Rainforests - Deforestation

Question 1

Factors to deforestation.
No. 1 - population increase

Answer 1

5.5 billion pop increase since 1950. New houses need to be made to sustain this.

Question 2

Mining and raw materials
No. 2

Answer 2

Steel made from iron ore in mined underground, displacing many trees. Electric vehicles on the rise need the mined material of lithium for their batteries.

Question 3

Farming and agriculture.
No. 4

Answer 3

The population increase also puts pressure on agriculture and there are naturally occurring plants in forests… palm oil. Subsistence farming is a good counter to this (living off your own farmed materials)Also, farming with cattle need much space, slowly eating into the rainforests.

Question 4

Construction of renewable energy infrastructure.
No. 4

Answer 4

Even the renewable energy sources like wind and solar impact deforestation. Masses of trees are cut down every year for solar farms or for turbines to spin.

Question 5

Knock on impacts of deforestation.
No.1 - environmental

Answer 5

There really are endless but fewer trees = less photosynthesis. The slash and burn technique releases masses of CO2 into the atmosphere. Habitats are lost for animals eg orangutan. Over the last 20 years, orangutan have lost more than 80% of their habitat. Reduced soil fertility because excess water gets to it and washes away the nutrients leaving behind sandy matter.

Question 6

No. 2 - Economic impacts

Answer 6

Beneficial:

2018, Brazil exported $28bn worth of metals. The whole procedure will have provided employment, capital gain and standard of living. However, the tourism industry might deplete.

Question 7

No. 3 social, cultural

Answer 7

The local tribes might be living on the edge of the forest compared to before deforestation which would degrade their cultural value as a community. This lessens a countries character. E.g. the Temiar people in Malaysia who have been struggling since a lack of biodiversity.