Exploitation of the Tropical Rainforest (OCR GCSE Geography B)

Value of Tropical 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

  • People obtain food by hunting, gathering and fishing

  • Homes, clothes and tools are made from the natural resources of the forest

  • Land is cultivated in small areas at a time through a process called shifting cultivation

• There are many 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

Human Impacts on Tropical Rainforests

• The majority of rainforests are located in:

  • Low-income developing countries (LIDCs) such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

  • Emerging and developing countries (EDCs) such as Brazil

• The main human impact on tropical rainforests is deforestation

Causes of deforestation

• 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

Human Causes of Deforestation

Environmental impacts of deforestation

• Areas that have been deforested are planted with monoculture which reduces biodiversity

• Interception and infiltration decrease which reduces evapotranspiration and as a result precipitation decreases

• This also increases overland flow which leads to soil erosion and sedimentation of the rivers

• Sediment builds up on riverbeds reducing their capacity and increasing the flood risk

• Lack of interception increases the leaching of nutrients

• Fewer trees increase the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere adding to the enhanced greenhouse effect

• Soils become less fertile and drier

Environmental Impacts of Deforestation

Social impacts of deforestation

• Indigenous communities have less land to sustain their traditional way of life this means:

  • Land does not get the opportunity to recover

  • Less food available 

• Improved quality of life for some people due to increased income and jobs

• Indigenous communities may give up their way of life leading to a loss of culture and traditions

• Increased risk of landslides which can destroy homes and block roads

• Loss of potential medicines 

• Increased risk of flooding settlements

Economic impacts of deforestation

• More jobs available in mining, forestry, agriculture and HEP

• Increased income for the country through the export of goods from the forest - minerals, timber, crops

• Almost a quarter of Brazil's GDP comes from activities in the deforested areas of the Amazon

Rate of deforestation

• The global rate of deforestation peaked in the 1980s when 151 million hectares of forest was felled

• The rate has now slowed with a 47 million hectare net loss (the number of trees felled minus the number of trees planted)

• This is due to increasing recognition of the value of rainforests as natural capital