Hydropower accounts for about 16 percent of the world’s electricity, but more than 70 percent in Latin America, particularly in the Amazon basin, where it is more plentiful and cheaper than any other source. With 200 million people, Brazil leads the region in energy demand—and in Amazonian dams.
What is the energy source in a rainforest?
Light energy from the sun is converted to chemical energy by plants through the process of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis produces oxygen for all organisms and a source of food for herbivores.
Is the Amazon River used for hydroelectricity?
A team of researchers from the U.S. and multiple countries in South America has found that hydroelectric dams built in the Amazon river basin, which were built to meet the growing electricity demands in the region, are making more of an impact on the natural geography than previously thought.
What energy source do you think would be best for someone living in the rainforest?
Hydropower Expansion in the World’s Rainforests
Areas with rainforests tend to have large amounts of rainfall, making them prime locations for hydropower projects that take advantage of high river flows to create electricity.
How does hydroelectric power affect the rainforest?
The reduced water flow downstream disturbs riverbeds and affects floodplain farmers who rely on seasonal floods for nutrients to enrich the soil and kill pests. Thus they may turn to pesticides and artificial fertilizers which have their own negative environmental effects.
Where does the Amazon rainforest get its energy?
Hydropower accounts for about 16 percent of the world’s electricity, but more than 70 percent in Latin America, particularly in the Amazon basin, where it is more plentiful and cheaper than any other source. With 200 million people, Brazil leads the region in energy demand—and in Amazonian dams.
What kind of plants live in the rainforest?
Ferns, lichens, mosses, orchids, and bromeliads are all epiphytes. The tropical rainforest is also home to nepenthes or pitcher plants. These are plants that grow in the soil. They have leaves that form a cup where moisture gathers.
Should the Amazon River be dammed?
Amazonian hydroelectric dams are usually justified on the basis that they supply the energy needed for economic development in a renewable form that also minimizes carbon emissions.
Does hydropower cause deforestation?
Previous studies have shown that large dams displace indigenous communities, destroy the natural flow of rivers, affect the fish population, increase greenhouse gas emissions and promote deforestation. … In South America, around 2,215 new hydroelectric dams are expected to be constructed in the next few years.
Do dams cause deforestation?
However, dams constitute a major direct and indirect cause of forest loss and most of them have resulted in widespread human rights abuses. … Additionally, dams imply road building, thus allowing access to previously remote areas by loggers and “developers”, resulting in further deforestation processes.
What type of sunlight does the rainforest have?
Tropical Rainforest: Plants
Although tropical rainforests receive 12 hours of sunlight daily, less than 2% of that sunlight ever reaches the ground. The tropical rainforest has dense vegetation, often forming three different layers–the canopy, the understory, and the ground layer.
How often does it rain in a rainforest?
The climate in tropical rain forests is constantly warm and moist. The average rainfall in most rain forests is very heavy, about 200–450 centimeters (80–180 inches) per year. Some areas, however, get as much as 1000 centimeters (400 inches) of rain per year!