Forests Under Threat

Question 1

Where is the tiger biome

Answer 1

– Largest biome on Earth surface

– stretches about 50° to 70° north across the north of Asia and America in a zone called the Subarctic climate

Question 2

Describe the biodiversity in the tiger biome ad why

Answer 2

– Plant growth limited to short summers and with limited biomass productivity is low
– soil low on nutrients due to slow composition of litter which even stops during the Deep freeze of winter
– only a few plant and animal species able to survive winters – biodiversity low overall

Question 3

What type of ecosystem is the tiger and what does this cause

Answer 3

– Low nutrients, low productivity

– fewer permanent animal species although in summer insects attract large number of migrating birds

Question 4

What are examples of threats to the taiga

Answer 4

- logging for softwoods
– mining for minerals, oil and gas
– acid rain
– forest fires
– pests and diseases
– Building HEP power dams – flooding

Question 5

Describe how logging for softwood is a threat to the tiger

Answer 5

– Used for timber in construction or paper mills
– direct threat – moving trees which are key biotic components to the nutrient cycle
– no Pineneedles – lower soil nutrients

Question 6

Describe how acid rain is a threat to the tiger

Answer 6

– From sulphur dioxide is released from burning fossil fuels affects the soil, lakes and ponds killing insects and their eggs
– reduces food available for migrating birds in the summer and weakens plant species

Question 7

What are two examples of organisations which protect the rainforest

Answer 7

CITES

REDD

Question 8

What are CITES and what do they currently do and what do countries who sign up agree to

Answer 8

– The Convention on International trade in endangered species of wild fauna and Flora
– currently protects 35,000 different species
– countries that signup agreed to stop export or import of endangered species

Question 9

What are REDD, what do they currently do and what organisation monitors the scheme

Answer 9

– Reducing emissions from deforestation and Forest degradation
– support schemes that’s reduce the rate of deforestation
– United Nations monitors the schemes by the use of remote sensing and visits

Question 10

What are the advantages of CITES

Answer 10

– Huge international influence – 180 countries signed up
– targeting rights problem – most trade in endangered species product is International e.g. rosewood timber from Vietnamese rainforests going to China

Question 11

What are the disadvantages of CITES

Answer 11

– Very difficult to check that all the countries are enforcing the rules e.g. in 2014 over 1000 rhinos were killed by poachers in South Africa
– illegal trade in rainforest products is increasing, not decreasing – demand is so high so it is worth the risk to make legal trades

Question 12

What are the advantages of REDD

Answer 12

– Backed up by United Nations – very large sums of money are available for projects, scheme in Brazil is backed up by a $1 billion fund
– tackling deforestation is very challenging but REDD provides international expertise to develop the best approaches

Question 13

What are the disadvantages of REDD

Answer 13

– Not clear what they mean by Forest – some palm tree plantations received funding even though these damage rainforest
– deforestation remains very rapid in south Asia, despite its countries signing up to the red scheme

Question 14

What threats does global warming have on tiger biodiversity

Answer 14

– Animals like Siberian tiger have heavy fur coats and high levels of body fats – heat intolerance
– warmer winter temperatures – new diseases and pests to spread – animals and plants will not have resistance to these – species could die out
– forest fires – 30 to 50% more common then 20 years ago – correlates with global warming – type of species not adapted to frequent fires – new trees may need years to grow

Question 15

What are possible economic tensions that may rise from sustainable tropical rainforest management

Answer 15

– Individuals and communities often want to make as much money as possible, and may use resources in the biosphere to do this – tensions as it may or even destroy the environment in the long term

Question 16

Why do we need to protect the tiger

Answer 16

– Plants grow very slowly because of the lack of nutrients and cold winters, pollution remains in the ecosystem for decades
– very few species, disease that affects one species Impax the whole ecosystem
– animals and plants highly specialised a struggle to adapt to climate change

Question 17

What is the national parks and protected wilderness do

Answer 17

– Protects plants and animals by looking after and restoring their natural habitat, protected from hunters et cetera
– scientific research finds out more about the ecosystem, how it is threatens and how best to protect it
– education informs visitors about the tiger and why it should be protected
– Prevent any exploitation of natural resources
– Money from tourism helps parks fund their conservation

Question 18

What does sustainable forestry do

Answer 18

– After Trees are cut down there is replanting with native tiger species – forestry plots carefully managed to conserve key species

Question 19

What are problems with parks and reserves in the Tiger

Answer 19

– Migration – tiger species often migrate long distances, unless parks and reserves a very large they can’t protect migrating species
– money – where tiger has oil and gas, governments face huge pressures to develop them – exporting oil and gas can lift whole country is out of poverty
– pollution – easily damaged by atmospheric pollution however if parks and reserves are far from cities, many tourists will visit them

Question 20

What are problems with sustainable forestry in the Tiger and what is an example

Answer 20

That expensive and long-term
– usually only possible for large companies or when international organisations provide funding
– e.g. Russia – most of Tiger forest is liaise to hundreds of small to medium sized companies for 25 or 50 year period – less time than it takes new trees to grow
– company is not interested in sustainable management – want to maximise profits by clearing out as much timber from the tiger as they can within the period of the lease