booklet 2b

Question 1

geographical location of the amazon rainforest

Answer 1

located 2-4° south of the equator // covers 1.4 billion acres of the amazon basin

Question 2

changes in the layout of the amazon rainforest

Answer 2

decrease in forest cover:
little forest cover remaining along brazil’s coastline (rdj to recife in the north)
also declining along the amazon river

Question 3

what is deforestation

Answer 3

when forests are converted to non-forest uses eg. agriculture / road construction

Question 4

what is the main reason for general deforestation (and some other reasons)

Answer 4

mainly due to population growth → increased demand for land development
also could be bc of cattle ranching / agriculture

Question 5

major causes of deforestation in trf region in latin america:

Answer 5

68% commercial farming (cash crops) // 26% small scale / subsistence farming // 3% infrastructure // 2% mining // 1% urban expansion

Question 6

major causes of forest degradation in trf region in latin america:

Answer 6

73% timber logging // 16% uncontrolled fires // 8% fuelwood / charcoal // 3% livestock grazing (cattle ranching)

Question 7

why are rainforests being cleared?

Answer 7

• land for commercial agriculture (cash crops / cattle ranching)
• wood / timber logging (eg. mahogany → hard wood furniture)
• mineral reserves eg. gold / iron → open cast mining
• land for development / urbanisation / infrastructure development bc. of population growth
• firewood for locals

Question 8

2 commercial farming activities which cause large-scale removal of tropical rainforests in the amazon basin

Answer 8

cattle ranching
plantations

Question 9

explain what cattle ranching in the amazon is like and why it’s bad

Answer 9

• main cause of deforestation in the amazon (usually done by / owned by transnational corporations)
• extensive input-output per unit of land
• pastoral output, for commercial use
• produces eg. beef / hide (for exports mainly)
• sedentary farming, low-tech
• the increasing global demand for meat / beef encourages the development of this business for export
• the improving living standard of brazil (a large exporter of beef) led to the growth of the domestic market

Question 9

explain what plantations in the amazon are like and why it’s bad

Answer 9

• large areas of tropical rainforest cleared to grow cash crops (eg. cocoa beans / sugarcane / rubber tree / soybean) for commercial use (generally also for export)
• in plantations, farmers only grow one type of crop grown on the piece of the farmland → monoculture (leads to the extraction of only a couple types of nutrients in soil → unsustainable)
• soya / corn plantations are common in the brazilian amazon (highly capitalised and mechanised)
• global demand for soya beans (only multipurpose cash crop → high demand) + corns are high → products are mainly for export and are used for food / animal fodder / biodiesel production

Question 10

effects of deforestation on the rainforest on local climate

Answer 10

• no dense canopy to bock direct sunlight → increased ground surface temp → increased evap rate → changes rainfall pattern in local areas
• trees act as a forest barrier (windbreak) to slow down wind speed → deforestation leads to strong winds as there is nothing to slow them down

Question 11

effects of deforestation on the rainforest on local plant / animal species

Answer 11

vegetation is the food / habitat for a variety of species + wildlife → they are codependent for wildlife survival (food web)
the death of one species → other species go extinct too → damages ecological balance, lowers biodiversity

Question 12

effects of deforestation on the rainforest on native tribes

Answer 12

native ppl have been living in TRF for centuries and they have a traditional lifestyle eg. hunting / slash and burn → deforestation leads to the loss of their traditional lifestyle + climate

Question 13

effects of deforestation on the rainforest on global climate

Answer 13

trees store co2 → the burning (burn and slash) of them releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere ++ fewer trees to absorb co2 for photosynthesis → more co2 in atmosphere → speeds up global warming, changing global climate

Question 14

effects of deforestation on the rainforest on humans

Answer 14

humans may not be affected directly but as a result of the climatic change + extinction of species → loss of important resources (raw material) → lowers the quality of living conditions; various problems emerge (eg. temp increase → favourable condition for bacteria and diseases → increased medical burden // energy exhaustion from burning fossil fuels)

Question 15

what is a river basin

Answer 15

the area of land that is drained by a river and its tributaries

Question 16

edge of a river basin is marked by a boundary called?

Answer 16

the watershed

Question 17

define the source of a river

Answer 17

the ‘source’ of a river is the original point from which the river flows

Question 18

what is the river mouth (and its alternative name)

Answer 18

the river mouth / estuary is the part of river where the river debouches from the sea/ocean

Question 19

what is a confluence

Answer 19

a confluence is the spot where two or more tributaries meet or when a tributary feeds into the main channel

Question 20

3 courses of a river

Answer 20

3 courses of a river
* upper course river features include steep sided v-shaped valleys (steep slopes)
* middle course river features include wider, shallower valleys
* lower course river features include wide flat-bottomed valley (gentle slopes) and floodplains

Question 21

definition of droughts

Answer 21

when the rainfall in an area is much lower than normal. a long extended period w/o rainfall

Question 22

definition of floods

Answer 22

where water levels in the river channel are higher than that of the river banks and overflows into surrounding land

Question 23

why may the risk of droughts increase with deforestation

Answer 23

• decreased transpiration
• less roots to intercept water → decreases the water holding capacity of soil → decreased infiltration
• reduces the moisture from vegetation
• reduces cloud convection → decreased condensation / cloud formation / precipitation

Question 24

why may the risk of floods increase with deforestation

Answer 24

reduced interception and increasing overland flow / surface runoff increased risk of soil erosion by water → leads to silting (sediments going to the river bed)

Question 25

background info of bangledesh

Answer 25

* hot and wet, capital located near the tropic of cancer (23.5N) relief is mostly below 200m (low lying area) LDC * economically dependent on agriculture (which is heavily reliant on climate)

Question 26

3 major rivers in bangladesh

Answer 26

3 major rivers: brahmaputra / megna / ganges

Question 27

3 water problems in bangledesh

Answer 27

flooding water shortage difficulties in accessing clean water

Question 28

explain how human factors lead to flooding in bangladesh

Answer 28

people in the mountains cut down trees —> soil erosion —> silting of rivers rapid increase in the population —> overpopulation —> much land is covered by concrete for building houses (has a low permeability) —> increase surface flow (increased overland flow and surface run off lead to decreased infiltration)

Question 29

explain how physical factors lead to flooding in bangladesh

Answer 29

* abundant rainfall: heavy rainfall in summer (may - sept) the sudden increase in rainfall reduces the holding capacity of the river because it is regularly dry (leads to a lot of overland flow as the soil can’t absorb the water fast enough) —> soil erosion by water, leading to silting in rivers * large water flow: due to 3 major rivers * relief: elevation is mostly below 200m (low lying areas)

Question 30

explain how water shortages occur in bangladesh

Answer 30

* increasing water demand (due to agriculture, growing population, export based economy) * decreasing water supply (long dry season, from november to april // other countries build dams in the upper courses of the river —> reduced river flow into bangladesh)

Question 31

explain why there are difficulties in accessing clean water in bangladesh

Answer 31

population is poor, river is polluted, flooding by seawater makes the water system in coastal areas dysfunctional

Question 32

solutions to combat flooding in bangladesh

Answer 32

* build up the banks with earth or concrete to make embankments / levees * dredge material from the river bed and riverbanks * change crop patterns (by placing crops that need more water near the river bank so they can absorb more water) ++ build irrigation canals * build houses on stilts * drill wells * set up a warning system * rainwater collection for household use * stop people building on flood prone areas ++ plant more trees and prevent cutting of trees (long term solution) ++ pass laws to control the use of coastal areas

Question 33

2 main water problems in the uk

Answer 33

flooding water shortage

Question 34

explain where and how flooding occurs in the uk

Answer 34

* northern / western parts of the uk have high annual rainfall —> flooding occurs easily, usually in rivers and sewers * eastern coast has low lying relief —> seawater flows into the area and causes flooding during high tides * flooding is expected to be more frequent and serious with the rise in sea level, and climate change (which leads to extreme weather conditions)

Question 35

explain where and how water shortages occur in the uk

Answer 35

* this part of the country is relatively dry (rainfall here is sometimes lower than the avg) * this part of the country also happens to be the the most densely populated area in the country → the water available per person there is very low * the uk ppl also enjoy a high living standard, using water for daily necessities, enjoyment of gardens and for beautifying the cities → water shortage problems become worse in times of dry weather