Biology Now, 2e

334 ■ CHAPTER 18 General Principles of Ecology

ECOLOGY

Figure 18.11

A projection of the Amazon rainforest

in 2030

This map of future Amazon rainforest coverage is

based on the assumption that global warming will

persist but not increase.

Q1: Where will fire most seriously affect

the Amazon rainforest?

Q2: Where will fire be the least damaging

to the Amazon rainforest?

Q3: This map does not include an increase

in pasturelands for grazing animals. Do

you think more or less pastureland will be

needed in 2030? Explain.

The historical forest cover in this area

is denoted by the dark black outline.

If global warming continues

to increase, dry areas will

likely increase as well.

This depiction does not

include the effect of

fires in the dry areas.

Fires will likely increase

the deforested areas.

Forest

Deforested

Dry and/or

logged forest

Nonforested

area (now grasslands

and fields, due to

climate change)

Runoff

Ocean

Evaporation

Condensation

Transpiration

from plants

Precipitation

Uptake by

plants

Water

percolation

into soil Groundwater

flow

Arrows pointing toward

Earth show where

water is returned as

precipitation.

Arrows pointing toward the

atmosphere show where

evaporation occurs from water

sources or is released from

plants through transpiration

to form humidity or clouds.

Transpiration is the process of

plants absorbing water through

their roots and releasing this

water through their leaves into

the atmosphere.

Figure 18.12

The hydrologic (water) cycle

Arrows indicate the direction of water flow. M

Q1: What is transpiration?

Q2: Why is transpiration important to the

water cycle?

Q3: If there are fewer plants and therefore

less transpiration in a given area, what will

happen to the humidity or cloud cover in this

area?