Malaysia,Borneo Flashcards
About Malaysia
- a country in SE Asia
- made up of Penninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia, which is part of the island of Borneo
- natural vegetation of Malaysia is tropical rainforest
- 67% of Malaysia’s land is covered by rainforest
Deforestation in Malaysia
- timber is a highly valued export
- deforestation means the land can be used for other profit-making enterprises, like cattle-ranching, commercial farming, the production of rubber and palm oil
- the rate of deforestation in Malaysia is increasing faster than in any tropical country in the world from 53 million hectares in 1985 to 25 million hectares in 2020.
Causes of deforestation
- logging
- road building
- mineral extraction
- settlement and population growth
- commercial farming
- subsistence farming
Causes of deforestation-logging
- malaysia became the world’s largest exporter of tropical wood in 1980s
- practised clear felling (all trees chopped down in an area)-total destruction of forest habitats in those areas
- recently clear felling has largely been replaced by selective logging. Trees that have important ecological value are left unharmed.
Causes of deforestation-road building
- roads are constructed to provide access to mining areas, new settlements and energy projects
- Logging requires road construction to bring in machinery and take away the timber.
Causes of deforestation-energy development
- In 2011, after five decades of delays, the Bakun Dam in Sarawak started to generate electricity
- The Bakun Dam is Asia’s highest Dam outside China (205m)
- It supplies 2400 MW of power
- several more dams are planned to boost Malaysia’s electricity supplies
- the dam’s reservoir flooded over 700km2 of forests and farmland
- the dam supplies energy for industrialised Peninsular Malaysia.
Causes of deforestation-mineral extraction
- Mining (mainly tin and smelting) is common in Peninsular Malaysia
- Rainforest has been cleared for mining and road construction
- drilling for oil and gas has recently started on Borneo
Causes of deforestation-settlement and population growth
- In the past many poor urban people were encouraged by the government to move into the countryside from the rapidly growing cities-transmigration
- Between 1956 and the 1980s, about 15000 hectares of rainforest was felled for the settlers. Many then set up plantations.
Commercial farming
- Malaysia is the largest exporter of palm oil in the world
- During the 1970s, large areas of land were converted to palm oil plantations.
- Plantation owners receive 10 year tax incentives, so increasing amounts of land have been converted to plantations.
- 85% of the world’s oil palm is found in Malaysia
Causes of deforestation-subsistence farming
- Tribal people living in the rainforest practise subsistence farming. Traditionally, local communities would hunt and gather food from the forest and grow some food crops in cleared pockets of forest. This type of farming is small scale and sustainable.
- One method of clearing land is ‘slash and burn.’ This involves the use of fire to clear the land. The burning creates valuable nutrients that help plants to grow. These fires can grow out of control, destroying large areas of forest.
Soil erosion- impacts of deforestation
- Trees anchor soils in their roots and deforestation causes the soil to be loose and allows the rain to wash it or wind to blow it away. No leaves to protect it from rain so can be washed away, as well as the nutrients.
- most agricultural plants such as cotton, coffee, palm oil, soybean and wheat that do not anchor the soil as well as the trees they replaced causing the top layer of soil to be worn away. As and loses its fertile soil, agricultural producers cut more of the forest and continue the cycle of soil loss.
- When the deforested land is converted into pasture land ,overgrazing by animals such as cows often reduces the ground cover allowing erosion and loss of nutrients.
- Population pressure causes deforestation to allow more space for houses and leaves no cover for the top layer of the soil, allowing it to erode and minerals to be blown or washed away.
Contribution to climate change- impacts of deforestation
-deforestation can have an impact on local and global climates.
-Trees absorb CO2 so store the carbon and help to reduce the rate of global warming
-deforestation can also affect climate because:
.trees give off moisture by the process of transpiration;deforestation reduces the moisture in the air resulting in a drier climate
.the process of evaporation uses up heat and cools the air;if trees are cut down, this cooling ceases and temperatures rise.
Loss of biodiversity- impacts of deforestation
-Biodiversity is a measure of the variety of plants and animals in a particular ecosystem.
-Rainforests are the most biodiverse ecosystem in the world
-deforestation destroys the ecosystem and the many habitats that exist on the ground and trees which reduces biodiversity.
Biodiversity in the Main Range, Peninsular Malaysia:
The Main Range is an upland region stretching for 500 km along the backbone of Peninsular Malaysia. This region is important because:
. It is the largest area of continuous forest left in Peninsular Malaysia
.the forests are particularly rich in their biodiversity, with over 600 species
.the highland forests are home to over 25% of all plant species found in Malaysia
.there are still many undiscovered plants that could have medicinal qualities that might provide cures for diseases.
Economic gains- impacts of deforestation
-deforestation in many parts of the world is driven by profit. However, whilst deforestation may result in short-term economic gains, it may lead to long-term losses.
Economic gains:
.development of land for mining,farming and energy will lead to jobs both directly (construction,farming) and indirectly (supply and support industries).
.companies will pay taxes to the government which can be used to improve public services, such as education and water supply
.Improved transport infrastructure opens up new areas for industrial development and tourism
.Products such as oil palm and rubber provide raw materials for processing industries.
.Hydro-electric power will provide cheap and plentiful energy
.minerals such as gold are very valuable
Economic losses- impacts of deforestation
- Pollution of water sources and an increasingly dry climate may lead to water shortages
- fires can cause harmful pollution. They can burn out of control, destroying vast areas of valuable forest.
- Rising temperatures could devastate some forms of farming such as growing tea, fruit and flowers
- Plants that could bring medical benefits and high profits may become extinct
- Climate change could have economic costs as people have to adapt to living in a warmer world
- The number of tourists attracted by rainforests could decrease
- $2bn Bakun Dam project lead to 9000 indigenous peple being forced to move from the area. However, they were not supplied with rehousing. This costs the government money to find them housing which weakens the economy as there is less money to invest.
Why should tropical rainforests be protected?-Biodiversity
Tropical rainforests contain half of all the plants and animals in the world. They are home to thousands of different species. Some plants may become extinct before they have been discovered.
Why should tropical rainforests be protected?-Medicine
- Around 25% of all medicines come from rainforest plants
- More than 2000 tropical forest plants have anti-cancer properties
Why should tropical rainforests be protected?-resources
-Tropical rainforest trees provide valuable hardwoods as well as nuts, fruit and rubber.
Why should tropical rainforests be protected- water?
-Rainforests are important sources for clean water-20% of the world’s fresh water comes from the Amazon Basin.
Why should tropical rainforests be protected?-people
-Indigenous tribes live in the world’s rainforests making use of the forest’s resources without causing any long-term harm.
Why should tropical rainforests be protected?-climate
-Known as the ‘lungs of the world’, 28% of the world’s oxygen comes from the rainforests. They prevent the climate from becoming too hot and dry.
