The Living World -Sustainable Management of Rainforests Flashcards
Source of useful products and antifragility
Avocado, cashew nuts, citrus, chocolate, rubber and ingredients that are only really used in medicines are often grown in rainforest climates.
Over 7,000 drugs have been created from tropical forest plant species.
Having more products and more biodiversity makes the world less fragile. Nassim Taleb calls it antifragile when something is resistant to changes over time. Preserving biodiversity makes humankind more antifragile. If we kill off lots of plant and animal species, we may not be able to use them for something really useful in the future.
Photosynthesis removes carbon dioxide from the air
Having more trees on Earth means that they extract more carbon dioxide from the air, offsetting humans’ carbon emissions.
Photosynthesis by trees in the Amazon absorbs 5% of the world’s carbon emissions each year (2bn tons of CO2).
The water cycle and climate
Rainforests have an impact on the water cycle and local climates.
A smaller area of rainforest would increase the likelihood of serious droughts and floods.
Moral perspective
We should try not to harm other animals’ habitats or other living things unless it is absolutely necessary.
Long-term economic benefits of rainforests
Although iron ore mining and timber logging are economically profitable, as incomes rise, tourism becomes more popular. Eco-tourism, like the hotel Hix Island House in Puerto Rico could become a major source of income in the future for countries and local people.
What are Strategies to Manage Rainforests Sustainably?
Sustainable means being able to continue behaving in this way forever. Below are some examples of sustainable rainforest management strategies that can be done now & will preserve rainforests for future generations.
Selective logging
Selective logging involves only cutting down a certain species of tree or trees of a certain age. For example, in the Brazilian Amazon, only very old trees may be logged.
Selective logging preserves the structure of the rainforest. This reduces soil erosion as there are still trees in the area, with their roots binding the soil and their leaves/canopy protecting the vegetation below.
Replanting
Replanting means planting new trees to replace those that have been felled.
Lots of businesses now try to do this to help people offset their carbon footprints.
Conservation and education
In the USA, logging is banned in Yosemite National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Zion National Park.
Education in schools and businesses about the damage from logging, locally and for the whole world could improve the situation.
Although education could help, economists call this a ‘tragedy of the commons’ problem. The world bears the cost of deforestation and climate change, but an individual person probably makes more money by continuing to do logging
International hardwood agreements
Hardwood is a type of wood.
Rich people like having teak or mahogany furniture in their houses.
The 2006 International Tropical Timber Agreement has a hardwood agreement, trying to make any teak or mahogany sold to come from sustainably forested areas.
Ecotourism
Ecotourism is tourism that has minimal impact on the environment and that helps support local communities.
Eco-tourism, like the hotel Hix Island House in Puerto Rico could become a major source of income in the future for countries and local people. It also educates tourists and people internationally about their personal impact on the environment.
Economic development and debt forgiveness
Lots of nations with rainforest have low per capita incomes. Therefore, they are incentivised to do logging and mining because it brings short-term financial benefits.
In 2019, the Brazilian President Bolsonaro made this argument.
NGOs like the World Bank and the United Nations could work together to reduce countries’ government debts and try to lower the incentive to exploit natural resources.
Lots of Germany’s reparations debt after World War 1 and World War 2 was eventually forgiven. This could happen to encourage a reduction in deforestation.
