Tropical Rainforest: The Amazon

Tropical Rainforest: The Amazon

1. The Amazon makes up 15% of global river water entering oceans.

2. 1/3 of the precipitation is recycled form the rainforest itself

   • The remaining 2/3 comes from the Atlantic Ocean via the wind

3. Only 30% of the Precipitation reaches the sea, as 70% remains part of the Amazon's drainage-basin system.

4. The mass amounts of precipitation comes from Cumulonimbus Clouds, which are formed when the water within the Amazon is evaporated, rising into the atmosphere as vapour (Mass Transpiration

5. Of the roughly 10 billion tonnes of Carbon absorbed globally by rainforests, the Amazon alone absorbs around 2.2 billion tonnes. The biggest store of this carbon within the rainforest is the Pedosphere, storing up to 1/5.

6. Due to the decreased number of tress (Deforestation), less interception and transpiration occurs. Furthermore, less condensation will occur leading to the formation of fewer clouds.

   • The few clouds that do form will be Cumulus clouds which, unlike Cumulonimbus clouds, don't carry much water thus less precipitation will occur. This is significant, as tropical rainforests are closed systems thus the water contained cannot be replenished, thus must be recycled.
   • The decrease in interception could also lead to drastically increased rates of surface run-off, thus leading to more flooding.