Geography 7.3.3 Threats to Tropical Rainforest
Deforestation is the felling and clearance of trees
Malaysia, Brazil, India and Indonesia are experiencing the highest levels of deforestation in the world
The Malaysian government has in the past failed to provide the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) with figures for forest loss
There are six main human causes of deforestation
Wildfires are a natural cause of deforestation:
The frequency and severity of wildfires have increased this is linked to human induced climate change
It is important to remember that deforestation is often the result of a combination of factors which are linked together rather than any one cause. For example, the growth of settlements also leads to more land being cleared for agriculture to support the people in the settlements.
In addition to direct threats to the tropical rainforest there are indirect threats
Climate change is the most significant
The rainforest is dependent on high levels of precipitation
Climate change impacts on the amount and frequency of rainfall
It is estimated that the drought in 2015/16 and the wildfires that resulted led to the destruction of around 2.5 billion trees and plants
Recent droughts have occurred in 2005, 2010, 2015/16 and 2020
Droughts can lead to the rainforest emitting CO2 rather than absorbing it
Droughts led to stress on the ecosystem due to
Decomposer organisms and insects dying as the leaf litter is too dry
This will lead to a decrease in soil fertility and impact on the nutrient cycle
Trees and plants lose more leaves than usually decreasing the supply of food
Fewer leaves will mean less evapotranspiration which may further decrease the amount of rainfall
Lack of food for herbivores reduces animal populations and impacts on the food web
Reduced nutrient input into streams and rivers impacts on the aquatic life
Higher temperatures may lead to the death of animals: colonies of flying fox bats have been wiped out by increased temperature
This impacts on the food web
Deforestation is the felling and clearance of trees
Malaysia, Brazil, India and Indonesia are experiencing the highest levels of deforestation in the world
The Malaysian government has in the past failed to provide the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) with figures for forest loss
There are six main human causes of deforestation
Wildfires are a natural cause of deforestation:
The frequency and severity of wildfires have increased this is linked to human induced climate change
It is important to remember that deforestation is often the result of a combination of factors which are linked together rather than any one cause. For example, the growth of settlements also leads to more land being cleared for agriculture to support the people in the settlements.
In addition to direct threats to the tropical rainforest there are indirect threats
Climate change is the most significant
The rainforest is dependent on high levels of precipitation
Climate change impacts on the amount and frequency of rainfall
It is estimated that the drought in 2015/16 and the wildfires that resulted led to the destruction of around 2.5 billion trees and plants
Recent droughts have occurred in 2005, 2010, 2015/16 and 2020
Droughts can lead to the rainforest emitting CO2 rather than absorbing it
Droughts led to stress on the ecosystem due to
Decomposer organisms and insects dying as the leaf litter is too dry
This will lead to a decrease in soil fertility and impact on the nutrient cycle
Trees and plants lose more leaves than usually decreasing the supply of food
Fewer leaves will mean less evapotranspiration which may further decrease the amount of rainfall
Lack of food for herbivores reduces animal populations and impacts on the food web
Reduced nutrient input into streams and rivers impacts on the aquatic life
Higher temperatures may lead to the death of animals: colonies of flying fox bats have been wiped out by increased temperature
This impacts on the food web
