Management of Tropical Rainforests (AQA GCSE Geography)

Value of Rainforests

• All ecosystems provide goods and services

• There are resources and opportunities provided by the rainforest both in its natural state and once it is cleared of rainforest

Goods 

• Goods are tangible products which can be taken from the ecosystem

• Goods include:

  • Building materials

  • Existing food crops

  • Wild meat and fish

  • Water

  • Medicines

  • Energy 

Services

• The services provided by ecosystems are essential for life to survive

• They include:

  • Nutrient recycling

  • Gas exchange 

  • Water cycle 

  • Climate regulation

  • Soil quality

  • Disease and pest control

  • Leisure and recreation

  • Cultural heritage

• Gas exchange is of particular importance on a global as well as local level

  • Plants and trees absorb CO₂ during photosynthesis and emitting oxygen

  • The rainforest is often referred to as the lungs of the world

• The tropical rainforest is one of the largest global carbon sinks

Value to people

• Indigenous communities such as the Awá in Brazil depend on the rainforest for food, materials, fuel and medicines

• Resources such as gold, iron ore and other valuable minerals 

• Many of the products we eat and use today have their origins in the tropical rainforest including:

  • Sugar

  • Nuts

  • Rubber

  • Perfumes

  • Bananas

• Many of the modern medicines that we rely upon have come from rainforest plants including 25% of the ingredients used in cancer treatment drugs

• Hydroelectric power (HEP) is common due to the amount of available water

• There are many employment opportunities:

  • Agriculture

  • Logging

  • Tourism

  • Mining

  • Construction

Value to the environment

• The tropical rainforest is an important source of freshwater - about 20% of the world's freshwater

• Over 50% of the world's plants and animals are found in the tropical rainforests

• As a carbon sink the rainforests are vital in controlling the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere so limiting global warming

• The tree and plant roots help to hold the soil together and shelter the ground. This reduces soil erosion

Strategies to Manage Tropical Rainforests

• Concerns about the rapid deforestation of tropical rainforests have led to a range of sustainable management strategies

• Strategies can be on an international, national or local level

International strategies

• UN Forum on Forests was established in 2000 and is committed to the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests

• The UN Sustainable Development Goals include the sustainable management of forests

• International treaties protect certain areas such as the Central Amazon Conservation Complex (CACC) which is a World Heritage Site. This means hunting, logging, fishing and access are limited

• Trade restrictions on endangered species and timber have been imposed

  • The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species

  • The International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA) promotes sustainable forest management and restricts the trade in rainforest hardwood timber

  • The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) approves wood from sustainable sources 

• Debt reduction - countries are relieved of some of the debt in return for protecting rainforests 

  • Debt for nature swap. In 2010 the USA converted US$13.5 million of debt from Brazil into a fund to support the protection of the rainforest

• International organisations such as Greenpeace and WWF monitor deforestation 

National strategies

• Brazil's forest code requires landowners to maintain a proportion of their land as forest. However, the amount they need to maintain was reduced from 80% to 50% in 2012

• In 2004 the DETER satellite was launched. It:

  • Started by sending reports every two weeks to rangers 

  • In 2011 began sending daily reports meaning that patrols could target areas of suspicious activity but it only detects areas over 250m² so people clearing simply reduce the size of the area they clear

  • It was estimated in some areas this led to a 60% decrease in large scale deforestation

• There are 68 National Parks in Brazil. These are protected areas where the aim is to conserve the ecosystem

• A reforestation project which is part of the Amazonia Sustainable Landscapes Project. It aims to:

  • restore 30,000 hectares of land to the forest by 2023 and will involve planting 73 million trees.

• The Amazon Region Protected Areas (APRA) resulted in a 68% increase in protected areas and indigenous territories from 2004 to 2012

• Selective logging is where trees to be felled are selected, felled and removed causing the least possible damage to surrounding trees

• Afforestation to plant new trees replacing those which have been felled

Local strategies

• Agroforestry combines agriculture with forestry, which means some trees remain, which:

  • Decreases deforestation

  • Provides shade as well as increases infiltration and interception, which reduces soil erosion

  • Provides organic matter from the trees and adds nutrients to the soil

  • Increases biodiversity due to the variety of plants grown

• Education of people involved in the exploitation and management of the rainforest

• Small scale projects such as the Marajo Project which preserves almost 90,000 hectares of Amazon forest. It includes:

  • A tree nursery to grow saplings to be planted in areas which have been cleared

  • The new trees help to bind the soil reducing soil erosion and increasing infiltration

  • Agroforestry is encouraged reducing the need to over cultivate and clear areas. It includes:

    • A cooperative to support 49 local producers growing açai berries

    • Building of natural fish tanks to improve food security 

  • School-based agricultural education and scholarships

• Ecotourism is becoming widespread. It includes:

  • A focus on the natural environment

  • Low impact on the environment - using materials from the local area and buildings to blend in with the environment

  • Supporting local communities - using locally grown food and employing local people 

  • Education - to inform tourists about the local environment and wildlife

  • Gaining income which can be used for conservation

• Ecotourism rewards the local community for maintaining the rainforest rather than for cutting it down