Exploitation of the Tropical Rainforest (OCR GCSE Geography)

• All ecosystems provide goods and services
• There are resources and opportunities provided by the rainforest both in its natural state and once it is cleared of rainforest

Goods 

• Goods are tangible products which can be taken from the ecosystem
• Goods include:
  • Building materials
  • Existing food crops
  • Wild meat and fish
  • Water
  • Medicines
  • Energy 

Services

• The services provided by ecosystems are essential for life to survive
• They include:
  • Nutrient recycling
  • Gas exchange 
  • Water cycle 
  • Climate regulation
  • Soil quality
  • Disease and pest control
  • Leisure and recreation
  • Cultural heritage
• Gas exchange is of particular importance on a global as well as local level
  • Plants and trees absorb CO₂ during photosynthesis and emitting oxygen
  • The rainforest is often referred to as the lungs of the world
• The tropical rainforest is one of the largest global carbon sinks

Value to people

• Indigenous communities such as the Awá in Brazil depend on the rainforest for food, materials, fuel and medicines
  • People obtain food by hunting, gathering and fishing
  • Homes, clothes and tools are made from the natural resources of the forest
  • Land is cultivated in small areas at a time through a process called shifting cultivation
• There are many resources such as gold, iron ore and other valuable minerals 
• Many of the products we eat and use today have their origins in the tropical rainforest including:
  • Sugar
  • Nuts
  • Rubber
  • Perfumes
  • Bananas
• Many of the modern medicines that we rely upon have come from rainforest plants including 25% of the ingredients used in cancer treatment drugs
• Hydroelectric power (HEP) is common due to the amount of available water
• There are many employment opportunities:
  • Agriculture
  • Logging
  • Tourism
  • Mining
  • Construction

Value to the environment

• The tropical rainforest is an important source of freshwater - about 20% of the world's freshwater
• Over 50% of the world's plants and animals are found in the tropical rainforests
• As a carbon sink the rainforests are vital in controlling the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere so limiting global warming
• The tree and plant roots help to hold the soil together and shelter the ground. This reduces soil erosion

• The majority of rainforests are located in:
  • Low-income developing countries (LIDCs) such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
  • Emerging and developing countries (EDCs) such as Brazil
• The main human impact on tropical rainforests is deforestation

Causes of deforestation

• There are six main human causes of deforestation
• Wildfires are a natural cause of deforestation:
  • The frequency and severity of wildfires have increased this is linked to human-induced climate change

Human Causes of Deforestation

Human causes of deforestation

Environmental impacts of deforestation

• Areas that have been deforested are planted with monoculture which reduces biodiversity
• Interception and infiltration decrease which reduces evapotranspiration and as a result precipitation decreases
• This also increases overland flow which leads to soil erosion and sedimentation of the rivers
• Sediment builds up on riverbeds reducing their capacity and increasing the flood risk
• Lack of interception increases the leaching of nutrients
• Fewer trees increase the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere adding to the enhanced greenhouse effect
• Soils become less fertile and drier

Environmental Impacts of Deforestation

Environmental impacts of deforestation

Social impacts of deforestation

• Indigenous communities have less land to sustain their traditional way of life this means:
• • Land does not get the opportunity to recover
  • Less food available 
• Improved quality of life for some people due to increased income and jobs
• Indigenous communities may give up their way of life leading to a loss of culture and traditions
• Increased risk of landslides which can destroy homes and block roads
• Loss of potential medicines 
• Increased risk of flooding settlements

Economic impacts of deforestation

• More jobs available in mining, forestry, agriculture and HEP
• Increased income for the country through the export of goods from the forest - minerals, timber, crops
• Almost a quarter of Brazil's GDP comes from activities in the deforested areas of the Amazon

Rate of deforestation

• The global rate of deforestation peaked in the 1980s when 151 million hectares of forest was felled
• The rate has now slowed with a 47 million hectare net loss (the number of trees felled minus the number of trees planted)
• This is due to increasing recognition of the value of rainforests as natural capital