4.7.3.4 Deforestation

Question 1

What is deforestation?

Answer 1

• cutting down of a large number of trees in the same area in order to use the land for something else

Question 2

Where does large scale deforestation normally occur?

Answer 2

• tropical areas

Question 3

Why does large scale deforestation occur in tropical areas?

Answer 3

• to provide land for cattle and rice fields
• to grow crops (e.g. sugarcane, maize) for biofuels which are used to produce energy

Question 4

What are the issues caused by deforestation?

Answer 4

• burning trees results in more carbon dioxide being released into environment due to them containing carbon, which contributes to global warming
• microorganisms decomposing dead vegetation produce carbon dioxide as they respire
• less trees means less carbon dioxide taken in
• number of habitats are reduced, decreasing biodiversity