Carbon Cycle Pack D Flashcards
1
Q
What are the carbon stores in each biome?
A
TRF - 550 billion tonnes
Temperate forests = 310 billion tonnes
Temperate grasslands = 285 billion tonnes
Tundra = 160 billion tonnes
2
Q
What are examples of TRFs?
A
- Amazon
- Congo
- Bornea (Indo-Malaysian)
3
Q
What are examples of grasslands?
A
- Prairies
- Steppe
4
Q
How do light, precipitation and temp affect stores and flows in the TRF?
A
- High temperatures mean more carbon is stored in vegetation
- Rainfall and temperature and not limiting factors
5
Q
How do light, precipitation and temp affect stores and flows in the grasslands?
A
- Cold temperatures in winter mean no growth so less carbon stored in vegetation
- In 5 months of the year, rainfall is <50mm
- Temperature and rainfall are limiting factors
6
Q
What are the characteristics of TRFs?
A
- Found between 23° north and south of the equator
- Large number of animals
- Dense vegetation with many layers (evergreen trees)
- Sun’s ray are concentrated as sun is directly ahead
- Little seasonal variation so high numbers of sunlight hours
- Average annual temperatures are between 25-30°C
- Convectional rain on most days
- High precipitation with 2000mm a year
- High plant growth and levels of biomass
7
Q
What are the stores in the TRF?
A
- Atmospheric carbon sequestration is high all year
- Large store in animals
- High NPP of 2500g/m2/year
- More carbon is sequestered than released
- Total carbon stored in biomass and soil is 550billion tonnes
- Above ground store is 180 tons per hectare
- Below ground store is 100 tons per hectare
8
Q
What are the flows in the TRF?
A
- Rapid cycling between atmosphere an biosphere
- High temperatures mean CO2 is fixed at a faster rate
- Decomposition is rapid so carbon quickly returns to the soil
- ## Rainfall leaches the soil of carbon removing it into rivers then the sea
9
Q
What is the humus layer?
A
- Dark layer of fertile soil
- Supports all biomass
- Beneath is infertile soil with limited nutrients
10
Q
A
