The consequences of extracting resources from TRFs

Question 1

What are the two impacts?

Answer 1

1. Deforestation
2. Enhanced greenhouse effect

Question 2

What is the definition of deforestation?

Answer 2

The large-scale removal of tropical forests due to the unsustainable cutting down of trees

Question 3

What are some human activities that contribute to deforestation?

Answer 3

Logging, mining, agriculture, aquaculture

Question 4

How can deforestation leave ‘permanent’ effects?

Answer 4

If large areas of forested land is cleared for those human activities, tropical vegetation is prevented from regenerating

Question 5

What is the greenhouse effect?

Answer 5

Warming of the atmosphere by greenhouse gases (GHG) like carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and other rare gases

Question 6

How does the greenhouse effect work?

Answer 6

1. Sunlight passes through the atmosphere and reaches the Earth’s surface
2. The earth’s surface absorbs this energy and warms up, emitting heat
3. Some of the heat escapes into outer space. Some of it is trapped by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

Question 7

What are 2 sources of greenhouse gases?

Answer 7

1. Burning of forests
   - produces carbon dioxide
2. Burning of fossil fuels
   - produces carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide

Question 8

How is the greenhouse effect enhanced?

Answer 8

1. Deforestation
   - fewer trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis
   - the level of carbon dioxide is expected to increase
2. Burning of forests
   - increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
   - as trees absorb carbon dioxide, carbon gets stored in the soil
   - land clearance exposes soil to sunlight
   - carbon in soil reacts with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide (carbon oxidation)
   - increases the rate at which carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere

Question 9

Why is the world screwed?
(this prob wont be tested so u can skip)

Answer 9

1. The world is now nearly 1°C warmer than it was before widespread industrialization, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
2. If this trend continues, temperatures may rise by 3-5°C by 2100
3. One degree may not sound like much, but, according to the IPCC, if countries fail to act, the world will face catastrophic change - sea levels will rise, ocean temperatures and acidity will increase and our ability to grow crops, such as rice, maize and wheat, would be in danger