Geography A-Level - Physical - The Amazon Rainforest

?
  • Created by: Noah_S
  • Created on: 26-10-21 18:15
View mindmap
  • The Amazon Rainforest
    • Human Impacts
      • Deforestation
        • Deforested areas have no canopy to intercept rainfall, so increased likelihood of surface runoff
        • Reduces the rate of evapotranspiration, meaning less water vapour reaches the atmosphere
          • Reduces precipitation, which increases the chances of drought in the area
        • Without roots, heavy rain washes away the carbon rich top layer of soil
          • Transfers carbon to the hydrosphere
        • Reduces leaf litter, so humus cant form, which means the soil cannot provide much growth and limits the carbon stored
        • Removing trees will reduce the amount of carbon being abled to be stored from the atmosphere
        • Deforestation has led to some parts of the Amazon becoming a carbon source instead of a carbon sink
      • Climate Change
        • Some parts of the Amazon has had temperatures increase and rainfall decrease
          • The Amazon has had severe droughts in 2005, 2010 and 2015-16
        • Wildlife in the Amazon are not adapted to dry weather, and might die
          • Frequent or long periods of drought can lead to the extinction of some species
        • Drought can lead to forest fires, which can destroy large areas and releases carbon into the atmosphere
        • Scientists predict a 4*C rise in temperatures will kill 85% of the Amazon Rainforest
          • Would release lots of stored carbon due to decomposed material, and will reduce photosynthesis
    • Human Mitigation
      • Replanting
        • New trees are planted to replace ones that are cut down
          • A project in Peru replanted over 115 acres between 2016-2019
        • Important to keep the same type of tree, so that the water and carbon cycles can return to their initial state
      • Selective Logging
        • Only some trees are cut down, most are left standing
        • Less damaging to the forest, as the forest structure is kept
          • Canopy is still there, meaning there is still interception to protect the Water and Carbon cycle
      • Protection
        • Environmental laws can protect rainforest
          • Can ban the use of wood from unsustainable sources, and ban excessive logging
        • You can control land usage to prevent extensive deforestation
          • Brazilian Forest Code says that landowners have to keep 50-80% of their land as forest
        • National parks can be set up to monitor activities
          • Central Amazonian Conservation Complex was set up in 2003, protecting biodiversity in a 49000km^2 area
          • Provides opportunities for ecotourism
    • Natural Processes
      • Water Cycle
        • A lot of evaporation from the Atlantic Ocean is blown towards the Amazon
          • Leads to very high rainfall
        • Warm temperatures lead to high evaporation in the rainforest, increasing precipitation
        • A dense canopy from trees means that interception rates are high
          • Means less water flows into rivers, and does it more slowly
      • Carbon Cycle
        • Stores a lot of carbon in the vegetation, meaning that the Amazon is a carbon sink
        • Increasing concentration of carbon has led to increase productivity due to increased photosynthesis
          • Increased growth of biomass

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Geography resources:

See all Geography resources »See all Water and Carbon Cycle resources »