Deforestation

Question 1

What is a forest

Answer 1

Land over 0.5 hectares
Trees higher than 5M
Canopy cover of more than 10%

Question 2

Canopy cover

Answer 2

Proportion of forest floor covered by vertical projection of tree crowns

Question 3

Types of forests (3)

Answer 3

Natural (primary) forests (non-renewable)

Semi natural

Plantation (renewable)

Question 4

Natural forests characteristics (3)

Answer 4

-Undisturbed land,

-so of highest economic value.

-Non-renewable, once disrupted, irreversible.

Question 5

Plantation

Answer 5

Renewable

Question 6

Proportions of types of forest out of earth’s land area

Answer 6

Natural-36%
Semi-natural-57%
Plantation-7%

Question 7

Categories of forests and where located

Answer 7

Tropical (in tropics)
Boreal (north)
Temperate (north
Subtropical (various)

Question 8

5 Countries with most forest accounting for more than 50% of global forest area

Answer 8

Russia, Brazil, Canada, US and China.

Question 9

Pattern of forest change 1990-2020

Answer 9

Forest areas are decreasing, but rate of loss is slowing down.

Question 10

Deforestation v afforestation

And who engages in afforestation?

Answer 10

Deforestation is conversion of forest to other uses e.g urbanisation

Afforestation is the expansion of forests e.g China, India, Vietnam

Question 11

Pattern of forest change continued…

Where is the most deforestation (3 continents)

Answer 11

South America the most (as Brazil has the most tropical forests-remember natural forests are of high value as well so this is bad)

Africa

Australasia

Question 12

Characteristics of forest resources (4)

Answer 12

Forests are capital assets with specific growth dynamics- long time lag between planting and harvesting. (Considered in managing plantations and afforestation policy e.g what trees to plant)

Large number of functions/ecosystem services

Forests are felled in parcels

Opportunity cost in keeping land natural e.g agriculture or urbanisation

Question 13

Large number of functions/ecosystem services:

2 types and examples

Answer 13

Direct resources
Timber, food etc

Ecosystem services:
Climate regulation
Habitat for species

Question 14

Ecosystem services from forest in terms of magnitude:

Why forest is good

Answer 14

Local: protection against natural disasters e.g erosion

Regional: water retention, water quality, scenery

National: recreation, jobs

International: climate regulation, habitat for species (as mentioned in last slide)

Question 15

Drivers of deforestation

Answer 15

Underlying causes

Immediate causes

Sources of deforestion

Question 16

Underlying causes as a driver of deforestation

Answer 16

Underlying causes determine structure of incentives/institutions

Question 17

Immediate causes of deforestation (4)

Answer 17

Institutions, infrastructure, markets, technology

Question 18

Sources of deforestation as a driver of deforestation (3)

Answer 18

Commercial purposes (plantations or agriculture)

Government projects

Subsistence (small scale) agriculture or urbanisation