The Tropical Rainforest in Brazil - Causes of Deforestation - Paper 1

Question 1

What are two ways the rainforest is being exploited?

Answer 1

-By using it’s resources, such as timber, water and minerals

-By clearing the forest to make way for other activities, such as growing crops and rearing live stock.

Question 2

What are the 4 main resource-exploiting activities?

Answer 2

-Logging
-Mineral Extraction
-Energy development
-Illegal trade in wildlife

Question 3

What 4 activities are causing the forest to be cleared?

Answer 3

-Commercial farming: Cattle
-Commercial farming: Crops
-Road building
-Settlement and population growth

Question 4

What is logging?

Answer 4

The first step in the conversion of forest land to other uses.

Question 5

What is selective logging?

Answer 5

Timber companies are most interested in specific types of trees such as mahogany, to sell them to other countries to make furniture.

Question 6

What is clear felling?

Answer 6

Vast areas of rainforest are cleared in one go.

Question 7

What mineral is mining mainly about in the Amazon?

Answer 7

Gold.

Question 8

How many hectares of land were used for gold mining in 1999?

Answer 8

10,000 hectares.

Question 9

How many hectares of land are used for gold mining today?

Answer 9

Over 50,000 hectares

Question 10

What mineral other than gold is extracted from the rainforest?

Answer 10

Bauxite, from which aluminium is made.

Question 11

What type of energy source is encouraged by the rainforest’s unlimited supply of water and ideal river conditions.

Answer 11

Hydroelectric power.

Question 12

Why do dams for hydroelectric power have short lives?

Answer 12

Vast areas of flooded rainforest is submerged and begins to rot, making the water very acidic. This then corrodes the HEP turbines.

Question 13

How do dams for hydroelectric power get blocked?

Answer 13

Soil washes down deforested slopes because of heavy rain and blocks the dams.

Question 14

How is illegal trade in wildlife degrading the rainforest instead of deforesting?

Answer 14

It upsets the natural balance of the rainforest ecosystem.

Question 15

What are 2 examples of animals who have become endangered from hunting, poaching and trafficking of wildlife?

Answer 15

The jaguar and the golden lion tamarind.

Question 16

How much of the destruction of the rainforest has been for the the rearing of cattle?

Answer 16

80%.

Question 17

Can the land on cattle pastures be used for a long or short time? Why?

Answer 17

The land cannot be used for long as the quality of the pasture declines very quickly.

Question 18

Why has there been so much destruction of land for the purpose of cattle farming?

Answer 18

The quality of the pastures declines very quickly so cattle farmers have to move on and destroy more rainforest to create new cattle pastures.

Question 19

What are 3 examples of crops grown where the forest is cleared to grow them?

Answer 19

Bananas, palm oil and sugar cane.

Question 20

How much of a difference was there for rainforest cleared for soybean production in the years 1990 and 2010.

Answer 20

The amount of rainforest cleared has doubled between 1990 and 2010.

Question 21

What crop is becoming major for biofuel?

Answer 21

Sugar cane.

Question 22

Why do crop farmers have to find new land quickly like cattle farmers?

Answer 22

As with cattle ranching, the soil will not sustain crops for long.

Question 23

How can road building for one commercial activity allow the rainforest to be exploited even more?

Answer 23

It can make the forest more accessible and expose remote areas to other exploiters of the of the tropical rainforest’s resources.

Question 24

What an example of a road constructed in the Amazon?

Answer 24

The Trans-Amazonian Highway.

Question 25

When did the Trans-Amazonian Highway begin construction?

Answer 25

1972.

Question 26

How long is the Trans-Amazonian Highway?

Answer 26

4000 km.

Question 27

Give an example of a mine in Brazil:

Answer 27

The largest iron ore mine in the world is at Carajas, which is worked by 3,000 people and runs 24 hours a day.

Question 28

How many dams are planned for the amazon alone?

Answer 28

150

Question 29

Give an example of a dam constructed in the Amazon:

Answer 29

The huge Belo Monte dam started operating in April 2016 and will generate over 11,000Mw of power.

Question 30

Give an example of a new dam scheme which has been held up from concerns:

Answer 30

A new scheme for the 8,000 Mw Sao Luiz do Tapajos dam has been held up because of the concerns over the impacts of the local Munduruku people.

Question 31

Describe the Brazilian Amazon’s population growth:

Answer 31

It grew by a massive 23% between 2000 and 2010, 11% above the national average.