AMAZON RAINFOREST CASE STUDY, WATER AND CARBON

PDF Download

AMAZON RAINFOREST CASE STUDY, WATER AND CARBON

CYCLES - AQA A LEVEL EXAM QUESTIONS

Actual Qs and Ans Expert-Verified Explanation

This Exam contains:

-Guarantee passing score -11 Questions and Answers -format set of multiple-choice -Expert-Verified Explanation

Question 1: protection

Answer:

set up national parks (Central Amazon Conservation Complex in Brazil (established in 2003) protects biodiversity in an area of 49000km-squared while allowing local people to use forest sustainably); with these areas, damaging activities such as logging can be monitored and prevented

Question 2: carbon cycle in the Amazon

Answer:

lots of carbon stored in vegetation and soil, making it a carbon sink; carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases productivity in the Amazon, this increases amount photosynthesis which increases biomass; therefore increasing carbon sequestration; however trees have been dying younger so it may not continue to be an effective carbon sink

Question 3: effect of climate change to the Amazon Rainforest

Answer:

increase in temperatures and decrease in rainfall leads to droughts (Amazon's severe droughts in 2005 and 2010); droughts can lead to extinctions and forest fires which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere; thought 4 degree rise would kill 85% of Amazon, this leads to loss of carbon by decomposition and a decrease in photosynthesis, meaning less carbon dioxide sequestration

Question 4: South America

Answer:

location of Amazon Rainforest

Question 5: affect of deforestation to the carbon cycle in the Amazon

Answer:

less roots to hold soil together, heavy rain washes nutrients (carbon) out of topsoil and into the hydrosere; less leaf litter, less humus, less new growth so less carbon stored in vegetation; less trees, therefore less carbon dioxide sequestration, enhance of green house effect and global warming

Question 6: selective logging

Answer:

few trees from each area will maintain forest structure, soil isn't exposed, allows regeneration, only small impact to water and carbon cycles

Question 7: environmental law

Answer:

ban use of wood from forests not managed sustainably, ban excessive logging, control land use (Brazilian Forest Code says landowners have to keep 50-80% of land as forest)

Question 8: affect of deforestation to the water cycle in the Amazon

Answer:

less interception, increased soil erosion and soil saturation, increased runoff meaning increased risk of flooding; decreased rates of evapotranspiration, less clouds, less rainfall and so increased risk of drought

Question 9: replanting

Answer:

important same types of trees that were removed are replanted, ensures variety for future and local carbon and water cycles return to initial state (Peru plans to restore 3.2m hectares of forest by 2020)

Question 10: water cycle in the Amazon

Answer:

lots of evaporation over Atlantic Ocean, wet air blown towards Amazon leading to very high rainfall; high temperatures causes lots of evaporation, leads to high precipitation; dense canopy so high amount of interception, leads to slower runoff into rivers;

populated by species adapted to high humidity and frequent rainfall

Question 11: hot, wet with dense vegetation

Answer:

Amazon Rainforest's climate