Topic 2 - Tropical Rainforests Flashcards
Geography Paper 1: Section B - The Living World: Topic 2 - Tropical Rainforests
What are some strategies for maintaining the rainforests sustainability on a nation, international and local level?
Conservation+education: governments can create protected areas/reserves, stop abuse of rainforest + other biomes by developers. Making subjects (like ecology) compulsory part of school curriculum.
Inter-government agreements on hardwoods: International Tropical Timber Agreement - 2006, restricts trade of hardwoods from TRF to protect biodiversity + resources - trees marked with registration number to reduce illegal felling.
Debt reductions: debt-for-nature swaps - most TRFs are in LIC/NEEs are in debt so can switch for protecting nature instead. 2010- USA signed agreement to convert 13.5 mill Brazilian debt -> protect large areas of TRF
Replanting: use of satellites and drones to monitor
NGOs: WWF, Fauna + Flora International, World Land Trust = charities. Promote conservation message - education programmes, training providers, buy up threatened areas -> nature reserves
Ecotourism: educate visitors + increase understanding + appreciation of local culture + nature = small-scale.
How is deforestation and climate change affecting the tropical rainforest?
TRF plants -> drier = puts at risk of natural hazards - droughts, wildfires.
Less vegetation cover - more sun exposure will decrease infiltration and increase surface run off rates = increase flooding.
As temps rise, pests + diseases spread - extinction + decline in biodiversity - could affect food chain.
More trees will drop their leaves in the dry season.
Falling leaves make a deep litter layer, but decomposition is slow in the dry season - will affect the stores of nutrients in the soil (bigger) and biomass (smaller).
No canopy layer in the dry season = thick underbrush can grow among the trees = less space for roots to grow, less surface run off, kill trees.
Less dense TRF = lower rainfall for surrounding areas.
Trees ability to photosynthesise = change due to drier temps
Flying fox bats can’t adapt to the changing temps = extinction!.
What are the global benefits of the tropical rainforest?
Maintaining biodiversity - most biodiverse places on Earth - without them life would be much less varied.
Bring major impacts on pharmaceutical research - more than 7000 drugs have their origins in tropical rainforest plants and animal products, such as rosy periwinkle - basis of a drug used to treat leukemia.
Oxygen - rainforests = “Lungs of the Earth” as the huge amount of plant life produces oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis.
Climate change buffering - plants stored and absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The Amazon Rainforest absorbs 2 million tonnes of CO2.
Hardwood timber such as ebony and rosewood have valuable properties for furniture manufacturing and construction.
What are the local benefits of the tropical rainforest?
By preventing soil erosion and encouraging infiltration, forests help to produce clean water supplies that would otherwise be polluted by silts.
The ecosystem of the tropical rainforest brings in tourism and their money to tropical rainforest locations - provides recreation and inspiration. - can also be classed as global as tourists come from other countries.
For the locals, it provides a source of food and its soils are used to grow crops.
Forest canopy protects soil from being eroded by heavy rainfall and the vegetation reduces surface runoff that would otherwise cause flash flooding.
For the indigenous people of the forest, the tropical rainforest is their home and the basis for their culture and identity.
What is the difference between subsistence and commercial farming?
What is deforestation?
Commercial farming - large scale farming to make a profit (like cattle ranching or for palm oil)
Subsistence farming - small scale farming for only yourself and family (no profits are made)
Deforestation - the cutting down of trees for non-forest use.
There are 62 or approx 1/3 of the world’s countries with rainforest within their borders and over 50% of the world’s forests have been cleared.
What are the impacts of deforestation on conflict?
Conflict:
Disputes between indigenous people and loggers and other developers of the rainforest often end in open conflict. Disputes arise because people have conflicting views of the rainforest, for example, between conservationists and developers.
What are the impacts of deforestation on indigenous tribes?
Decline in indigenous tribes:
Not all Brazilians benefit from this exploitation of the rainforest resources. Most obviously, indigenous tribes have a traditional way of life that is closely geared to the resources of the natural forest. There are only 240 tribes left of the 330 there were in 1900. most displaced tribes end up in towns and cities and few adjust to this very different environment, leading to drug and alcohol addiction - many dying young.
What are the impacts of deforestation on soil?
Soil erosion:
When forests are cut down, the thin topsoil is quickly removed by heavy rainfall. Bare slopes and particularly prone to soil erosion. Once the topsoil has been removed there is little hope of anything growing again.
What are the impacts of deforestation on biodiversity?
Loss of biodiversity:
Roughly 137 plant, animal and insect species are being lost every single day due to rainforest deforestation - 50,000 species annually. Research suggests that parts of the Amazon rainforest could lose between 30-40% of their main species by 2030
How is palm oil and crop plantations responsible for the destruction of rainforest?
Palm oil (Crops):
cultivation of soybean has caused vast clearance in the Amazon
as with cattle ranching the soil will not sustain crops for long. After a few years, farmers cut down more rainforest for new plantations
the forest is cleared for vast plantations where crops such as bananas palm oil pineapple tea and coffee are grown
amazon rainforest referred to as the lungs of the earth
What are the impacts of deforestation on global warming?
Global warming:
The rainforest is significant at a global level. The tree canopy absorbs CO2 in the atmosphere which stops as soon as trees are felled. Fire is often used in the clearing of rainforests, through the ‘slash and burn’ technique, as it is faster and cheaper This leads to global challenges as the tropical rainforest is known as the ‘lungs of the earth’. If trees are cut down and photosynthesis is reduced, more carbon dioxide is being stored in the atmosphere. This will cause temperatures to rise further. Not only could this increase evapo-transpiration rates, making the ground and trees drier, but this makes them more vulnerable to weather hazards like wildfires.
How is urbanisation responsible for the destruction of the rainforest?
Urbanisation:
roads are needed to bring in equipment and transport products, meaning swathes of forest are cut down
the Trans-Amazonian Highway began construction in 1972 and is 4000km long
built for commercial activity so is easier for illegal logging to occur
How is cattle ranching responsible for the destruction of the rainforest?
Cattle Ranching - Livestock:
large areas are cleared for livestock rearing
accounts for 80% of tropical rainforest destruction
quality of pasture quickly declines when farmed
How is illegal activity responsible for the destruction of the tropical rainforest?
Illegal activity:
Hunting, poaching and trafficking in wildfire and animal parts are still a big business in Brazil
Endangers species like jaguars and golden loin tamarind upsetting the natural balance of the ecosystem
How is mineral extraction (mining) responsible for the destruction of the tropical rainforest?
Mining:
mainly about gold in Amazon
in 1999 10000 hectares of land were used for gold mining and now 50000 hectares
the extraction of bauxite is done to make aluminium
