The Amazon basin

Question 1

How is energy development an issue concerning deforestation

Answer 1

hydro-electric power accounts for 1% of total deforestation
e.g. Belo Monte
provides Brazil’s economy with much needed energy
not sustainable, dams can corrode due to acidic conditions, disrupt fish spawning behaviour in the lower down rivers, angering locals who rely on the forest and the river for a food supply

Question 2

how is road building a cause of deforestation

Answer 2

4000km amazon highway - Trans
provides economic expansion as well as accessibility but much deforestation occurs along this highway

Question 3

how does logging cause deforestation

Answer 3

selective logging - used to sell logs for expensive furniture or objects
represents 3% of deforestation
clear cutting used to clear space
reduces biodiversity but also promotes soil erosion as soil exposed to rainfall and heavy machinery

Question 4

how does subsistence and commercial farming contribute to deforestation

Answer 4

up to 90% of deforestation caused by this
Brazil is the worlds largest exporter of beef, large areas of land required and cleared for cattle farming, as Brazil becomes more globalised, beef becomes more in demand
small-scale subsistence farming is the cause of roughly 20% of deforestation

Question 5

how can farmers use techniques that are more environmentally friendly

Answer 5

shifted cultivation as cleared areas are likely to grow back

Question 6

how is mineral extraction a cause of deforestation

Answer 6

50k hectares cleared for gold extraction
multiplier effect for locals but criminal activity common in sites
crude work so large damages before gold is reached

Question 7

what are some economic impacts of deforestation

Answer 7

in 2008, 6.9million dollars in cattle trading
Brazil is 5th largest economy in the world

Question 8

what are some soil erosion impacts of deforestation

Answer 8

55 million tonnes of top soil lost every year
reducing capacity of rivers and streams, increasing risk of flooding
as well as reducing regeneration likelyhood

Question 9

what are some climate change impacts of deforestation

Answer 9

increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as far less trees in the atmosphere to absorb carbon dioxide for photosynthesis
less transpiration in plants, increases the risk of drought