8.3 Flashcards
What is commercial hardwood logging?
Direct threat to rainforest. Trees are felled to make furniture and for construction. Road building for logging also requires more tree clearance.
What are the impacts of commercial hardwood logging?
Can help countries pay off debts.
What is commercial farming as a direct threat to tropical rainforests?
Forest is cleared to make space for cattle grazing or for huge palm oil or soya plantations.
What are the impacts of commercial farming?
Provides large income (Economic). Cattle damage soil fertility (Environmental)
What is subsistence farming as a direct threat to tropical rainforests?
Forest is cleared so farmers can grow food for themselves and their families.
What are the impacts of subsistence farming?
Soil infertility reduces biome diversity (Environmental)
What is local demand (fuel wood) as a direct threat to tropical rainforest?
Local people cut down trees to use as fuel (cooking, burn to produce charcoal)
What are the impacts of the local demand for for fuel wood?
Increased deforestation can increase risk of flooding (social). People have access to heat and fuel for homes (social)
What is demand for bio fuels as a direct threat to tropical rainforest?
Biofuels are made from plants. Growing the crops needed to make biofuels take up large amount of land.
What are the impacts of demand for biofuels?
Good for businesses (economic), reduces fossil fuel reliance (environmental), more employment (social)
How is mining a direct threat to the tropical rainforests?
Some rainforest areas are on top of valuable minerals. It is often most economic to use open cast mining to extract minerals, affecting large areas of the forest?
What are the direct impacts pf mining in tropical rainforests?
Roads built to access mines encourage farmers and loggers to move in (social). Increased employment (social)
How is Hydroelectric power a direct threat to tropical rainforests?
Many tropical rainforests have large rovers. Building dams to generate HEP flood large areas of forest behind the dams.
In what way is climate change an indirect threat to tropical rainforests?
Increases temperatures lead to increased temperature and rainfall decrease, leading to drought. Droughts leas to ecosystem stress as plants and animals are adapted to moist conditions so species cant survive in dry weather. Droughts can also lead to forest fires
