graystreet Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 After reading about the amazon running dry and the effect it will cause, is it all due to "Global Warming" , or is it simple economics. eg. in the uk we seem to hear more and more of droughts and limited water but could it not be due to the fact that if in years past we had x amount of rainfall and could manage with a population of say 50 million, how can it work, if today you get the same amount of rainfall with a population of say 60 million thats maybe at least an extra 10 million gallons of water to be found every day from the same amount of rainfall. Likewise in the amazon area,does not more logging and the use of heavy industry plus more humans and livestock take and use more water than usual, a drip drip effect. I personally think that the forest acts like a sponge and water constantly seeps into the amazon. Take away the trees and water runs off and away into the sea too quickly before the next rainfalls, hence dry river beds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimay Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Don't foget that the rain forest is the lungs of the world so any trees lost (to loggers or drought) affects the air. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nutronic Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 It's the extinction of certain animals I don't like, things like this cause that. I suppose with science they could bring some animals back but it's not really the same is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimay Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Don't forget the 'uncontacted' tribes. Our civilisations are devastating theirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spooky3 Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Concerning the water cycle, it's virtually a closed system, nothing is added or taken away. The delay you speak of with the rain dripping through the canopies is very quick in reality, it's more to do with ground saturation and temperatures. What do you actually want to know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spooky3 Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Don't forget the 'uncontacted' tribes. Our civilisations are devastating theirs. Should they be able to live in ignorance to the rest of the world? Or should they pull their weight too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graystreet Posted February 4, 2011 Author Share Posted February 4, 2011 Concerning the water cycle, it's virtually a closed system, nothing is added or taken away. The delay you speak of with the rain dripping through the canopies is very quick in reality, it's more to do with ground saturation and temperatures. What do you actually want to know? Its the same effect you get here(paved driveways etc instead of gardens) but on a larger scale, ground saturation cannot happen because there are no trees and soil to hold the water and so runs off more quickly and open spaces will cause more evaporation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spooky3 Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Its the same effect you get here(paved driveways etc instead of gardens) but on a larger scale, ground saturation cannot happen because there are no trees and soil to hold the water and so runs off more quickly and open spaces will cause more evaporation. Er ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berkana Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Likewise in the amazon area,does not more logging and the use of heavy industry plus more humans and livestock take and use more water than usual, a drip drip effect. I personally think that the forest acts like a sponge and water constantly seeps into the amazon. Take away the trees and water runs off and away into the sea too quickly before the next rainfalls, hence dry river beds. Yes this is true - the rainforests keep water running on a cycle, constant evaporation and precipitation, but when the trees are chopped down and (as is often the case) the land is used for livestock grazing, they last a few years then the land is useless, so the ranches move on. It's called desertification. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berkana Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 ^^sorry I meant that the degradation of the land is called desertification, not the abandonment of ranches Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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