Case study of a tropical rainfroest - water and carbon cycle

Question 1

Characteristics of the Amazon Rainforest

Answer 1

It is a hot, very wet climate and the vegetation is very dense

The largest tropical rainforest and covers 40% of the South American landmass

Many groups of indigenous people live in the Amazon Rainforest

Question 2

Ways the water cycle is important to the Amazon

Answer 2

The water cycle causes the amazon to be very wet - there is a lot of evaporation over the Atlantic Ocean, and the wet air is blown towards the Amazon.

Warm Temperatures mean that evaporation is high in the rainforest itself, which increases the amount of precipitation

The rainforest has a dense canopy - meaning that interception is high

Question 3

Ways the carbon cycle is important to the Amazon Rainforest

Answer 3

The amazon rainforest stores lots of carbon in its vegetation and soil, so it’s a carbon sink.

Vegetation is able to access more carbon in the atmosphere due to increasing concentration of CO2

Question 4

How has deforestation affect The water cycle in the Amazon

Answer 4

Deforested area in the Amazon how no tree canopy to intercept rainfall , so more water reaches the ground surface. There is too much water to soak into the soil so surface run off increases

Deforestation reduces the amount of evapotranspiration in the rainforest

Question 5

How does deforestation affect the carbon cycle in the Amazon

Answer 5

-Heavy rain washes away the nutrient rich top layer of soil, transferring carbon stored in the soil to the hydrosphere.