Essay
A-Level Geography Human activity and the carbon cycle
- Institution
- AQA
An Example essay for A-Level AQA Geography on Human activity and the carbon cycle, based off of practice questions from paper 2.
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To what extent do you agree that human activity is responsible for permanent changes tothe carbon cycle in tropical rainforests? (20 marks)
Plan:
Tropical Rainforest: Amazon Rainforest
Carbon Processes:
o Deforestation – cattle farming 80%
o Carbon sequestration – wood is 50% carbon
Answer:
I mostly agree with this statement as human activity such as the deforestation of rainforests
has led to a reduction in the intake of atmospheric carbon.
The Amazon rainforest is the largest tropical rainforest on earth and is responsible for
emitting 28% of the worlds oxygen. It is also crucial in the absorption of CO2 in the
atmosphere as it regulates the world’s temperatures. However, in recent years the Amazon
Rainforest has been suffering from intense deforestation. 80% of deforestation that occurs
In the Amazon rainforest is a result of cattle ranching. A high rate of deforestation in the
Amazon rainforest has caused an increase in CO2 in the atmosphere as there is less
vegetation to absorb carbon from the atmosphere.
The Amazon rainforest is a carbon sink due to the fact that wood consists of 50% of carbon.
The more deforestation that occurs, the smaller this sink becomes as there are less trees to
absorb and store the carbon in their branches and trunks. When trees are deforested the
carbon that has been sequestered inside their trunks and branches is then released into the
atmosphere. This creates a positive feedback loop as not only are there now less trees to
absorb the carbon in the atmosphere, but more carbon is now being released to add to the
CO2 levels in the atmosphere. More CO2 in the atmosphere results in higher temperatures
as an enhanced greenhouse effect occurs. This can increase the risk of dryness in soil and
can increase the risk of wildfires.
In 2020 the Amazon Rainforest experiences a series of large forest fires which released large
amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, furthering temperature rise and increasing global CO2
levels. The fires were caused by an increase in global temperatures and high levels of
dryness as well as farming and deforestation practices that included slash and burn. Fires
burn any dry material in their path, releasing carbon into the atmosphere as they burn
through shrubbery and dry material which fuels them. The carbon stored in the trees in the
Amazon Rainforest was also released into the atmosphere, this made the release of Carbon
increase. Due to the high rates of deforestation and the trees lost in the fires, there are now
even less trees to help absorb the CO2 in the atmosphere. Because of this it is predicted
that temperatures will continue to rise as a result of the enhanced greenhouse effect and
that wildfires will become more intense and frequent as a result of climate change.
In conclusion, human activity such as deforestation and cattle ranching has resulted in
increased CO2 levels in the atmosphere and a reduction in the sequestration of carbon in
vegetation.
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