The Amazon Rainforest

how many tons of carbon is the Amazon rainforest estimated to store

between 80 and 120 billion tons of carbon 

what effects increasing atmospheric CO2 having on the Rainforest

• The increasing concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has led to increased productivity in the Amazon rainforest because the vegetation can access more CO2 for photosynthesis. As a result, the amount of carbon sequestered by the Amazon has increased, making it an even more important carbon sink. 

• although trees are growing faster, they are dying younger, and therefore the Amazon may become a less reliable carbon sink in the future 

study in 2015 about amazon absorbing CO2

A study in 2015 suggested that the Amazon is losing its capacity to absorb CO2 from a peak of 2 billion tonnes in each year in the 1990s – net uptake of CO2 has now halved 

 

effects of changes to the cycles on plants and animals

in some areas the temperature is increasing and rainfall is decreasing, leading to drought. Plants and animals in the Amazon are adapted to warm, moist conditions so drought could lead to the extinction of some species.

5 drieffects of deforestation

• The Brazilian Amazon is being deforested at an extremely high rate 

• The removal of forest was done using slash and burn techniques which harms the soil. 

• Forests emit condensation nuclei when they respire, the removal of forests may lead to decreased rainfall 

• If destroyed the vast carbon store will be released into the atmosphere 

• Deforested land is often being replaced with farmland

effects on the soil

Forest soils store much more carbon than pasturelands. When forest clearance first occurs, the soil is exposed to heavy tropical rainfall. Thos rapidly washes away the topsoil and attacks the layers below 

effects on rivers

Changes in total precipitation, extreme rainfall events and seasonality may lead to an overall reduction in river discharge, lead to flash flooding, and destroy freshwater habitats. Warming water temperatures may kill off temperature dependent species and change the biodiversity of the river system.

4 ways human impacts are being limited

• selective logging

• replanting

• environmental laws

• protection

positives of selective logging

This is less damaging to the forest as the forest structure is kept, the canopy is still there, and the soil isn’t exposed. This means that the forest is able to regenerate, so the impacts are reduced 

one important thing when replanting

It’s important that the same types of trees are replanted as were cut down to keep variation

example of one environmental law

Brazilian Forest Code says that landowners have to keep 50-80% of their land as forest 

exammle of protection

Many countries have set up national parks and nature reserves to protect rainforests.  

e.g. the Central Amazon Conservation Complex in Brazil was set up in 2003 to protect biodiversity in an area of 49000km^2.