Case Study- Amazon Rainforest

• world's largest tropical rainforest covers 40% of South America landmass
• equatorial climate: small temperature range, over 26 degrees most year, over 2000mm of rainfall per year
• home to many indigenous people
• 1 million plant species
• 500 mammal species
• 2000+ species of fish
• water cycle- high levels of evapotranspiration (atlantic ocean and warm temperatures), high interception in canopy layer (reduces water flow into rivers and speed), species are adapted to high humidity and frequent rainfall.
• Carbon Cycle (Carbon Sink)- stores are the vegetation and soil, increased levels of CO2 in the atmosphere increases productivity (increasing biomass), more carbon sequestration, trees grow quicker but die younger, future it could turn to a carbon source (if goes over tipping point).
• selective logging- only some trees felled, reduces amount of secondary forest, allows forest to regenerate so reduces impact on water and carbon cycle.
• replanting (negative feedback)-Peru aims to restore 3.2 million hectares of forest by 2020 with a variety of trees to allow local carbon and water cycle to return to their initial state.
• environmental law- Brazilian Forest Code- landowners have to keep 50-80% of their land to forest and it has banned excessive logging.
• Protection- 2010 the USA and Brazil signed an agreement converting £13.5 million of Brazilian debt into funding to protect tropical ecosystems.