Amazon Rainforest

1. how large is it

2. how many countries does it spread over

3. how many trees does it have and % of species

1. worlds largest → 6.7 million K²

2. 9

3. 400 billion, 10

Explain the water cycle within tropical rainforests

1. Canopy intercepts up to half, some drips to the ground from leaves or stemflow → 25% of rainfall is evaporated,

2. 75% is split in half between: used by plants, then returned via evapotranspiration

3. or infiltration into the soil - stored temporarily on the ground or flowing overland to river channels (runoff)

Amazon rainforest

1. how much rainfall does it receive annually

2. how much water does it discharge and into which ocean

1. 2300mm

2. 1/3 of rainfall, 15% of freshwater which enters oceans each day

Carbon in the Amazon rainforest

1. how much carbon does it store, what % of all carbon in the world’s biomass

2. how much carbon does it absorb, how has this changed since the 90s?

3. why might this be the case if CO2 levels have increased?

1. 90-140 billion tones, 20%

2. 600 million, was 2 billion (deforestation)

3. carbon fertilisation - greater biomass mortality

Drivers of change - deforestation

→ between 2000 and _______, the Brazilian Amazon was deforested at a rate of ____________ km^2 per year.

estimated ____% of the Amazon rainforest has already been lost

what are the 2 largest reasons for deforestation (what proportions)

why is pasture land damaging

, 2007, 19,000, 20

1. cattle ranching 80%

2. commercial farming 10% → demand for soya production

holds less moisture content, less air humidity, resulting in in less rain

Climate Change

how does el nino and la nina effect the climate

mean temperature increase ____C every 10 years, predicted to be _____C by 2050

El Nino (more rain) and la Nina events (droughts)

0.26, 2-3 → wildfires

what are the 2 dominating positive feedback loops in the TR

1. reduced forest cover → reduced evaporation → reduced rainfall → reduced forest cover

2. dying forest → carbon release → CC and increase temperature → dying forest

→ With the Amazon also loosing its uptake capacity in CO2, this could push the ecosystem to change into a ______________, which bad because,

tropical savanna type, it considerably distributes carbons stores

1. what is a national agreement that has been signed?

2. how many countries are involved?

3. main goal

4. what protocol did they establish and which does it do

1. Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation

2. 9

3. promote harmonious and sustainable development whilst identifying economic potential

4. Tarapoto Process → recognises each countries impact and alignment of terms and condition

Success of mitigation

1. how did deforestation rates change between 2004 and 2012

2. what is the current trend

3. name of rainforest police

4. what did Brazil pledge to do

1. reduced by 83%

2. has been gradually increasing since 2015 and is currently at the highest since 2006. increased by 22% in 2020-21

3. IBAMA

4. promised to end and reverse deforestation by 2030 at COP 26