“To what extent does an understanding of feedback
systems in the carbon cycle help with attempts to
mitigate the impacts climate change”
Carbon cycle is systems of interrelated flows/transfers, stores and sinks, inputs and outputs.
Aims for dynamic equilibrium, being upset by human activity and enhanced greenhouse
effect. Increased knowledge on feedback systems would lead to better understanding of the
impacts of climate change and therefore more mitigation strategies to prevent them.
One main feedback system is the positive feedback loop caused by increased GHG emissions,
in which less solar radiation is reflected away and more is absorbed by the earth. This causes
cryospheric carbon stores such as permafrost to thaw, releasing more carbon into the
atmosphere. Furthermore, increased temperatures increase rates of saprophytic
decomposition of dead organic matter, returning carbon stored within it into the atmosphere.
Global temperature rise caused by an increase in atmospheric carbon is expected to have
profound impacts, especially in coastal areas and low lying island nations, as glaciers melt
and global sea levels rise. For example, the Maldives will be hugely affected by this impact of
climate change, as 80% of their land is only 1m or less above sea level, while sea levels are
expected to rise by as 7-17 cm by 2030. An understanding of the positive feedback loop
causing this impact will be extremely useful as it will encourage countries to decrease carbon
emissions and promote CCS technology, for example the EU’s 20-20-20 goals, including
decreasing GHGs by 20% by 2020, which was achieved.
Another impact of the positive feedback system of increased CO2 and global warming is
increased droughts and forest fires. This is largely due to the interrelationships between the
water and carbon cycles. For example, increased deforestation leads to decreased biospheric
carbon, and increased atmospheric. It also leads to less evapotranspration recycling,
especially in rainforest areas such as the Amazon. The main impact of this is drier summer
seasons, leaving many areas extremely vulnerable to forest fires, such as the 2005 amazon
drought and forest fire which released 1bil tonnes CO2 into atmosphere. This increased
carbon will only exacerbate climate change, thus playing a key role in a positive feedback
loop.
Unfortunately, in many areas of the world, despite an understanding of feedback loops, local
communities and governments are unable to actually mitigate climate change impacts. It is
often those who do make the least impact on climate change who are most affected. Pacific
island nations are not in a position to decrease their already low GHGs, and wont be able to
implement coastal defences that will withstand such rapid sea level rise. Wildfire affected
areas are mostly taking small scale preventative action to minimise impacts, such as stay or
go policies and back burning, however these do not address the root cause.
For as long as global greed continues, and the largest GHG emittors continue to profit, an
understanding of feedback systems is likely to have little impact on minimising the impacts
of climate change, as the root cause will never be tackled.
, “Assess potential causes and impacts of changes to the
water balance within a tropical rainforest you have
studied”
In Amazon, water balance experiencing more extreme surpluses and deficits
due to human and physical factors.
Human cause of change = deforestation. Hugely disruptive to water cycle.
Less infiltration and interception, also less evapotranspiration recycling.
Amazon produces 1/3 of own rain. Less precipitation impacts = more
vulnerable to droughts, for example the 2005 amazon drought and
subsequent forest fire that released 1bil tonnes of CO2, creating a positive
feedback loop whereby more trees burnt = even less recycling = even drier =
even more forest fires.
Reduced interception and infiltration associated with deforestation also has
extreme impacts, area is more vulnerable to flooding. Combined with
urbanisation and building on floodplains, overland flow can be increased from
around 10 to 50%, while infiltration down 25 to 5%. Lag time of amazon basin
decreases, river more quickly reaches flux capacity due to surplus in water
balance. Extensive flooding. Also caused by enhanced greenhouse effect due
to GHG emissions. Every 1 degree rise = 7% more water vapour in atmosphere.
More intense rainfall, higher volume than average, floods.
Profound impacts on local communities, wildlife and vegetation. Decrease in
biodiversity as only plants which can survive extreme droughts and flood
inundation can survive, decrease in wildlife as habitats are lost and food
sources are depleted. Impacts tribes such as the Kayapo who depend on the
amazon for food, water, shelter. Communities will become displaced,
environmental refugees.
Human factors amplifying surpluses and defects in the water balance are
predicted to have a profound impact on tropical rainforests such as the
amazon. It is apparent that the only way to protect the rainforest is to take
global, collective action in reducing GHG emissions, stop deforestation, and
promote CCS technology and afforestation to reverse the damage we have
done to rainforests. Only then will the water balance be able to equilibrate
into a more sustainable balance to minimise impacts on rainforests.
systems in the carbon cycle help with attempts to
mitigate the impacts climate change”
Carbon cycle is systems of interrelated flows/transfers, stores and sinks, inputs and outputs.
Aims for dynamic equilibrium, being upset by human activity and enhanced greenhouse
effect. Increased knowledge on feedback systems would lead to better understanding of the
impacts of climate change and therefore more mitigation strategies to prevent them.
One main feedback system is the positive feedback loop caused by increased GHG emissions,
in which less solar radiation is reflected away and more is absorbed by the earth. This causes
cryospheric carbon stores such as permafrost to thaw, releasing more carbon into the
atmosphere. Furthermore, increased temperatures increase rates of saprophytic
decomposition of dead organic matter, returning carbon stored within it into the atmosphere.
Global temperature rise caused by an increase in atmospheric carbon is expected to have
profound impacts, especially in coastal areas and low lying island nations, as glaciers melt
and global sea levels rise. For example, the Maldives will be hugely affected by this impact of
climate change, as 80% of their land is only 1m or less above sea level, while sea levels are
expected to rise by as 7-17 cm by 2030. An understanding of the positive feedback loop
causing this impact will be extremely useful as it will encourage countries to decrease carbon
emissions and promote CCS technology, for example the EU’s 20-20-20 goals, including
decreasing GHGs by 20% by 2020, which was achieved.
Another impact of the positive feedback system of increased CO2 and global warming is
increased droughts and forest fires. This is largely due to the interrelationships between the
water and carbon cycles. For example, increased deforestation leads to decreased biospheric
carbon, and increased atmospheric. It also leads to less evapotranspration recycling,
especially in rainforest areas such as the Amazon. The main impact of this is drier summer
seasons, leaving many areas extremely vulnerable to forest fires, such as the 2005 amazon
drought and forest fire which released 1bil tonnes CO2 into atmosphere. This increased
carbon will only exacerbate climate change, thus playing a key role in a positive feedback
loop.
Unfortunately, in many areas of the world, despite an understanding of feedback loops, local
communities and governments are unable to actually mitigate climate change impacts. It is
often those who do make the least impact on climate change who are most affected. Pacific
island nations are not in a position to decrease their already low GHGs, and wont be able to
implement coastal defences that will withstand such rapid sea level rise. Wildfire affected
areas are mostly taking small scale preventative action to minimise impacts, such as stay or
go policies and back burning, however these do not address the root cause.
For as long as global greed continues, and the largest GHG emittors continue to profit, an
understanding of feedback systems is likely to have little impact on minimising the impacts
of climate change, as the root cause will never be tackled.
, “Assess potential causes and impacts of changes to the
water balance within a tropical rainforest you have
studied”
In Amazon, water balance experiencing more extreme surpluses and deficits
due to human and physical factors.
Human cause of change = deforestation. Hugely disruptive to water cycle.
Less infiltration and interception, also less evapotranspiration recycling.
Amazon produces 1/3 of own rain. Less precipitation impacts = more
vulnerable to droughts, for example the 2005 amazon drought and
subsequent forest fire that released 1bil tonnes of CO2, creating a positive
feedback loop whereby more trees burnt = even less recycling = even drier =
even more forest fires.
Reduced interception and infiltration associated with deforestation also has
extreme impacts, area is more vulnerable to flooding. Combined with
urbanisation and building on floodplains, overland flow can be increased from
around 10 to 50%, while infiltration down 25 to 5%. Lag time of amazon basin
decreases, river more quickly reaches flux capacity due to surplus in water
balance. Extensive flooding. Also caused by enhanced greenhouse effect due
to GHG emissions. Every 1 degree rise = 7% more water vapour in atmosphere.
More intense rainfall, higher volume than average, floods.
Profound impacts on local communities, wildlife and vegetation. Decrease in
biodiversity as only plants which can survive extreme droughts and flood
inundation can survive, decrease in wildlife as habitats are lost and food
sources are depleted. Impacts tribes such as the Kayapo who depend on the
amazon for food, water, shelter. Communities will become displaced,
environmental refugees.
Human factors amplifying surpluses and defects in the water balance are
predicted to have a profound impact on tropical rainforests such as the
amazon. It is apparent that the only way to protect the rainforest is to take
global, collective action in reducing GHG emissions, stop deforestation, and
promote CCS technology and afforestation to reverse the damage we have
done to rainforests. Only then will the water balance be able to equilibrate
into a more sustainable balance to minimise impacts on rainforests.
