ELSS- Tropical Rainforest CS

Question 1

What type of trees do you have in the amazon?

Answer 1

• Deciduous - evergreen
• High interception rates

Question 2

How much intercepted rain goes back into the atmosphere?

Answer 2

20%

Question 3

What type of rainfall do we get in the amazon?

Answer 3

Convectional

Question 4

What are the temps like in the rainforest?

Answer 4

25-30 degrees

Question 5

How much rainfall does the rainforest receive per year?

Answer 5

> 2000 mm

Question 6

What is carbon sequestration?

Answer 6

The capturing and storing of atmospheric carbon in other stores

Question 7

What does organic matter decompose into?

Answer 7

CO2 and hummus + other nutrients

Question 8

What is the drainage basin?

Answer 8

• An area of land drained by its river and tributaries
• Water here travels downstream

Question 9

What does a water budget show?

Answer 9

The annual balance between inputs and outputs

Question 10

How much carbon released per year in general?

Answer 10

1.7 billion tonnes

Question 11

How much carbon is stored in the amazon?

Answer 11

100 billion tonnes

Question 12

What is the thin dark fertile layer of soil called?

Answer 12

Hummus

Question 13

What is the amazons NPP?

Answer 13

2500 g/m^2/yr

Question 14

What is Net Primary Productivity?

Answer 14

The carbon taken in by vegetation due to photosynthesis - carbon released from respiration

Question 15

What types of relief is in the west of the amazon?

Answer 15

Steep

Question 16

What type of relief does the amazon have?

Answer 16

Lowlands

Question 17

What type of rock makes up most of the amazon?

Answer 17

• Crystalline shields
• Impermeable

Question 18

What processes are present in the amazon?

Answer 18

• Precipitation
• Condensation
• Evaporation
• Transpiration
• Groundwater flow
• Through fall
• Stem flow
• Infiltration
• Percolation
• Through flow

Question 19

What is the dew point?

Answer 19

The temperature at which rising air becomes saturated with water vapour and condenses

Question 20

What is Hummus?

Answer 20

• 60 % carbon rich
• A carbon store

Question 21

What protects the soil from being eroded by conventional rainfall?

Answer 21

The rainforest canopy

Question 22

What is leaching?

Answer 22

• Common in areas of high level of precipitation
• Chemical weathering where nutrients in the soil are removed leaving it infertile

Question 23

Why is the rainforest being deforested?

Answer 23

• H.E.P
• Cattle ranching
• Sustenance farming
• Commercial farming - soybean production
• Mining for minerals
• Timber
• Roads

Question 24

How much does cattle ranching account for deforestation in the Amazon?

Answer 24

80 %

Question 25

How has soybean production caused direct deforestation?

Answer 25

• Displaced cattle ranchers who moved to frontier areas
• Drove up land prices

Question 26

How do they deforest?

Answer 26

• Fires to clear land
• Slash and burn

Question 27

How much does Agribusiness account for Brazil’s GDP?

Answer 27

1/4

Question 28

How much of the rainforest has lost its resilience?

Answer 28

75 %

Question 29

How much water does the Amazon release per day?

Answer 29

20 billion tonnes

Question 30

How will soybean and grassland affect water cycle flows

Answer 30

• Reduction in interception loss, transpiration
• Increased infiltration, percolation, run off
• Drier climate
• Saturation excess overland flow
• Increased leaching

Question 31

How will farming practises affect the carbon cycle?

Answer 31

• Soil is exposed to air so oxidises -> ploughing
• Burning of trees - CO2 released -> enhanced greenhouse affect
• Leaf litter reduced -> carbon stored in biomass reduces