3.1.2.2 Tropical Rainforests - Deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest Case Study

Question 1

What is the location of the Amazon Rainforest?

Answer 1

Amazon Rainforest, Brazil, South America

Question 2

How is biodiversity in the Amazon RF changing?

Answer 2

sharply decreasing

Question 3

What % of the world did the Amazon RF used to cover and how much of the world does it cover now?

Answer 3

used to cover 14% of the planet and now only 6%

Question 4

How many natives were found in the Amazon RF and how many are there now?

Answer 4

there used to be 10mil natives and now only 200,000

Question 5

What % of the Amazon RF has been destroyed since the 1970s?

Answer 5

18% of Amazon rainforest destroyed since 1970s

Question 6

How much deforestation in the Amazon RF did cattle ranching cause?

Answer 6

65% of deforestation was due to cattle ranching - farmers moving animals around to use the land for and grazing

Question 7

How big of an industry is farming in Brazil?

Answer 7

farming is a huge industry in Brazil

Question 8

How much money was made through cattle farming in Brazil in 2011?

Answer 8

in 2011 $6.9 bn was made through trading cattle

Question 9

Why do landless farmers cut down trees in the Amazon RF?

Answer 9

landless farmers cut down the trees so that they have land in order to farm, some farmers need more land as their current land is unusable

Question 10

How many jobs does the mining industry create for people in Peru and how many people does the Buenaventura mining company employ?

Answer 10

mining industry creates lots of jobs for people in Peru - the Buenaventura mining company employs over 3000 people

Question 11

What are the economic causes of deforestation in the Amazon RF?

Answer 11

• farming - cattle ranching
• mining industry

Question 12

How has population growth caused deforestation in the Amazon RF?

Answer 12

population growth has meant that people are building houses in the RF’s as there is little land in cities

Question 13

How will deforestation in the Amazon RF contribute to global warming?

Answer 13

deforestation will release some of the carbon stored in the RF into the atmosphere contributing to global warming

Question 14

How many tonnes of top soil is being lost per year in the Amazon RF due to deforestation?

Answer 14

55 mil tonnes of top soil is being lost because of the soil erosion each year

Question 15

How is the Amazon RF being economically managed?

Answer 15

ecotourism is encouraged, only a small number of visitors are allowed at a time

Question 16

How is the Amazon RF being environmentally managed?

Answer 16

• selective logging - where only some tree are cut down, these trees are taken out of the RF via helicopter
• replanting trees every time one is cut down - the Brazilian gov ensure that is the same type that was cut down

Question 17

How is the Amazon RF being politically managed?

Answer 17

the International hardwood agreement has reduced illegal logging and promoted sustainable management