Amazon rainforest case study

Population pressure - Clearing areas for new settlements

Mineral extraction - Mining for metal ores to make money

Energy development - Building dams to provide hydroelectric energy

Commercial logging - Felling trees to make money

Commercial farming - Clearing land for cattle or palm oil and soya plantations  

Trees help to remove carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and more carbon dioxide will make the greenhouse effect greater. Deforestation is responsible for 15% of carbon dioxide emissions a year. 

Trees help to hold the soil together and without this heavy rain can cause soil erosion and this can lead to flooding and landslides. 

No tree canopy to intercept rainfall means that more water reaches the soil and the soil becomes infertile because the nutriens have been washed out. 

Loggind, farming and mining creates jobs.

A lot of money is made from selling timber, mining and commercial farming. 

Deforestation can reduce the attractiveness of the area to tourists. 

Livelihoods can be destroyed as deforestation can cause the loss of animals and plants that people rely on to make a living. 

Replanting - New trees are planted to replace those which are lost so there will be trees for people to use in the future. 

Ecotourism - Tourism that benefits the locals as the tourists stay with the locals so they don't have to log or farm to make money. In Costa Rica ecotourism has led to 21% of the country being protected from development. 

Selective logging - Only choosing to cut down older trees so most trees are still left standing. 

Conservation - Setting up national parks and nature reserves in rainforests. In these areas damaging acticities are restricted. Some countires set up overseas funds which governments and businesses can put money into. Norway has paid $1 billion into Brazil's Amazon fund to be used for conservation.