M1 IQ2 Part 3 - the nature and rate of change, human impacts, traditional & contemporary management practices.

Question 1

what is the main difference between natural and human changes

Answer 1

Human changes (logging,mining,cattle ranching) are at an accelerated rate when compared to natural changes (storms, wind and climate change) which are slower and more spread out

Question 2

what is an example of a traditional tribe in the amazon

Answer 2

The Tikuna people

Question 3

How come the Tikuna people’s impact has not adversely affected the Amazon

Answer 3

they alter the forest minimally, basing their lifestyle on need not greed

Question 4

list an example of the Tikuna peoples minimalistic behaviour

Answer 4

• shifting subsistence cultivation: 3 hectares of the forest cleared, for crops. When yield becomes low they switch to a new plot of land (every 3-4 years) allowing the previous plot to recover.

Question 5

How come contemporary human impacts affect the Amazon more drastically

Answer 5

they alter the forest on a larger scale at a faster rate, not allowing the forest to adapt to the change, due to the industrialisation of agriculture in brazil

Question 6

list examples of contemporary human impact that affect the environment (4)

Answer 6

• Logging: mainly mahogany trees 2 football fields cut down per minute, for only 1-2 mahogany trees per hectare
• Mining: gold,copper,lead,iron,tin, land cleared
• Cattle ranching: 3000-15000 hectares cleared for one cattle ranch (lasts for 4-7 years)
• Oil drilling: chemical contamination of waterways, 18 million gallons of wastewater in total

Question 7

What impacts do human actions have on the Amazon (5)

Answer 7

(B.N.I.C.E)

• Biodiversity loss
• Nutrients loss
• Indigenous People
• Climate Change
• Soil Erosion

Question 8

How are the human impacts on the amazon affecting Biodiversity Loss(3)

Answer 8

• 50-90% of earth’s biodiversity in the Amazon
• 20-75 species lost every day, 17-40% of Earth’s biodiversity left in the Amazon
• diminishes the chance of finding medicines 1% of species in the Amazon have been tested, (2000 have potential to fight against cancer)

Question 9

How are the human impacts on the amazon affecting nutrients loss

Answer 9

-loss of nutrients cycle does not allow the soil reservoir to recover, causing the biomass reservoir to suffer as a result

Question 10

How are the human impacts on the amazon affecting indigenous people (2)

Answer 10

• western diseases introduced, they have no natural immunity to
• flooding ➝ soil degradation ➝ reduced agricultural production

Question 11

How are the human impacts on the Amazon affecting climate change (3)

Answer 11

• Deforestation➝ lower rainfall + Higher local temperature
• Rainforests contain more carbon in their living biomass than any other vegetation type
• turning a carbon sink into a carbon source

Question 12

How are the human impacts on the Amazon affecting Soil Erosion

Answer 12

• reduction of canopy ➝ less protection of top soil ➝ increased erosion ➝ expose hard layer (laterite) preventing future plant growth

Question 13

what management approaches are there (4)

Answer 13

preservation
conservation
utilisation
exploitation

Question 14

What are the criteria for sustainability:

Answer 14

(BIPI)
Biodiversity
Intergenerational
Precautionary approach
Intragenerational

Question 15

what are the ways to minimise human impacts

Answer 15

(EDEAL)
education
design 
exclude
action
legislate