amazon rainforest

how much does it cover? how much of this is in brazil?

• covers 2.6mill square miles, 60% of this in brazil

why is there a problem?

over 40 years, amazon has lost more than 18% of its rainforest. 24 million indigenous people live there.

explain 2 causes of deforestation in your case study.

• subsistence farming: type of farming where crops and materials are used for farmer and family only. subsistence farmers clear an area of land and burn the cleared material- slash and burn. they use the land to grow crops and material until the soil is exhausted. this accounts to 5% of deforestation in the amazon rainforest

• commercial farming: type of farming where crops and materials are sold for profit. this accounts to 10% of deforestation. large areas of land cleared away to make plantations for crops e.g. 1990-2010 24mil hectares removed. rainforest soil doesnt sustain crops for long so more needs to be cleared. cattle ranching refers to clearing land for space for livestock. this accounts to 80% of deforestation. the quality of pastures declines quickly so more needs to be cleared

explain 2 impacts of deforestation.

• climate change: disrupts water cycle since when trees are felled, less evaporation/transpiration occurs so less water is returned to the atmosphere. this results in an increasingly drier climate.

• economic development: jobs will be created, better road infrastructure but pollution of water (agriculture) in the increasingly dry climate will limit supplies, rainforest tourism decrease, increasing temp could destroy established farming

explain an international response for deforestation

• debt reduction by HICs: in 2010, USA agreed to convert the £13.5million debt into a fund to protect rainforests

name 2 national responses

• creating protected reserves

• educating people e.g. adding to school curriculum

name 2 local responses

• stopping illegal logging

• selective logging