Case study: Human factors that influence drainage basin system
- Created by: jazmoon_
- Created on: 09-04-18 09:51
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- Deforestation: Amazonia
- Sheer scale = severe environmental impacts
- Amazon contains 60% of world's rainforests
- 20% of forest destroyed in 50 years
- Cattle raching
- commercial agriculture of biofuels and soya beans
- urbanisation and infrastructure
- Trees act like green lungs by removing CO2
- Destruction reduces this capacity therefore contributing to green house emissions
- Especially in times of drought
- Destruction reduces this capacity therefore contributing to green house emissions
- Impact on the water cycle
- Rainforest - 75% of intercepted water is returned to the atmosphere by EVT
- When forest is cleared this becomes 25%
- This leads to a drier climate overall = desiccation and further degradation
- More water runs off into the Amazon drainage system = flooding and mudslides
- Less water infiltrates through the ground = aquifer depletion
- Increased overland flow leads to more soil erosion
- ENSO leads to significant drought in Amazonia = Forest fires
- When forest is cleared this becomes 25%
- Rainforest - 75% of intercepted water is returned to the atmosphere by EVT
- Sheer scale = severe environmental impacts
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