Geography 1500F/G Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Cites, Soybean, Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization
17 Dec 2016
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Document Summary
Life in the amazon is incredibly divers: ecosystems probably formed by the rise of the andes mountains. Prevented water from draining into the pacific formed wetlands. Amazon provides regional and global ecosystem services: providing service: provides oxygen and stores carbon, regulating service: water cycle creates rain, supporting service: soil formation as nutrients are cycled properly, cultural service: provides cultural values (aesthetics, recreation) Humans have lived in the amazon for thousands of years: 13,000 years (tropical rainforest dominant vegetation) Larger settlements: pre-colonial people"s influence on the amazon environment. Changed the composition of forest (drew importance on useful plants) Raised crops and fields in wetlands reduced shade increased water temperatures. Garbage and wastes contributed to soil composition helped plant growth: the amount of amazon managed by indigenous people has shrunk. Cattle ranching occupies the majority of cleared forests, depletes the soil quickly. Soybeans: soybean production increased very rapidly, flex crop: feed livestock, edible oil, biodiesel, plantations displace pastures deforestation, hydroelectric dams.
