Amazon
- Created by: Hannah Jeffery
- Created on: 23-01-15 15:14
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- Amazon
- Location
- Either side of the equator in south America
- 78% in Brazil, smaller areas in places such as Peru, Colombia, Ecuador
- covers about 7.3 million sq km
- Biome characteristics
- Climate
- mean temperature is about 26 degrees
- 2677mm of rainfall each year
- well distributed around the year
- reproduction all year round
- natural selection and evolution takes place quicker
- Flora
- primary productivity high due to high concentration of light
- Most biologically diverse ecosystem in the world
- at least 80,000 species of which 40,000 are important globally for regulating climate
- eg Brazil nut
- at least 80,000 species of which 40,000 are important globally for regulating climate
- fauna
- 430 species of mammals
- eg pink river dolphins or spider monkeys
- developed over a long time leading to complex food webs
- growth not restricted by water supply
- 430 species of mammals
- Climate
- Spatial variations
- 80% is rainforest
- western amazon experiences no dry season
- higher species diversity
- by rivers such as Madeira there are swamp forests
- trees are lower and wider apart
- Different ecosytems within a biome increase overall diversity
- plant adaptations
- Canopy trees
- umbrella shape crowns, increase surface areas to get maximum sunlight
- straight and thin trunks to conserve energy
- Emergent trees
- smaller leaves
- reduce transpiration
- greener because cells contain more chlorophyll to maximise photosynthesis
- Thin bark of 1-2mm
- protection of low levels not needed
- shallow tree roots
- Mineral nutrients are rapidly recycled
- plants don't need to look far for nutrients
- Mineral nutrients are rapidly recycled
- spines instead of leaves
- less water lost by transpiration
- repel insects
- Canopy trees
- Animal adaptations
- Toucan
- strong large bills to prise open fruit and crack seeds
- Sloth
- opposable thumb allows it to hang from trees
- protection
- can reach a greater volume of nutrition
- opposable thumb allows it to hang from trees
- camouflage
- anaconda snake has green and black markings so that it blends in with foliage
- bright colours
- poison dart frog is bright red
- warn predators that its highly dangerous
- poison dart frog is bright red
- Toucan
- threats
- up to to 1960 habituated by sustainable indigenous
- little impact on the biome
- 1960's government encouraged colonisation
- sponsored large scale projects to exploit resources that aided development
- 17% of the original forest has been lost
- sponsored large scale projects to exploit resources that aided development
- deforestation
- Cattle ranching
- 80% of the deforestation
- soya bean agriculture
- thrives in rainforest climate
- hydroelectric dams
- eg Belo monte
- flood 400km2
- eg Belo monte
- logging
- take timer from land that has been cleared for cattle
- destroyed nutrient cycle
- increase co2 levels
- Cattle ranching
- oil and gas extraction
- Colombia
- gold mining
- Brazilian state of para
- hunting
- birds, reptiles and mammals
- drought 2005, 2010
- forest fires
- up to to 1960 habituated by sustainable indigenous
- Location
- drought 2005, 2010
- forest fires
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