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Amazonian Deforestation and Increased Carbon Dioxide Release

Amazonian Deforestation and Increased Carbon Dioxide Release. By: Rocky Soeharyo David Palay Claire Barco GC1 Lab section 3. Roadmap. Hypothesis. Things to consider. -photosynthesis -Amaz ô nia -Deforestation What we did… What this means….

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Amazonian Deforestation and Increased Carbon Dioxide Release

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  1. Amazonian Deforestation and Increased Carbon Dioxide Release By: Rocky Soeharyo David Palay Claire Barco GC1 Lab section 3

  2. Roadmap • Hypothesis. • Things to consider. -photosynthesis -Amazônia -Deforestation • What we did… • What this means…

  3. Deforestation leads to an increased release of CO² into the atmosphere…but by how much?

  4. Photosynthesis http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/biomass.html Photosynthesis takes CO² out of the atmosphere, and adds O²

  5. Amazônia • Amazonia covers most of Brazil and parts of Peru, Bolivia, Columbia, Venezuela, and Ecuador • Dense forest with enormous biodiversity • Important to global climate regulation…

  6. Amazônia…

  7. Deforestation • Before 1970, an area the size of Portugal had already been deforested. • Since then, deforestation has increased due to globalization factors… Ometto JP et al.

  8. Deforestation, con’t • Most trees are simply burned to clear land for cattle or soybean crops. • Burning releases more CO² than logging.

  9. The problem: Burning releases CO². Less trees means less photosynthesis. Deforestation leads to more CO² with less trees to take it out.

  10. What we did… • Through our research, we found multiple estimates of deforestation and burning rates, along with estimates of the size of Amazônia and how much carbon is held per hectare. • We used these estimates to calculate how much CO² is added to the atmosphere through deforestation.

  11. our process: • Rate of deforestation and how long its been going on • Rate * Time = Total Deforested Area • Carbon release from combustion • Carbon released per area * Total Deforested Area = Gross Carbon Release • Photosynthetic uptake of carbon • Gross Carbon Release – Photosynthetic Uptake = Net Carbon Flux = .397 PgC/year! • Only 0.0529% of carbon in in the atmosphere.

  12. Model:

  13. Graphs: Carbon level in the atmosphere goes from 747 Pg to 769

  14. Tree coverage is reduced due to deforestation leading to…

  15. Photosynthesis uptake changes from 1.7 Pg C to 1.6

  16. In the future… • If rates of logging and burning were to continue as they were in the years 1999-2003 until 2049, the amount of carbon in the atmosphere would increase from 747 Pg to 1034 Pg. That is a contribution of 287 Pg in 50 years. This could have grave results.

  17. Take home message:

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