Tropical Rainforests Flashcards

Question

energy development

Answer 1

High rainfall creates ideal conditions for hydro-electric power (HEP), and there are several large dams and reservoirs. ◦ In Brazil, the Belo Monte dam (currently under construction) will block the Xingu River, a tributary of the Amazon, flooding more than 40,500 hectares of rainforest and displacing more than 15,000 people. ◦ In Malaysia, there are several dams supplying hydroelectric power (HEP) including the Bakun Dam, completed in 2011. At 205 metres, it is the highest dam in Asia (not counting Chinal. It supplies energy for industries in Peninsular Malaysia. Drilling for oil and gas has started in Borneo.

Answer 2

local climate change soil erosion/infertility river pollution decline in indigenous tribes biodiversity

Answer 3

Deforestation has a huge impact on global climate change, but is also affects climate change on a local scale. The water cycle is disrupted by deforestation as the loss of trees means less evapotranspiration, so less moisture is returned to the atmosphere, meaning fewer clouds are formed, and making the local climate drier. Recycling water acts as a cooling system, so without this the climate gets warmer.

Answer 4

Chopping down trees leaves the thin top soil exposed, which is quicky removed by heavy rainfall (which is an issue in the rainforest!). Without the top soil layer it is very hard for any vegetation to grow. Soil erosion also leads to the silting up of river courses, which has an impact on marine ecosystems and increases the risk of flooding. Even if the soil is protected, it quickly loses the fertility it had when it was covered by trees. Even more nutrients are removed when land is used for grazing or for crop plantations, so farmers have to abandon the patch of land they have been working on to move onto pastures new, which leads to further forest clearance and soil degradation.

Answer 5

Gold mining not only causes deforestation, but it also leads to polluted waterways as mercury is used to separate gold, which then seeps into the ground. This leaking mercury poisons fish, as well as inhabitants of nearby settlements, particularly through contaminated drinking water supplies. Rivers are also being polluted by silt from soil erosion, as described above.

Answer 6

Indigenous tribes are affected more negatively than any other group as deforestation threatened their homes, food supply and traditional way of life. In the Amazon rainforest indigenous tribes have declined in number, from 330 to 240 tribes, as logging, the construction of roads, the creation of ranches, plantations and reservoirs, and the opening of mines, have all forced them off their land. Many displaced indigenous people have ended up in towns and cities.

Answer 7

Loss of habitat for many animals in the tropical rainforest biome. This threatens individual species, with them becoming endangered, with the threat of extinction. Current estimates suggest that 137 plant, animal and insect species are lost every day because of deforestation - which is around 50,000 a year! This loss of species also means that that many cures for life threatening diseases are also lost. By 2030 parts of the Amazon rainforest could have lost 30-45% of their main species.

Answer 8

small-scale forestry ecotourism debt reduction

Answer 9

Small-scale forestry *Selective logging - this technique involves only felling trees fully grown trees - as these are seen as less valuable ecologically, and so younger trees can be allowed to mature and continue to provide protection from soil erosion by binding the soil together with roots and providing leaf litter to help nutrient cycling). The selective logging cycle lasts between 30 and 40 years - meaning that trees cannot be felled until they are at least 30 years old. ◦ Agroforestry - this technique involved growing crops and trees together. Farmers grow crops in carefully controlled, cleared areas within the rainforest, surrounded by plantations of trees. Annual food crops and tree-crops such as coconuts are planted. Agroforestry can control runoff and soil erosion, thereby reducing losses of water, soil material, organic matter and nutrients. ◦ Replanting - this technique recreates forest cover that has been lost that is almost the same as the original forest. Seeds are collected from the remaining patches of the original forest. These seeds are then planted in nurseries so they can grow into saplings, and once the saplings are strong enough they can be planted back into areas that have been deforested, where they will eventually grow into full size trees, with almost the same DNA as the original forest cover. In addition to this regional governments are clamping down to stop illegal logging. This is challenging due to the remoteness of parts of the rainforest, meaning that illegal logging can easily take place unnoticed, and it is happening on a large scale in tropical rainforests across the globe. By using satellites and drones governments are able to monitor this more closely and prosecute those caught illegally felling trees.

Answer 10

this restricts trade in tropical rainforest hardwoods, making it more difficult to sell them and make money from them. This is important as tropical hardwoods are extremely valuable, so millions of trees have been illegally cut down because loggers know that people will pay high prices for the timber. Illegal felling often goes unnoticed by officials, and therefore unpunished, because it tends to take place in the most remote parts of the rainforest. The 2006 Agreement means that all hardwood timber has to be marked with a registration number, which shows where it was felled, so buyers can see that it was sustainably sourced.

Answer 11

Tropical rainforests are usually located in developing nations with large debts linked to loans and overseas aid. In order to combat this some countries arrange 'debt for nature' swaps, such as the scheme in place between the USA and Brazil. The USA agreed to allow Brazil to convert the £ 13.5 million it owed in debt repayments, into a fund to protect large areas of the Amazon rainforest. Western governments also agreed to reduce what Costa Rica owed them in debt repayments, as long as they spent £27 million on conservations projects. These 'debt for nature' swaps are part of a wider debt reduction initiative which sees high income countries writing off the debt of developing nations, to enable them to invest in conservation projects within their own countries. These agreements are important for all parties involved - it means that the developing nations can protect valuable wildlife habitats, and they help the HIC governments meet their own targets for supporting conservation and tackling climate change.

Answer 12

Many countries with tropical rainforests have promoted their forests for eco-tourism, with scenery, wildlife, remoteness and culture being the main attractions. Countries that have embraced ecotourism include Brazil, Costa Rica and Belize. The purpose of ecotourism is to educate visitors to give them a better appreciation and understanding of wildlife and local cultures, which will benefit local communities and protect the environment for the future. Ecotourism is small-scale tourism and entirely local - it is organised and run by local people, creates jobs for local people, and only uses local produce - therefore all of the profits stay in the local community and there is no economic leakage which is usually an issue with tourism in developing nations. The money generated by ecotourism is invested back into conservation projects that retain and protect the rainforest trees, which benefits the government and local people. This is a more sustainable option than cutting them down for short-term profit. Example of Ecotourism: Mashpi Lodge, Ecuador

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Tropical Rainforests Flashcards

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