Tropical Equatorial Rainforest ~ Development Issues
Refers to AQA A2 Geography
Ecosystems: Change and Challenge Option
- Created by: Bethany
- Created on: 21-04-14 18:50
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- Tropical Equatorial Rainforest ~ Development Issues
- Social Issues
- NATIVE TRIBES such as the Yanomami have lived sustainably in the forest for thousands of years.
- Today, only 100 or so tribes survive, isolated from the modern world
- Contact with more technologically advance societies has proved disasterous as tribes have no resistance to common pathogens.
- Deforestation gradually destorys the forest areas that they depend on.
- Moral issues, should areas be preserved for tribes, or should they be cleared to kick-start economic groups
- Today, only 100 or so tribes survive, isolated from the modern world
- NATIVE TRIBES such as the Yanomami have lived sustainably in the forest for thousands of years.
- Environmental Issues
- The rainforest sustains 40% of all plant and animal species
- BIODIVERSITY should be maintained for aesthetic and practical reasons.
- Potential value of unknown species as medicines or food crops
- e.g. rosy periwinkle helps increase survival chances for childhood leukemia.
- Potential value of unknown species as medicines or food crops
- DE - FORESTATION damages ecosystems
- Leads to accelerated runoff, soil erosion and excessive sediment loads in rivers and streams
- Rainforests play a huge regional role in the HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE
- Without transpiration from the trees, rainfall would decline, forests would disappear, and entire ecosystems collapse.
- Rainforests are important CARBON STORES
- According to NASA, destruction of tropical rainforest trees accounts for 15-20% of annual global carbon emissions
- Adds to problems of global warming and climate change (long term GLOBAL ISSUES)
- According to NASA, destruction of tropical rainforest trees accounts for 15-20% of annual global carbon emissions
- Policies for Sustainability
- DEBT EXCHANGE
- In return for writing off a proportion of the county's debt, the country agrees to conserve some of its rainforests
- Popular between MEDCS and Central/ South American countries.
- In return for writing off a proportion of the county's debt, the country agrees to conserve some of its rainforests
- CARBON-OFFSET PROGRAMS
- In exchange for setting aside forest for carbon storage, rainforest countries recieve payments.
- DE - FORESTATION CHARGES
- Levied against customers whose activites involve deforestation
- NATIONAL PARKS
- Some rainforest areas national parks
- Income from tourism and good for conservstion
- DEBT EXCHANGE
- Social Issues
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