1. The carbon cycle in the Amazon.
Physical and Human factors affecting the stores and flows of the Amazon Rainforest water cycle
Physical factors and human factors affecting the flows and stores in the carbon cycle.

2. Starter:
The Net Primary Productivity of the Amazon is very high. What is Net Primary Productivity?
NPP is the energy fixed in photosynthesis minus energy lost by respiration.

3. How does the NPP compare with other biomes?
Starter:
How does the NPP compare with other biomes?
Put the following selection from highest to lowest and suggest reasons for the ranking.
Biome
Tropical Rainforest
Savanna
Tundra and Alpine
Temperate coniferous forest
Desert
Temperate deciduous forest
Mean NPP g/m2/yr :
2200
900
140
1300 90
1200
Why is it so high in the tropical rainforests?

4. Starter: What does the term biomass mean?
The total mass of plant and animal life occurring in an ecosystem.
Where is most of the biomass in a tropical rainforest, above or below ground?
Therefore where is most of the carbon stored?

5. What is this showing you?
Where are most of the nutrients going to be stored in the tropical rainforest?

6. Nutrient Cycle for the Tropical Rainforest
Why is the store for leaf litter and soil so small in the rainforest?
How can such a small amount of nutrients in the soil and leaf litter support the highest NPP and biomass of all terrestrial biomes?
to 15.00

7. The carbon cycle in the Amazon.
Physical factors affecting the stores and flows of the Amazon Rainforest carbon cycle
Stores
1) How much carbon is stored in the rainforest?
2) How much carbon is stored per hectare in:
Large forest tree above ground.
Tree roots
Soils
What is the total percentage stored above ground?
3) Why is the carbon store so much higher above ground compared to below?
4) What is the rock structure of the Amazon and how does this impact on the carbon store?
Important
When answering these questions you MUST be clear in your answers how the carbon stores and flows are affected by:
Temperature
Vegetation
Organic matter in the soil

8. The carbon cycle in the Amazon.
Physical factors affecting the stores and flows of the Amazon Rainforest carbon cycle
Flows
5a) What is the NPP of the rainforest and why is it so high?
b) Why does the rainforest have such a high NPP considering the soils are so poor?
6) Why are the flows of carbon between the stores in the atmosphere, biosphere and soil so rapid in the Amazon? Explain fully?
7) How much carbon is absorbed in the rainforest and released per year?
8) Why is the figure so high for both?
Important
When answering these questions you MUST be clear in your answers how the carbon stores and flows are affected by:
Temperature
Vegetation
Organic matter in the soil

9. Which biome is therefore more fragile
Plenary
How are the nutrient stores different between the TRF and the temperate deciduous forest?
Why is this?
Which biome is therefore more fragile