlands that mainly comprises of through flow and overland flow
In the west the Andes creates create steep catchments for rapid run-off

Question 21

How does temperature affect the water cycle in the Amazon

Answer 21

High temperatures = high levels of evapotranspiration. Convection is strong leading to intense storms and precipitation

Question 22

How much carbon is locked up in the amazon

Answer 22

100 billion tonnes
60 percent overground

Question 23

How much carbon is released through decomposition

Answer 23

1.7 billion tonnes

Question 24

Human factors affecting Water cycle in Amazon

Answer 24

deforestation = 17500km^2 between 1970 and 2013
1/5 of rainforest has been destroyed

Question 25

What happened in April 2014 in the Amazon

Answer 25

Madeira river rose by 19.68 metres at port Velho (West Brazil) 60 people died 68000 families evacuated

Question 26

What is the absorption rate for former rainforests and soya cultivation fields

Answer 26

16.8 tonnes/hectare for former fields 2.7 tonnes/hectare for soya cultivation

Question 27

What are some strategies used to manage tropical rainforests

Answer 27

Brazil commited to restoring 120000 km^2 of rainforest by 2030 protection through legislation projects to reforest areas improved agricultural techniques like shifting cultivation

Question 28

What percentage of the Amazon in now national parks or otherwise protected areas

Answer 28

44 percent

Question 29

What is the parica project

Answer 29

It is a plan to create a 1000 km ^2 commercial timber plantation plant 20 million fast-growing hardwood seedlings on 4000 smallholdings to mature over 25 years

Question 30

What is the UNS REDD scheme

Answer 30

Provides payment tribes if they stop logging which can be bought by TNCs to "offset" their carbon impact. In 2013 TNC Natura purchased 120000 credits of the surui tribe

Question 31

Average rainfall per year amazon

Answer 31

1500-3000