deforestation

Question 1

what is the definition of deforestation

Answer 1

the large scale permanent removal of forests or stand of trees through means such as cutting or burning for a non-forest or commercial use such as farming, ranching or urban use such as housing

Question 2

what are the causes of deforestation

Answer 2

cattle ranching
subsistence agriculture
large-scale/commercial agriculture: soy
logging
transport infrastructure development
hydroelectric power dam construction
mining oil and gas development
government

note: memorise in groups :
farming : subsistence, commercial
building stuff : transport infrastructure, hydroelectric power dam
others: cattle ranching, logging, mining
the weird one : government

Question 3

what is the leading cause of deforestation

Answer 3

cattle ranching

Question 4

why do we have cattle ranches tho 0-0

Answer 4

to generate revenue - brazil is the world’s largest exporter of cow products

♡ beef patties are sold in grocery stores across brazil
♡ processed beef is sent to the US and europe
♡ leather products are sent to china, vietnam, italy, hong kong

Question 5

what is subsistence agriculture

Answer 5

when the products obtained by farming are only for the farmer and the farmer’s family, leaving little to none of it for trading and selling

Question 6

where do poor farmers go to farm

Answer 6

government land policies say that these farmer are to settle on forest lands
they use fire to clear the land, then plant crops like bananas, palms, maize, rice, etc
sometimes, ranchers pay poor migrants to occupy the forest land given to them by the government so they can use it for their own cattle businesses

Question 7

what are the effects of clearing forests for agriculture

Answer 7

after 1-2 years, soil productivity declines and farmers need to clear more land for their short-term agriculture :(

Question 8

why do we need the farmers tho :O

Answer 8

• brazil’s food security depends on farmers’ work on their land (produce food for more than 190 million brazilians → increased food production)
• helps to create revenue and employment (small-scale farming contribute 38% of national revenue)
• alleviates unemployment rate which is over 15% by employing about 12 million people

Question 9

why is there large-scale/commercial agriculture for soy

Answer 9

• brazil is the world’s leading exporter of soybeans
• covers more than 8 million hectares of land in the amazonian states due to the expansion rates of 14.1% per year
• generates revenue for rising demands in uses of increase in soybean cultivation - 25.72 billion dollars in 2017

Question 10

what are the uses for soybeans

Answer 10

vegetable oils
industrial uses
biodiesel production

Question 11

why is harvesting timber a problem

Answer 11

timber can only be harvested in designated areas in the amazon, but there is illegal logging in brazil

Question 12

why do we still need to do logging tho :/

Answer 12

generates revenue from the export value of primary timber products - total export value was 243.2 million US$ in 2015
timber industry creates employment by recruiting about 204000 people through direct and indirect jobs

Question 13

what is an example of transport infrastructure development

Answer 13

brazil’s trans-amazonian highway - 2000 miles

Question 14

how does that highway help farmers, loggers, and miners

Answer 14

• opens the land to
  ♡ settlement by poor farmers from crowded,
  drought-plagued north
  ♡ development of timber and mineral resources
• improves accessibility to logging and mining sites
• opens forest frontier land for poor landless farmers

Question 15

what is an example of hydroelectric power dam construction

Answer 15

tucurui dam - the first large-scale hydroelectric project in the brazilian amazon rainforest

Question 16

what was the effect of the dam on the forest

Answer 16

1750km2 of forest was flooded during the construction D:

Question 17

what is the purpose of the dam

Answer 17

mainly to generate electricity through hydroelectric power production and improve navigation
the dams are the main source of energy in brazil - generates about 67% of the country’s power
tucurui dam provides power for 13 million people
also helps to boost industrial development and create employment

Question 18

what do miners clear forests for

Answer 18

building material
fuelwood collection

Question 19

but what are they really hoping they’d find

Answer 19

gold! in 1980, there was a large gold deposit in the state of para - this attracted a crowd
exploring remote parts of amazon for oil is mainly used to search for gold

Question 20

why is mining for gold bad?

Answer 20

mercury is used to separate the soil/sand from the gold, then it gets washed into nearby water bodies >:(

Question 21

what other less rare thing could they be looking for? (and why)

Answer 21

iron ore! this is the mineral of greatest value to brazil’s mining industry - makes up 78% of total mining exports
this is done to generate revenue from the sales and export of ores

Question 22

what has the government done to the amazon forests >:0

Answer 22

1. created the amazonian highway
2. reduced budgets for law enforcement
3. removed fines for illegal deforestation
4. rolled back laws restricting forest clearing

summary: cause rapid deforestation >:(

Question 23

what are the aspects that are affected by deforestation

Answer 23

• economic
• social and socio-cultural

Question 24

what are the aspects that are affected by deforestation

Answer 24

• economic
• social and socio-cultural
• physical/environmental

Question 25

what are some positive effects in the economic aspect

Answer 25

• more revenue earned
• brazil’s foreign debt is reduced through producing and exporting certain resources
• provides employment for people in labour-extensive economic activities

Question 26

what are some negative effects in the economic aspect

Answer 26

• forest resources like timber get depleted faster than the rate of replenishment
• non-renewable resources like oil and iron will be depleted - approx 50 years
• industries close so less employment so no future revenue gained

Question 27

what are some positive effects in the social and socio-cultural aspect

Answer 27

subsistence and landless farmers have more land
more food for locals, alleviate hunger and starvation
intensive cultivation brings increased yield, so higher population density can be supported

Question 28

what are some negative effects in the social and socio-cultural aspect

Answer 28

♡ tribal people’s lifestyles are threatened - face difficulties in resettlement
- don’t have skills for town-jobs
- might encounter new diseases that their immunities cannot defend against
♡ land rights of tribal people are taken away
♡ new agricultural methods lead to loss of traditional culture and knowledge of the forest

Question 29

what are some positive effects in the physical/environmental aspect?

Answer 29

none.

Question 30

what are some negative effects in the physical/environmental aspect?

Answer 30

• soil erosion as there is lack of interception and tree roots to bind soil particles
• frequent landslides as there is rapid runoff (leads to loss of lives)
• eroded soil pollutes rivers (leads to less food and water for those dependent on rivers) (loss of lives due to more flooding too
• soil fertility decreases as there is no decomposition
• species go extinct due to destruction of flora and fauna
• loss of valuable resources like plants with medicinal value
• lower rainfall, more carbon dioxide (global warming)
• haze due to burning of forests (health problems in throat and lungs)