Assess the potential causes and impacts of changes to the
water balance within a tropical rainforest that you have
studied. (20)
The Amazon Basin is the largest rainforest spread over 9 different countries in South America with a total
land coverage of 5.5 million km 2. Due to its location the climate of this tropical rainforest (TRF) is hot and
humid with daily convectional rainfall due to the Hadley cell. The Amazon is an open system meaning the
inputs and outputs, which dictate the water balance and dynamic equilibrium, change with respect to
natural and anthropogenic activity. These variations can be calculated by the equation, Precipitation =
runoff + evapotranspiration +/- the change in storage, and can impact the ecosystem significantly.
water balance within a tropical rainforest that you have
studied. (20)
The Amazon Basin is the largest rainforest spread over 9 different countries in South America with a total
land coverage of 5.5 million km 2. Due to its location the climate of this tropical rainforest (TRF) is hot and
humid with daily convectional rainfall due to the Hadley cell. The Amazon is an open system meaning the
inputs and outputs, which dictate the water balance and dynamic equilibrium, change with respect to
natural and anthropogenic activity. These variations can be calculated by the equation, Precipitation =
runoff + evapotranspiration +/- the change in storage, and can impact the ecosystem significantly.
