Amazon Rainforest

• characteristics


  • rainfall 2000mm+
  • 27 degrees throughout the year
  • rich biodiversity - 300 billion trees, 15,000 species
  • originally spread over the whole of South America
  • 5.5km2 across 9 countries
• carbon cycle


  • warm and wet region ideal for plant growth and photosynthesis
  • wood is 50% carbon so is a carbon sink
  • respiration returns co2 to atmosphere
  • decomposition returns co2 back to the atmosphere
  • carbon stored in the soil or dissolved and removed by streams
  • stores 80-120 billion tonnes of carbon
  • carbon sink 1-3 gtc/yr
  • increase in atmospheric co2 leads to increase in plant growth but trees die younger
• how is carbon cycle affected by humans

  • land cleared for farming, mining, roads and settlements through fires which releases co2
  • deforestation is the main cause of greenhouse gas release
  • rain washes ash into ground increasing carbon content of soil increasing carbon run off
• limiting human activity

  • enrichment of degraded forests
  • creation of national parks and forest reserves
  • afforestation
  • ACTO and tarapoto to help achieve harmonious development
  • selective logging by only choosing high value wood
  • same type of tree planted as cut down
  • laws to ban use of wood from forests not managed sustainably, excessive logging and controlling land use
  • monitoring of logging