GEOGRAPHY: AMAZON RAINFOREST CASE STUDY EXAM

PDF Download

GEOGRAPHY: AMAZON RAINFOREST CASE STUDY EXAM

QUESTIONS

Actual Qs and Ans Expert-Verified Explanation

This Exam contains:

-Guarantee passing score -23 Questions and Answers -format set of multiple-choice -Expert-Verified Explanation

Question 1: Evapotranspiration characteristics

Answer:

High rates of evapotranspiration due to high temperatures, abundant moisture and dense vegetation.Strong evapotranspiration-precipitation feedback loops sustain high rainfall totals. Around half of incoming rainfall is returned to the atmosphere by evapotranspiration. Most evaporation is from intercepted moisture from leaf surfaces. Moisture lost in transpiration is derived from the soil via tree roots.Question 2: What has it been suggested will occur if the dry season becomes longer than 5-7 months?

Answer:

The rainforest will no-longer receive enough rainfall to support the trees, causing a transition from rainforest to savanna. Large fraction of the southern Amazon near this threshold (approx. few weeks difference).

Question 3: Size of Amazon as carbon store.

Answer:

100 billion tonnes of carbon

Question 4: Physical factors affecting the water cycle: Geology

Answer:

Impermeable catchments (e.g. large parts of the Amazon Basin are an ancient shield area comprising impermeable, crystalline rocks) have minimal water storage capacity resulting in rapid run-off.Permeable and porous rock such as limestone and sandstone store rainwater and slow run-off.

Question 5: Amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by Amazon annually.

Answer:

2.4 billion tonnes

Question 6: Number of trees in the Amazon.

Answer:

400 billion

Question 7: % of precipitation in Amazonia recycled by evapotranspiration.

Answer:

50-60

Question 8: Vegetation characteristics

Answer:

Rainforest trees play a crucial role in the water cycle, absorbing and storing water from the soil and releasing it through transpiration.

Question 9: Average annual temperatures (in degrees).

Answer:

25-30

Question 10: Percentage of Amazon within Brazil.

Answer:

70%

Question 11: Carbon stored in soil.

Answer:

90-200 tonnes C/ha

Question 12: % of carbon stored in above-ground biomass.

Answer:

60 Question 13: Physical factors affecting the water cycle: relief

Answer:

Most of the Amazon basin comprises extensive lowlands. In areas of gentle relief water moves across the surface (overland flow) or horizontally through the soil (throughflow) to streams and rivers. In the West the Andes create steep catchments with rapid run-off. Widespread inundation across extensive floodplains (e.g. the Pantanal) occurs annually, storing water for several months and slowing the movement into rivers.

Question 14: Carbon usually stored above ground in large forests.

Answer:

180 tonnes C/ha

Question 15: Amount of carbon dioxide released by rainforest annually.

Answer:

1.7 billion tonnes

Question 16: Atmosphere characteristics

Answer:

High temperatures allow the atmosphere to store large amounts of moisture (i.e. absolute humidity is high). Relative humidity is also high.

Question 17: Run-off characteristics

Answer:

Rapid run-off related to high rainfall, intensive rainfall events and well-drained soils. Depending on seasonal distribution of rainfall, river discharge may peak in one or two months of the year.

Question 18: Precipitation characteristics

Answer:

High average annual rainfall (>2000 mm). Rainfall fairly evenly distributed throughout the year through short drier seasons occurs in some places. High intensity, convectional rainfall, interception by forest trees is high (around 10% of precipitation). Intercepted rainfall accounts for 20-25% of all evaporation.

Question 19: Physical factors affecting the water cycle: temperature

Answer:

High temperatures throughout the year generate high rates of evapotranspiration. Convection is strong, leading to high atmospheric humidity, the development of thunderstorm clouds and intense precipitation.Water is cycled continuously between the land surface, forest trees and the atmosphere by evaporation, transpiration and precipitation.

Question 20: Carbon usually stored in roots in large forests.

Answer:

40 tonnes C/ha

Question 21: Average rate of deforestation between 1998 and 2013.

Answer:

17500 sqr. km/yr.

Question 22: Area of Amazon Rainforest

Answer:

• million km

Question 23: Soil/groundwater characteristics

Answer:

Abundant rainfall and deep tropical soils and aquifers.