Amazon Rainforest

• Changing rates of deforestation

  Deforestation rates remain high in Brazil
• Causes of deforestation

  Logging, road building, settlement and population growth, energy development, mineral extraction and subsistence and commercial farming
• Causes of deforestation - Logging

  Logging - Trees are cut down and turned into paper or furniture. The Brazilian government can export this and get money
• Causes of deforestation - Road building

  Road building - Trees are also cleared for roads. It opens up remote areas of the rainforest making it more accessible and under threat from development
• Causes of deforestation - Settlement and population growth

  Settlement and population growth - Many people are migrating to the forest looking for work associated with the natural wealth of this environment. This means more settlements need to be built.
• Causes of deforestation - Energy development

  Energy development - 150 new dams are planned for the Amazon alone to generate hydroelectric power. The dams displace many people and the reservoirs flood large areas of land
• Causes of deforestation - Mineral extraction

  Mineral extraction - Trees are cleared to make way for huge mines. The mines in the Amazon extract iron, copper and lead ...
• Causes of deforestation - Subsistence and commercial farming

  Subsistence and commercial farming - Subsistence farming is where poor farmers clear forests and then burn it to grow food to feed their family. They grow crops until the soil is exhausted and then move on elsewhere

  Commercial farming contributes more to deforestation. It's on a larger scale
• Impacts of deforesation

  Economic development, climate change, loss of biodiversity
• Impacts of deforestation - Economic Developmen

  Brazil uses their forests as a way to develop their country.

  • The forest has many natural riches that can be exploited.
  • Brazilians see deforestation as a way to develop their country and improve people's standards of living
• Impacts of deforestation - Climate change

  The loss of trees reduces the rainforests' capacity to absorb carbon dioxide.

  Burning trees to clear them also releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

  Trees also give off moisture by transpiration. Deforestation reduces the moisture in the air, resulting in a drier climate.
• Impacts of deforestation - Loss of biodiversity

  Everytime forest is cleared, species are lost, so we lose biodiversity.

  It is estimated 137 species are lost per day