It covers most of the North Western region of Brazil extending to Ecuador and Peru. It covers an area of 8 million km^2. Over 600,000km^2 has been deforested since 1970.
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Causes of rain forest destruction
60% caused by cattle ranching, 33% caused by small subsistence farming for food, 3% caused by logging companies, 3% caused by mining companies, population, roads; 1% caused by large scale farming e.g. soya beans
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Environmental impacts (habitats)
As the forest is destroyed habits are lost, biodiversity is decreased and species are endangered or made extinct. In Brazil, the number of extinct species increased from 218 in 1989 to 628 in 2008
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Environmental impacts (global warming)
Deforestation is removing trees containing 100 billion tonnes of Carbon in the Amazon, this increases global warming
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Social impacts (losing homes)
Native tribes have been forced to move out from their land due to illegal logging, farming etc. Losing traditional way of life e.g. the Gurani tribe
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Social impacts (conflicts)
In 2009, riots in Peru over rain forest destruction meant hundreds of native people were killed or injured
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Economic impacts (profit)
Very profitable for poor countries. In 2008, Brazil earned $6.9 billion trading cattle and ranching beef
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Economic impacts (employment)
A mining company in Brazil employed over 3100 people which help create income for locals.
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Sustainable management
Replanting trees, banning laws, National parks, Ecotourism, Conservation swaps and reducing debt
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Replanting trees
Peru plans to replant more than 100,000 KM^2 of forest before 2018
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Banning laws
Imposing laws to reduce amount of valuable hardwood trees that can be felled e.g. Brazil had banned the sale of mahogany since 2001. Also, landowners are not allowed to deforest more than 20-50% of their land.
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Ecotourism
Creating jobs and earning income from tropical forests e.g. in Peru there are 70 ecotourism lodges. 60,000 people visited the region in 2007.
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Conservation swaps and reducing debts
This has helped countries protect their forests and develop sustainable alternatives to forest destruction
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Example of a conservation swap
In 2007, Costa Ricas debt was $90 million to the USA. Costa Rica agreed to spend $26 million increasing the area of protected rain forest. USA cancelled $26 million from their debt
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
Causes of rain forest destruction
Back
60% caused by cattle ranching, 33% caused by small subsistence farming for food, 3% caused by logging companies, 3% caused by mining companies, population, roads; 1% caused by large scale farming e.g. soya beans
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