2: Tropical Rainforests

• What are the impacts of deforestation in Malaysia?

  - Soil erosion

  - Loss of biodiversity

  - Contribution to climate change

  - Economic development
• Why is soil erosion an impact of deforestation?

  -soil takes thousands of years to form-but can be stripped away in hours

  -soil erosion is the removal of soil by wind and rain

  -the roots of trees and plants bind the soil together

  Deforestation means that soil can easily become loose and erode away
• Why is the loss of biodiversity an impact of deforestation?

  -Deforestation destroys the ecosystem and the many habitats that exist on the ground and in the trees
• Describe biodiversity in the Main Range, Peninsular Malaysia

  -Its an upland region stretching for 500km

  -its important because it is the largest area of continuous forest left in Peninsular Malaysia and has 600 species.

  -It still has many undiscovered plants that can have medicinal qualities
• Why is an impact of deforestation contribute to climate change?

  -During photosynthesis, trees absorb C02 and emit oxygen, CO2 is a greenhouse gas that is partly responsible for global warming. By absorbing C02 trees can store the carbon and help to reduce the rate of global warming.

  deforestation affects the climate because:

  -trees give off moisture by transpiration: deforestation reduces the moisture in the air resulting in a drier climate

  -the process of evaporation uses heat and cools the air; if trees are cut down, this cooling ceases and temperatures rise.
• What are the economic gains of deforestation?

  -Development of land for mining, farming and energy will lead to jobs both directly (construction, farming) and indirectly (supply and support industries)

  -Hydro-electric power developments in the rainforest will provide cheap and plentiful energy, in addition to providing skilled jobs for local people

  -Minerals extracted from mines, such as gold and diamonds are very valuable

  -Companies will pay taxes to the government which can be used to improve public services, such as education and water supply

  -Improved transport infrastructure opens up new areas for industrial development and tourism, and also improves quality of life for local people in addition to allowing a wider availability of jobs due to easier accessbility
• What are the economic losses of deforestation?

  - Plants that may have important medicinal properties could be made extinct

  -Fires can cause harmful pollution. They can burn out of control, destroying vast areas of valuable forest

  -The number of tourists attracted by tourists could decrease

  -Rising temperatures could devastate some forms of farming such as growing tea, fruit and flowers
• What is the rate of deforestation?

  Every 2s an area of rainforest the size of a football field is destroyed

  an area the size of China has been lost
• By how much have deforestation rates fallen in Brazil since 2004?

  by nearly 80%
• How have Brazil decreased their rate of deforestation?

  -Brazilian government has cracked down on illegal deforestation

  -Brazil is committed to reducing carbon emissions to tackle climate change

  -Brazil is leading the world in conservation - over 1/2 of the Amazon is now protected

  -Consumer pressure not to use products from deforested areas has led to a decline in cattle farming
• Why should rainforests be protected?

  -25%of medicines come from rainforest plants and more then 200 plants have anti-cancer properties

  -contain 50% of the world's plants and animals and some plants become extinct before they are discovered

  -Rainforest trees provide valuable hardwoods, nuts, fruits etc.

  -Rainforests absorb and store CO2

  -indigenous tribes live in harmony in rainforests and don't cause long term harm

  -Rainforests are important sources of clean water (e.g. 20% of the world's freshwater comes from the Amazon Basin)

  -28% of the world's oxygen comes from rainforests
• Who are the Penan tribe and where are they located?

  They are hunter-gathers who live in rainforests of the interior of Sarawak, in the Malaysian part of the island of Borneo
• Why are the Penan tribe suffering?

  They rely on the forests for their existence but the Sarawak state government doesn't recognise their rights to the land, so since the 1970s the government has backed large scale commercial logging on tribal land. In 1987 many Penan communities protested against the logging by blockading the roads cut through the forest by the logging companies

  The government now plans to build 12 new hydroelectric dams which will lead to flooding many villages belonging to Penan and many indigenous tribes.
• Why do rainforests need to be managed sustainably?

  - Ensure that they remain a lasting resource for future generations

  - Harness valuable resources without causing long-term damage to the environment
• Ways tropical rainforests can be managed sustainably

  -selective logging and replanting

  -conservation and education

  -ecotourism

  -international agreements
• Explain selective logging and replanting

  -the most damaging form of deforestation is clear felling - all trees are destroyed and the ecosystem is destroyed

  -A more sustainable approach- selective logging which is managed carefully
• Give an example of selective logging and replanting

  Introduced in Malaysia in 1977- 'Selective Management System'

  -2 years before felling: pre-felling study to identify what their is

  -the cycle begins again of cutting and replanting trees 30-40yrs after felling
• Explain conservation and education

  -rainforest preserved in conservation areas eg national parks or nature reserves- these areas can be used for education, scientific research or tourism

  -large international businesses have supported conservation projects in exchange for carrying out scientific research or the provision of raw materials
• Give an example of conservation and education

  Givaudan - a Swiss perfume company

  -they work with conservation international

  -they aim to protect 148,000ha of rainforest in Venezuela

  -local people are encouraged to harvest and market tonka beans

  -a warehouse where beans can be dried and stored was built in 2012- improves their quality and value
• Explain ecotourism

  -Aims to introduce people to the natural world, benefit local communities and protect the environment for the future

  -provides local people with jobs

  -increases awareness of the value of the rainforest to people in other countries
• examples of ecotourism

  -countries like Costa Rica, Belize and Malaysia have promoted their forests for ecotourism

  -ECOMY= Ecotourism and COnservation in MalaYsia

  -founded in 2015

  -Projects include 'Nature Guides Mentorship Programme' which gives local people training and jobs, merchandising of 'Birds of Malaysia' artwork, t-shirts and badges and talks and presentations to provide education to visitors
• Explain international agreements

  -Rainforests absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, release oxygen and maintain levels of humidity

  -International agreements have bee made to help protect rainforests
• Give examples of international agreements

  Hardwood Forestry

  -The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international organisation that promotes sustainable forestry

  -They try to educate manufacturers and consumers about the need to buy sustainable hardwood

  -Aim to reduce demand for rare and valuabe hardwoods

  Debt Reduction

  -some countries have borrowed money to fund developments

  -some donor countries and organisations have reduced debts in return for agreement that rainforests will not be destroyed