amazon case study a level

• ORIENTATION
• ASSIGNMENTS
• Program Home Page
• LIBRARY RESOURCES
• Getting Help
• Engaging Course Concepts

Case Study: The Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon in context

Tropical rainforests are often considered to be the “cradles of biodiversity.” Though they cover only about 6% of the Earth’s land surface, they are home to over 50% of global biodiversity. Rainforests also take in massive amounts of carbon dioxide and release oxygen through photosynthesis, which has also given them the nickname “lungs of the planet.” They also store very large amounts of carbon, and so cutting and burning their biomass contributes to global climate change. Many modern medicines are derived from rainforest plants, and several very important food crops originated in the rainforest, including bananas, mangos, chocolate, coffee, and sugar cane.

In order to qualify as a tropical rainforest, an area must receive over 250 centimeters of rainfall each year and have an average temperature above 24 degrees centigrade, as well as never experience frosts. The Amazon rainforest in South America is the largest in the world. The second largest is the Congo in central Africa, and other important rainforests can be found in Central America, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia. Brazil contains about 40% of the world’s remaining tropical rainforest. Its rainforest covers an area of land about 2/3 the size of the continental United States.

There are countless reasons, both anthropocentric and ecocentric, to value rainforests. But they are one of the most threatened types of ecosystems in the world today. It’s somewhat difficult to estimate how quickly rainforests are being cut down, but estimates range from between 50,000 and 170,000 square kilometers per year. Even the most conservative estimates project that if we keep cutting down rainforests as we are today, within about 100 years there will be none left.

How does a rainforest work?

Rainforests are incredibly complex ecosystems, but understanding a few basics about their ecology will help us understand why clear-cutting and fragmentation are such destructive activities for rainforest biodiversity.

High biodiversity in tropical rainforests means that the interrelationships between organisms are very complex. A single tree may house more than 40 different ant species, each of which has a different ecological function and may alter the habitat in distinct and important ways. Ecologists debate about whether systems that have high biodiversity are stable and resilient, like a spider web composed of many strong individual strands, or fragile, like a house of cards. Both metaphors are likely appropriate in some cases. One thing we can be certain of is that it is very difficult in a rainforest system, as in most other ecosystems, to affect just one type of organism. Also, clear cutting one small area may damage hundreds or thousands of established species interactions that reach beyond the cleared area.

Pollination is a challenge for rainforest trees because there are so many different species, unlike forests in the temperate regions that are often dominated by less than a dozen tree species. One solution is for individual trees to grow close together, making pollination simpler, but this can make that species vulnerable to extinction if the one area where it lives is clear cut. Another strategy is to develop a mutualistic relationship with a long-distance pollinator, like a specific bee or hummingbird species. These pollinators develop mental maps of where each tree of a particular species is located and then travel between them on a sort of “trap-line” that allows trees to pollinate each other. One problem is that if a forest is fragmented then these trap-line connections can be disrupted, and so trees can fail to be pollinated and reproduce even if they haven’t been cut.

The quality of rainforest soils is perhaps the most surprising aspect of their ecology. We might expect a lush rainforest to grow from incredibly rich, fertile soils, but actually, the opposite is true. While some rainforest soils that are derived from volcanic ash or from river deposits can be quite fertile, generally rainforest soils are very poor in nutrients and organic matter. Rainforests hold most of their nutrients in their live vegetation, not in the soil. Their soils do not maintain nutrients very well either, which means that existing nutrients quickly “leech” out, being carried away by water as it percolates through the soil. Also, soils in rainforests tend to be acidic, which means that it’s difficult for plants to access even the few existing nutrients. The section on slash and burn agriculture in the previous module describes some of the challenges that farmers face when they attempt to grow crops on tropical rainforest soils, but perhaps the most important lesson is that once a rainforest is cut down and cleared away, very little fertility is left to help a forest regrow.

What is driving deforestation in the Amazon?

Many factors contribute to tropical deforestation, but consider this typical set of circumstances and processes that result in rapid and unsustainable rates of deforestation. This story fits well with the historical experience of Brazil and other countries with territory in the Amazon Basin.

Population growth and poverty encourage poor farmers to clear new areas of rainforest, and their efforts are further exacerbated by government policies that permit landless peasants to establish legal title to land that they have cleared.

At the same time, international lending institutions like the World Bank provide money to the national government for large-scale projects like mining, construction of dams, new roads, and other infrastructure that directly reduces the forest or makes it easier for farmers to access new areas to clear.

The activities most often encouraging new road development are timber harvesting and mining. Loggers cut out the best timber for domestic use or export, and in the process knock over many other less valuable trees. Those trees are eventually cleared and used for wood pulp, or burned, and the area is converted into cattle pastures. After a few years, the vegetation is sufficiently degraded to make it not profitable to raise cattle, and the land is sold to poor farmers seeking out a subsistence living.

Regardless of how poor farmers get their land, they often are only able to gain a few years of decent crop yields before the poor quality of the soil overwhelms their efforts, and then they are forced to move on to another plot of land. Small-scale farmers also hunt for meat in the remaining fragmented forest areas, which reduces the biodiversity in those areas as well.

Another important factor not mentioned in the scenario above is the clearing of rainforest for industrial agriculture plantations of bananas, pineapples, and sugar cane. These crops are primarily grown for export, and so an additional driver to consider is consumer demand for these crops in countries like the United States.

These cycles of land use, which are driven by poverty and population growth as well as government policies, have led to the rapid loss of tropical rainforests. What is lost in many cases is not simply biodiversity, but also valuable renewable resources that could sustain many generations of humans to come. Efforts to protect rainforests and other areas of high biodiversity is the topic of the next section.

Case Study: Deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest

Deforestation in the amazon rainforest.

The Amazon rainforest area spans about 8,200,000km 2 across 9 countries, making it the largest rainforest in the world. The tree coverage in 1970 was 4.1m km 2 . In 2018, it was 3.3m km 2 . Between 2001 and 2013, the causes of Amazonian deforestation were:

Pasture and cattle ranching = 63%

Small-scale, subsistence farmers = 12%

Commercial crop farming = 7%

Tree felling and logging = 6%

Other activities = 3%

• E.g. plantations, mining, road-building, and construction.

Impacts of Deforestation in the Amazon

Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest has the following environmental and economic impacts:

Environmental impact of Amazonian deforestation

• Photosynthesis by trees in the Amazon absorbs 5% of the world's carbon emissions each year (2bn tons of CO2).
• 100 billion tonnes of carbon are stored in the wood of the trees in the Amazon.
• If the Amazon were completely deforested, it would release the 100bn tonnes and also reduce the amount of carbon dioxide taken out of the atmosphere by 2bn tons each year.
• Trees anchor soil in the ground, bound to their roots. Deforestation damages the topsoil and once this has happened, the fertility of the ground is seriously damaged.

Economic impact of Amazonian deforestation

• Deforestation has fuelled the economic development of poor countries.
• In 2018, Brazil exported $28bn worth of metals. The mining industry creates jobs, exports and helps increase Brazilian people's standard of living.
• Similarly, hydroelectric power plants and cattle farms help to create jobs.
• In 2018, Brazil became the world's largest exporter of beef.
• Rio Tinto, an iron ore mining company employs 47,000 people globally and thousands of these are in Brazil.

The rate of deforestation in the Amazon

• In 2015, the Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff claimed that the rate of deforestation had fallen by 83% and that actually Brazil was going to reforest the Amazon.
• However, the policies under President Temer and President Bolsonaro has reversed Rousseff's plan. In 2019, under Bolsonaro, the rate of deforestation was increasing again.

1 The Challenge of Natural Hazards

1.1 Natural Hazards

1.1.1 Types of Natural Hazards

1.1.2 Hazard Risk

1.1.3 Consequences of Natural Hazards

1.1.4 End of Topic Test - Natural Hazards

1.1.5 Exam-Style Questions - Natural Hazards

1.2 Tectonic Hazards

1.2.1 Tectonic Plates

1.2.2 Tectonic Plates & Convection Currents

1.2.3 Plate Margins

1.2.4 Volcanoes

1.2.5 Effects of Volcanoes

1.2.6 Responses to Volcanic Eruptions

1.2.7 Earthquakes

1.2.8 Earthquakes 2

1.2.9 Responses to Earthquakes

1.2.10 Case Studies: The L'Aquila & Kashmir Earthquakes

1.2.11 Earthquake Case Study: Chile 2010

1.2.12 Earthquake Case Study: Nepal 2015

1.2.13 Living with Tectonic Hazards 1

1.2.14 Living with Tectonic Hazards 2

1.2.15 End of Topic Test - Tectonic Hazards

1.2.16 Exam-Style Questions - Tectonic Hazards

1.2.17 Tectonic Hazards - Statistical Skills

1.3 Weather Hazards

1.3.1 Global Atmospheric Circulation

1.3.2 Surface Winds

1.3.3 UK Weather Hazards

1.3.4 Tropical Storms

1.3.5 Features of Tropical Storms

1.3.6 Impact of Tropical Storms 1

1.3.7 Impact of Tropical Storms 2

1.3.8 Tropical Storms Case Study: Katrina

1.3.9 Tropical Storms Case Study: Haiyan

1.3.10 UK Weather Hazards Case Study: Somerset 2014

1.3.11 End of Topic Test - Weather Hazards

1.3.12 Exam-Style Questions - Weather Hazards

1.3.13 Weather Hazards - Statistical Skills

1.4 Climate Change

1.4.1 Evidence for Climate Change

1.4.2 Causes of Climate Change

1.4.3 Effects of Climate Change

1.4.4 Managing Climate Change

1.4.5 End of Topic Test - Climate Change

1.4.6 Exam-Style Questions - Climate Change

1.4.7 Climate Change - Statistical Skills

2 The Living World

2.1 Ecosystems

2.1.1 Ecosystems

2.1.2 Ecosystem Cascades & Global Ecosystems

2.1.3 Ecosystem Case Study: Freshwater Ponds

2.2 Tropical Rainforests

2.2.1 Tropical Rainforests - Intro & Interdependence

2.2.2 Adaptations

2.2.3 Biodiversity of Tropical Rainforests

2.2.4 Deforestation

2.2.5 Case Study: Deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest

2.2.6 Sustainable Management of Rainforests

2.2.7 Case Study: Malaysian Rainforest

2.2.8 End of Topic Test - Tropical Rainforests

2.2.9 Exam-Style Questions - Tropical Rainforests

2.2.10 Deforestation - Statistical Skills

2.3 Hot Deserts

2.3.1 Overview of Hot Deserts

2.3.2 Biodiversity & Adaptation to Hot Deserts

2.3.3 Case Study: Sahara Desert

2.3.4 Desertification

2.3.5 Case Study: Thar Desert

2.3.6 End of Topic Test - Hot Deserts

2.3.7 Exam-Style Questions - Hot Deserts

2.4 Tundra & Polar Environments

2.4.1 Overview of Cold Environments

2.4.2 Adaptations in Cold Environments

2.4.3 Biodiversity in Cold Environments

2.4.4 Case Study: Alaska

2.4.5 Sustainable Management

2.4.6 Case Study: Svalbard

2.4.7 End of Topic Test - Tundra & Polar Environments

2.4.8 Exam-Style Questions - Cold Environments

3 Physical Landscapes in the UK

3.1 The UK Physical Landscape

3.1.1 The UK Physical Landscape

3.2 Coastal Landscapes in the UK

3.2.1 Types of Wave

3.2.2 Weathering & Mass Movement

3.2.3 Processes of Erosion & Wave-Cut Platforms

3.2.4 Headlands, Bays, Caves, Arches & Stacks

3.2.5 Transportation

3.2.6 Deposition

3.2.7 Spits, Bars & Sand Dunes

3.2.8 Case Study: Landforms on the Dorset Coast

3.2.9 Types of Coastal Management 1

3.2.10 Types of Coastal Management 2

3.2.11 Coastal Management Case Study - Holderness

3.2.12 Coastal Management Case Study: Swanage

3.2.13 Coastal Management Case Study - Lyme Regis

3.2.14 End of Topic Test - Coastal Landscapes in the UK

3.2.15 Exam-Style Questions - Coasts

3.3 River Landscapes in the UK

3.3.1 The River Valley

3.3.2 River Valley Case Study - River Tees

3.3.3 Erosion

3.3.4 Transportation & Deposition

3.3.5 Waterfalls, Gorges & Interlocking Spurs

3.3.6 Meanders & Oxbow Lakes

3.3.7 Floodplains & Levees

3.3.8 Estuaries

3.3.9 Case Study: The River Clyde

3.3.10 River Management

3.3.11 Hard & Soft Flood Defences

3.3.12 River Management Case Study - Boscastle

3.3.13 River Management Case Study - Banbury

3.3.14 End of Topic Test - River Landscapes in the UK

3.3.15 Exam-Style Questions - Rivers

3.4 Glacial Landscapes in the UK

3.4.1 Erosion

3.4.2 Landforms Caused by Erosion

3.4.3 Landforms Caused by Transportation & Deposition

3.4.4 Snowdonia

3.4.5 Land Use in Glaciated Areas

3.4.6 Tourism in Glacial Landscapes

3.4.7 Case Study - Lake District

3.4.8 End of Topic Test - Glacial Landscapes in the UK

3.4.9 Exam-Style Questions - Glacial Landscapes

4 Urban Issues & Challenges

4.1 Urban Issues & Challenges

4.1.1 Urbanisation

4.1.2 Urbanisation Case Study: Lagos

4.1.3 Urbanisation Case Study: Rio de Janeiro

4.1.4 UK Cities

4.1.5 Case Study: Urban Regen Projects - Manchester

4.1.6 Case Study: Urban Change in Liverpool

4.1.7 Case Study: Urban Change in Bristol

4.1.8 Sustainable Urban Life

4.1.9 End of Topic Test - Urban Issues & Challenges

4.1.10 Exam-Style Questions - Urban Issues & Challenges

4.1.11 Urban Issues -Statistical Skills

5 The Changing Economic World

5.1 The Changing Economic World

5.1.1 Measuring Development

5.1.2 Classifying Countries Based on Wealth

5.1.3 The Demographic Transition Model

5.1.4 Physical & Historical Causes of Uneven Development

5.1.5 Economic Causes of Uneven Development

5.1.6 How Can We Reduce the Global Development Gap?

5.1.7 Case Study: Tourism in Kenya

5.1.8 Case Study: Tourism in Jamaica

5.1.9 Case Study: Economic Development in India

5.1.10 Case Study: Aid & Development in India

5.1.11 Case Study: Economic Development in Nigeria

5.1.12 Case Study: Aid & Development in Nigeria

5.1.13 Economic Development in the UK

5.1.14 Economic Development UK: Industry & Rural

5.1.15 Economic Development UK: Transport & North-South

5.1.16 Economic Development UK: Regional & Global

5.1.17 End of Topic Test - The Changing Economic World

5.1.18 Exam-Style Questions - The Changing Economic World

5.1.19 Changing Economic World - Statistical Skills

6 The Challenge of Resource Management

6.1 Resource Management

6.1.1 Global Distribution of Resources

6.1.2 Food in the UK

6.1.3 Water in the UK 1

6.1.4 Water in the UK 2

6.1.5 Energy in the UK

6.1.6 Resource Management - Statistical Skills

6.2.1 Areas of Food Surplus & Food Deficit

6.2.2 Food Supply & Food Insecurity

6.2.3 Increasing Food Supply

6.2.4 Case Study: Thanet Earth

6.2.5 Creating a Sustainable Food Supply

6.2.6 Case Study: Agroforestry in Mali

6.2.7 End of Topic Test - Food

6.2.8 Exam-Style Questions - Food

6.2.9 Food - Statistical Skills

6.3.1 The Global Demand for Water

6.3.2 What Affects the Availability of Water?

6.3.3 Increasing Water Supplies

6.3.4 Case Study: Water Transfer in China

6.3.5 Sustainable Water Supply

6.3.6 Case Study: Kenya's Sand Dams

6.3.7 Case Study: Lesotho Highland Water Project

6.3.8 Case Study: Wakel River Basin Project

6.3.9 Exam-Style Questions - Water

6.3.10 Water - Statistical Skills

6.4.1 Global Demand for Energy

6.4.2 Factors Affecting Energy Supply

6.4.3 Increasing Energy Supply: Renewables

6.4.4 Increasing Energy Supply: Non-Renewables

6.4.5 Carbon Footprints & Energy Conservation

6.4.6 Case Study: Rice Husks in Bihar

6.4.7 Exam-Style Questions - Energy

6.4.8 Energy - Statistical Skills

Jump to other topics

Unlock your full potential with GoStudent tutoring

Affordable 1:1 tutoring from the comfort of your home

Tutors are matched to your specific learning needs

30+ school subjects covered

Deforestation

Sustainable Management of Rainforests

• 0 Shopping Cart

Sustainable Management of the Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon rainforest is located in the north of South America, spanning an area of around 8 million km2 including parts of Brazil, Columbia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador Bolivia, Suriname, Guyana and French Guyana.

In some areas of the Amazon rainforest, sustainable management strategies are in place to ensure people today can get the resources they need in a way that ensures future generations can also benefit from the ecosystem .

Sustainable management strategies are affected by political and economic factors .

Governance 

Governance relates to control of rainforests and who has a say in how rainforests are used. In some areas, rainforests are protected by national and international laws.

In Brazil, the largest protected area of rainforest is the Central Amazon Conservation Complex (CACC) . The CACC covers 60000 km2 as is classified as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations, which means it is protected by international treaties. Limits are placed on hunting , logging and fishing and access is limited.

Central Amazon Conservation Complex (CACC)

In other areas local communities, with the help of NGOs, are involved in rainforest governance. In Columbia, an organisation known as Natütama is working with the local community in Puerto Nariño to protect river species such as the Amazon River dolphin. Local people are employed to teach members of the community on how to protect habitats and endangered river species. Local fishermen collect information about the number and distribution of species and report illegal hunting.

Commodity Value

Commodity value means assigning a value to different good and services in a rainforest. Sustainable management ensures rainforests are worth. more than the value of the timber and other resources that can be extracted, such as gold. An example of this is sustainable foresty, which balances the removal of trees to sell with the conservation of the forest.

Selective logging involves only removing a small number of trees, allowing the forest to regenerate naturally. This saves money in the long run as logging companies do not need to replace felled trees.

Sustainable logging companies such as Precious Woods Amazon place limits on the number of trees being cut down so the rainforest can recover. They also use a range of species so that none are over-exploited.

International agreements try to reduce illegal logging and ensure timber comes from sustainable sources. The Forestry Stewardship Council allows the use of its logo by companies that operate in a sustainable way so consumers know they are buying sustainable timber.

FSC certified wood

Ecotourism is a type of tourism that minimises damage to the environment and benefits local people.

An example of an ecotourism project is the Yachana Lodge in Equador. It is located in a remote area of the Amazon Rainforest where local people rely on subsistence farming.

Yachana Lodge

The project employs local people. This provides a reliable source of income and a better quality of life. The project encourages local people to use the rainforest in a sustainable way so tourists continue to visit.

Volunteers work with local Amazon youth who study at the Yachana Technical High School where learning is focused on five main areas:

• Rainforest conservation
• Sustainable agriculture
• Renewable energy
• Animal husbandry
• Micro-enterprise development .

Tourists are only allowed to visit in small groups, minimising their impact on the environment. Tourists take part in activities that help raise awareness of conservation issues.

Entrance fees are paid by the tourists which are invested in conservation and education projects.

Premium Resources

Please support internet geography.

If you've found the resources on this page useful please consider making a secure donation via PayPal to support the development of the site. The site is self-funded and your support is really appreciated.

Related Topics

Use the images below to explore related GeoTopics.

Sustainable Management of the Rainforest

Topic home, share this:.

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)

If you've found the resources on this site useful please consider making a secure donation via PayPal to support the development of the site. The site is self-funded and your support is really appreciated.

Search Internet Geography

Top posts and pages.

Latest Blog Entries

Pin It on Pinterest

• Click to share
• Print Friendly

• Find Flashcards
• Why It Works
• Tutors & resellers
• Content partnerships
• Teachers & professors
• Employee training

Brainscape's Knowledge Genome TM

Entrance exams, professional certifications.

• Foreign Languages
• Medical & Nursing

Humanities & Social Studies

Mathematics, health & fitness, business & finance, technology & engineering, food & beverage, random knowledge, see full index.

• User generated content

a-level geography case study amazon rain forest

This class was created by Brainscape user esme appleby. Visit their profile to learn more about the creator.

Decks in this class (9)

More about a-level geography case study amazon rain forest.

• Class purpose General learning

Learn faster with Brainscape on your web, iPhone, or Android device. Study esme appleby's A-level Geography case Study Amazon Rain forest flashcards for their Redmaids class now!

How studying works.

Brainscape's adaptive web mobile flashcards system will drill you on your weaknesses, using a pattern guaranteed to help you learn more in less time.

Add your own flashcards.

Either request "Edit" access from the author, or make a copy of the class to edit as your own. And you can always create a totally new class of your own too!

What's Brainscape anyway?

Brainscape is a digital flashcards platform where you can find, create, share, and study any subject on the planet.

We use an adaptive study algorithm that is proven to help you learn faster and remember longer....

Looking for something else?

U.s. geography.

• 226 flashcards
• 20,863 learners

World Geography

• 1,050 flashcards
• 268,396 learners

Amazon Rainforest and Alaskan Tundra ...

• 47 flashcards

A Level OCR Geography Paper 2 Case St...

• 60 flashcards
• 11 learners
• Corporate Training
• Teachers & Schools
• Android App
• Help Center
• Law Education
• All Subjects A-Z
• All Certified Classes
• Earn Money!

Skip to content

Get Revising

Join get revising, already a member.

The Amazon Rainforest - Water & Carbon Cycle Case Study

• Case studies
• Created by: IssyCalderwood
• Created on: 02-03-19 11:03
• Largest tropical rainforest
• 40% South American landmass
• Hot, wet, dense vegetation
• Indigenous people
• 1 Mil plant species, 500 mammal species, 2000 fish species
• Home to endangered species: Manatee (mammal), Black caiman.  (reptile) , Pirarucu (fish)
• Wet air blown over Atlantic towards Amazon = wet rainforest = high rainfall
• Warm temp = high evaporation = increases precipitation
• Dense canopy = high interception = less flow into rivers = also more slowly
• Species adapted to high humidity, frequent rainfall
• Carbon stores = vegetation, soil = carbon sink
• Increased productivity because vegetation has access to more CO2 = increasing biomass
• Increased sequestered carbon
• May not be able to rely on rainforest as a carbon sink in future
• No canopy to intercept rainfall = too much water in soil = surface runoff = increased risk of flooding
• Reduces evapotranspiration  rate = fewer clouds = reduced rainfall = increased risk of drought
• No roots to hold soil together = rain washes away nutrient rich soil = carbon from soil transferred to hydrosphere
• Less leaf litter = no humus = soil can't support new growth = limited amount of carbon absorbed
• Less trees = more atmospheric CO2 = enhances greenhouse effect = global warming
• Amazon  = severe droughts in 2005, 2010
• Drought also = forest fires = lots of CO2 released
• 4 degree temp rise = 85% Amazon rainforest dead = lots carbon released as dead material decomposes = less CO2 taken in by photosynthesis
• Only some trees felled
• Felling fewer trees = forest regenerates
• E.g. Peru = 3.2 Mil hectares of forest by 2020
• Same type of tree replanted = local carbon & water cycles restored to initial state
• Laws ban unsustainable wood use
• Laws ban  excessive logging
• E.g. Brazilian Forest Code = landowners have to keep 50-80% land as forest
• E.g.  Central  Amazon Conservation Complex, Brazil, 2003, protects biodiversity, 49,000km2, local people use forest in sustainable way
• Damaging activities can be monitored & prevented

Report Wed 12th January, 2022 @ 12:13

The Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest, and it is home to 8 other countries. It is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth, and it is threatened by deforestation due to its wild crops and wildlife. The Amazon rainforest is a global issue so must check current  ppc sales  for your help, and the Aspinall Foundation has helped to fund two major research initiatives in the Amazon to understand how the Amazon rainforest functions; one of which is the Amazon Rainforest Carbon Cycle.

Related discussions on The Student Room

• AQA A Level Geography Paper 1 (7037/1) - 16th May 2024 [Exam Chat] »
• OCR A-Level Geography Physical Systems | [17th May 2023] Exam Chat »
• OCR A-Level Geography Paper 1 Physical Systems | 16th May 2024 [Exam Chat] »
• AQA A Level Geography Paper 2 (7037/2) - 3rd June 2024 [Exam Chat] »
• Edexcel A-Level Geography Paper 1 | [17th May 2023] Exam Chat »
• Edexcel A-Level Geography Paper 1 | 16th May 2024 [Exam Chat] »
• wjec geography carbon and water cycle »
• AQA A-Level Geography- Anyone else finding it hard? »
• Edexcel A level Geography (2016) Notes »

Similar Geography resources:

Water and carbon case studies 0.0 / 5

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY 2.5 / 5 based on 3 ratings

Easy to learn cycles case studies - enjoy! 5.0 / 5 based on 1 rating

The Carbon Cycle 0.0 / 5

Water and Carbon Cycles PPT 0.0 / 5

WATER AND CARBON CYCLE 0.0 / 5

The Amazon Rainforest- Water and Carbon 4.5 / 5 based on 2 ratings

Water and Carbon Cycles Topic Notes 0.0 / 5

Geography A-Level - Physical - The Amazon Rainforest 0.0 / 5

Amazon Rainforest, link to Carbon and Water Cycle 4.0 / 5 based on 1 rating

Living World - Amazon Case Study

The Amazon is the largest tropical rainforest on Earth. It sits within the Amazon River basin, covers some 40% of the South American continent and as you can see on the map below includes parts of eight South American countries: Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, and Suriname. The actual word “Amazon” comes from river.

Amazing Amazon facts; • It is home to 1000 species of bird and 60,000 species of plants • 10 million species of insects live in the Amazon • It is home to 20 million people, who use the wood, cut down trees for farms and for cattle. • It covers 2.1 million square miles of land • The Amazon is home to almost 20% of species on Earth • The UK and Ireland would fit into the Amazon 17 times!

The Amazon caught the public’s attention in the 1980s when a series of shocking news reports said that an area of rainforest the size of Belgium was being cut down and subsequently burnt every year. This deforestation has continued to the present day according to the Sao Paulo Space Research Centre. In 2005 they had lost 17% of Amazon rainforest or 650000 square kilometres. Their satellite data is also showing increased deforestation in parts of the Amazon. The process of deforestation The Amazon helps a Newly Emerging Economy(NEE), Brazil, to make money. They build roads into the forest, logging firms then go in and take out valuable hard woods such as mahogany and cedar, worth thousands of pounds in richer economies like Europe. Then farmers, often cattle ranchers from big companies, burn the rest to make way for cattle pasture. 75% of cleared areas are used in this way. This is clearly shown on the map on figure 22 in red. Many of the deforested areas follow roads and branch off from there.  Deforestation is also worse in the South and South East of the Amazon basin, closer to major centres of population in Brazil.

© WWF   Source  Used with permission.

The causes of deforestation 1. Subsistence and commercial farming – subsistence farming is where poor farmers occupy plots of the forest to grow food to feed themselves and their families. They clear forest and then burn it, hence the name slash and burn.  They grow crops until the soil is exhausted and then move on.  This contributes to deforestation but not as much as commercial farming (Farming to sell produce for a profit to retailers or food processing companies). The Brazilian region of Mato Grosso was affected by deforestation in the 1980s and 1990s. 43% of rainforest losses were in this region, and area almost ½ the size of France. It has been replaced by fields for grain and cattle. This has allowed Brazil to overtake Australia as the largest exporter of beef in the world. The land is also flat and easy to farm. It also has high temperatures and lots of rainfall.

2. Logging – This involves cutting down trees for sale as timber or pulp.  The timber is used to build homes, furniture, etc. and the pulp is used to make paper and paper products.  Logging can be either selective or clear cutting. Selective logging is selective because loggers choose only wood that is highly valued, such as mahogany. Clear-cutting is not selective.  Loggers are interested in all types of wood and therefore cut all of the trees down, thus clearing the forest, hence the name- clear-cutting.

3. Road building – trees are also clear for roads.  Roads are an essential way for the Brazilian government to allow development of the Amazon rainforest.  However, unless they are paved many of the roads are unusable during the wettest periods of the year.  The Trans Amazonian Highway has already opened up large parts of the forest and now a new road is going to be paved, the BR163 is a road that runs 1700km from Cuiaba to Santarem. The government planned to tarmac it making it a superhighway. This would make the untouched forest along the route more accessible and under threat from development.

4. Mineral extraction – forests are also cleared to make way for huge mines. The Brazilian part of the Amazon has mines that extract iron, manganese, nickel, tin, bauxite, beryllium, copper, lead, tungsten, zinc and gold! 

The Belo Monte dam site under construction, copyright  Used with the kind permission of Phil Clarke-Hill  - His website is amazing, click here to see it.

5. Energy development – This has focussed mainly on using Hydro Electric Power, and there are 150 new dams planned for the Amazon alone.  The dams create electricity as water is passed through huge pipes within them, where it turns a turbine which helps to generate the electricity.  The power in the Amazon is often used for mining.  Dams displace many people and the reservoirs they create flood large area of land, which would previously have been forest.  They also alter the hydrological cycle and trap huge quantities of sediment behind them. The huge Belo Monte dam started operating in April 2016 and will generate over 11,000 Mw of power.  A new scheme the 8,000-megawatt São Luiz do Tapajós dam has been held up because of the concerns over the impacts on the local Munduruku people.

6. Settlement & population growth – populations are growing within the Amazon forest and along with them settlements.  Many people are migrating to the forest looking for work associated with the natural wealth of this environment. Settlements like Parauapebas, an iron ore mining town, have grown rapidly, destroying forest and replacing it with a swath of shanty towns. The population has grown from 154,000 in 2010 to 220,000 in 2012. The Brazilian Amazon’s population grew by a massive 23% between 2000 and 2010, 11% above the national average.

Impacts of deforestation – economic development, soil erosion, contribution to climate change. • Every time forest is cleared species are lost – so we lose BIODIVERSITY • Climate Change - Burning the forest releases greenhouse gasses like CO2.  This contributes to the warming of our planet via climate change and global warming.  In addition, the loss of trees prevents CO2 being absorbed, making the problem worse. The Amazon also helps to drive the global atmospheric system. There is a lot of rainfall there and changes to the Amazon could disrupt the global system. • Economic development – Brazil has used the forests as a way to develop their country.  The forest has many natural riches that can be exploited.  In addition, Brazil has huge foreign debt and lots of poor people to feed, so they want to develop the forest. May Brazilians see deforestation as a way to help develop their country and improve people’s standard of living. • Soil erosion - the soils of the Amazon forest are not fertile and are quickly exhausted once the forest is cleared. The farmers now artificially fertilise the soil when in the past the nutrient cycle would have done this naturally.  In addition, the lack of forest cover means that soils are exposed to the rainfall.  This washes huge amounts of soil into rivers in the process of soil erosion.

NEXT TOPIC - Living World - Sustainable Forest Management

©2015 Cool Geography

• Copyright Policy
• Privacy & Cookies
• Testimonials
• Feedback & support

welcome to the geography portal!

• TOP CATEGORIES
• AS and A Level
• University Degree
• International Baccalaureate
• Uncategorised
• 5 Star Essays
• Study Tools
• Study Guides
• Meet the Team
• Hydrology & Fluvial Geomorphology

The Amazon River: Case Study

Introduction

The Amazon River in northern South America, largely in Brazil, ranked as the largest in the world in terms of watershed area, number of tributaries, and volume of water discharged. Measuring about 6275 km (about 3900 miles) from source to mouth, it is second in length only to the Nile among the rivers of the world. With its hundreds of tributaries, the Amazon drains a territory of more than 6 million sq km, roughly half of which is in Brazil; the rest is in Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Venezuela. It is estimated that the Amazon discharges between 34 million and 121 million litres of water per second and deposits a daily average of 3 million tons of sediment near its mouth. The annual outflow from the river accounts for one-fifth of all the fresh water that drains into the oceans of the world. The outpouring of water and sediment is so vast that the salt content and colour of the Atlantic Ocean are altered for a distance of about 320km from the mouth of the river.

Course and Physical Environment

The major headstreams of the Amazon are the Ucayali and Marañón rivers, both of which rise in the permanent snows and glaciers of the high Andes Mountains and follow parallel courses north before joining near Nauta, Peru. From this confluence the main trunk of the Amazon flows in a generally eastern direction to the Atlantic Ocean. The Amazon enters the Atlantic through a broad estuary, roughly estimated at 240 km (about 150 miles) in width. Here delta deposits have formed a maze of islands that separate the river into branches. The mouth of the main stream is 80 km (50 mi) wide. This branch, known as the Pará, is separated from a smaller branch by Marajó Island, which has an area of more than 36,000sq.km. During new and full moon a tidal bore,  or wave front from the ocean, sweeps some 650km upstream at speeds in excess of 40mph. This phenomenon often causes waves up to 5m in height.

This is a preview of the whole essay

The Amazon watershed includes the largest and wettest tropical plain in the world. Heavy rains drench much of the densely forested lowland region throughout the year but especially between January and June. The width, rate of flow, and discharge volume of the river reflect seasonal variation in rainfall. During the months of maximum precipitation, broad areas traversed by the Amazon are subject to severe floods. In Brazil the width of the river ranges between 1.6 and 10 km (1 and 6 miles) at low stage but expands to 48 km (30 miles) or more during the annual floods; the rate of flow ranges between 1.5 and 5 mph; and the crest of the water at flood time often rises 15 m above the normal level. To drain the vast mass of water, the Amazon has carved a deep bed in the plain through which it flows. In one sector near Óbidos, Brazil, the bed is more than 91 m below the average surface level of its water.

Because of its vastness, annual floods, and navigability, the Amazon is often called the Ocean River. The total number of its tributaries is as yet uncounted, but more than 200 are in Brazil alone. Seventeen of the largest known tributaries are more than 1600 km in length. The Amazon proper is navigable to ocean liners of virtually any tonnage for two-thirds of its course. Transatlantic ships call regularly at Manaus, nearly 1600 km upstream; and smaller ships can reach Iquitos, Peru, 3700 km from the river's mouth, the farthest point from sea of any port serving ocean traffic. River steamers of more modest tonnage can navigate on more than 100 of the larger tributaries.

The Upper Course

This is the first part of the river and begins at the source. Rivers flow through V-shaped valleys in their upper course. V-shaped valleys are usually found in the mountains and hills. They are so called because they often have very steep sides.

V-shaped valleys are formed by erosion. The river carries stones and rocks in its water. The force of the water and the grinding of rocks and stones cut down into the river-bed to carve out a valley. Over time the valley becomes deeper and wider:

A gorge is a steep-sided river valley, which is very narrow and deep. Most gorges have rocky sides. The river cuts this deep valley by erosion. Gorges are created over thousands of years.

A waterfall is formed where water flows over a cliff or very steep drop in the river's bed. Waterfalls develop in several ways. Different rates of erosion where a resistant layer of rock in a streambed overlies softer layers is the principal manner. Subsequent erosion of the softer rock by the falling water undermines and periodically breaks off portions of the harder cap rock. Some of the largest cataracts in the world, Niagara Falls in North America and Victoria Falls in Africa, for example, originated in this way.

Waterfalls are usually found in the upper course of a river in the hills or mountains. The Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica is the only known waterfall which forms the mouth of a river as it enters the sea.

With interlocking spurs, the volume of water is small and energy is used to overcome friction therefore, the river has little energy to erode the banks. The river thus has to flow past any barrier in its path such as spurs. In the process of doing so, it develop a winding course. As the river past alternate spurs on both its sides, it appears to interlock.  

The Middle Course

A meander is a bend in a river. Meanders normally occur in the middle and lower courses where the water is moving more slowly. The river carves out S-shaped bends. A meander belt is where there are several meanders occurring one after the other.

Meanders are formed by erosion. As rivers move from source to mouth, they carry sediment and other material. Energy is needed to carry this sediment. But if the river has some spare energy, it can erode or wear away its bed, banks and other parts of the river.

Most erosion normally occurs on the outside bend of a meander. This is because the water has further to travel. Also, pieces of sediment may be thrown against the riverbanks to wear them away. Evidence of erosion on a riverbank changes from river to river. Sometimes you can see tree roots hanging. Often there is a steep side to the outside riverbank. The bank may overhang. There may be pieces of sediment in the river. Where a riverbank overhangs, it is possible to put a hand or foot underneath the hanging part.

When meander bends become giant loops, there is a thin piece of land left between the beginning and the end of the meander. This is the meander neck.

As the river neck becomes very narrow, the river can break through. For a short time, water flows both round the meander (which is now called a backwater) and across the meander neck.

Eventually the river cuts off the backwater completely and flows across what used to be the meander neck. For a short time, an oxbow lake is left behind. It is called an oxbow lake because it is shaped like the old fashioned 'U' shaped yoke that was once used to hitch an ox to a plough. The oxbow lake lasts until it becomes overgrown with weeds and filled in with soil. This happens quite quickly as it is cut off from the main river and therefore doesn't get any water.

The Lower Course

The floodplain is the flat land of the river valley close to the riverbanks. The floodplain is usually found in the lower course of a river. It is a fertile area of land, used for agriculture and growing crops. The floodplain is covered with water when a river floods. Alluvium is a type of mud that is left behind when the floodwaters go. Alluvium is very fertile.

When river discharge exceeds the capacity of the channel, water rises over the channel banks and floods the adjacent low-lying lands. As water spills out of the channel some alluvium will be deposited on the banks to form levees (raised river banks). This water will slowly seep into the flood plain, depositing a new layer of rich fertile alluvium as it does so.

A levee is a naturally formed raised bank along the side of a river channel. When a river overflows its banks, the rate of flow is less than that in the channel, and silt is deposited on the banks. With each successive flood the levee increases in size so that eventually the river may be above the surface of the surrounding flood plain. Notable levees are found on the lower reaches of the Mississippi in the USA and the Po in Italy.

Rivers move slowly at the river mouth. The river carries a lot of sediment and mud. The river deposits its sediment and mud at its mouth. This sediment and mud spreads out into a fan- like shape, or delta, across the mouth of the river.

If the force of the sea tides and water is not very strong, the mud deposits cannot be washed away. Instead, the deposits break up the flow of the river water into many smaller channels. The delta gradually gets bigger and bigger. The new land is made up of billions of pieces of mud, sediment and small rocks. This sediment has been carried by the river from its source to its mouth.

A delta is often triangular in shape. It gets its name from the Greek letter 'delta' which is shaped like a triangle. Not all deltas look the same, but they all split the river into many different channels. The channels in a delta are called distributaries.

Document Details

• Word Count 1667
• Page Count 6
• Level AS and A Level
• Subject Geography

Related Essays

River Management Case Study on The Mississippi.

Case Study: The Mississippi River Flood of 1993

A case study of hydrosphere Colorado River

River study of the River Bride.

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

• Test for Fentanyl
• if You Think Someone is Overdosing
• Stop Overdose
• Naloxone FAQs
• Stigma Reduction

About Stop Overdose

• Through preliminary research and strategic workshops, CDC identified four areas of focus to address the evolving drug overdose crisis.
• Stop Overdose resources speak to the reality of drug use, provide practical ways to prevent overdoses, educate about the risks of illegal drug use, and show ways to get help.

Drugs take nearly 300 lives every day. 1 To address the increasing number of overdose deaths related to both prescription opioids and illegal drugs, we created a website to educate people who use drugs about the dangers of illegally manufactured fentanyl, the risks and consequences of mixing drugs, the lifesaving power of naloxone, and the importance of reducing stigma around recovery and treatment options. Together, we can stop drug overdoses and save lives.

What you can do

• Get the facts on fentanyl
• Learn about lifesaving naloxone
• Understand the risks of polysubstance use
• Reduce stigma around recovery and treatment

Explore and download Stop Overdose and other educational materials on CDC's Overdose Resource Exchange .

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. National Vital Statistics System, Mortality 2018-2021 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2023. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 2018-2021, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed at http://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd-icd10-expanded.html on Mar 5, 2024

Every day, drugs claim hundreds of lives. The Stop Overdose website educates drug users on fentanyl, naloxone, polysubstance use, and dealing with stigma.

• International
• Schools directory
• Resources Jobs Schools directory News Search

A Level geography earth's life support systems case study info

Subject: Geography

Age range: 16+

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

13 July 2021

• Share through email
• Share through twitter
• Share through linkedin
• Share through facebook
• Share through pinterest

This table compares the similarities and differences in the water and carbon cycles between the Amazon rainforest and the Arctic tundra. It is perfect for A Level geog students studying the OCR B course.

Creative Commons "Sharealike"

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

This is great thank you!

Empty reply does not make any sense for the end user

shawkins031164

Effective tool.

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource: