Rainforest protection is a global issue that affects the entire humanity. The paper identifies the problems caused by rainforest deforestation. It discusses the measures that should be taken in order to preserve rainforests. Outline Introduction Discussion Problem statement Economic issues connection with rainforest deforestation Environmental effects of deforestation problem solving, ways to preserve rainforests Conclusion Rainforest Deforestation One of the major issues confronting the world today is the environmental impact of deforestation. For a very long time, people have depended on forests to supply their primary needs food and shelter, for instance and up until the present time, the forests are still considered as an important resource. Currently, the business sector and environmental groups continue to debate the issues revolving on deforestation. Most affected perhaps, are the tropical rainforests regions where the environmental risks are considerably higher and where forest products are a major economic resource.
The Essay on Rainforest Deforestation
RETELL: BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE AMAZON RAINFOREST AND OTHER RAINFORESTS The Amazon rainforest is the world's largest tropical rainforest. It covers approximately 2 million square miles in the Amazon River Basin of South America (Lyman 1998, 61) About two-thirds of the rainforest lies in Brazil. The forest also covers parts of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Columbia, and Venezuela (Lyman 1998, 32) ...
The issue of continuous deforestation of tropical rainforests is not one that should be taken lightly, nor should it be set aside in the name of economic progress. If the economic advantages of forestry is to be considered as much as the environmental impact of forestry activities, then a resolution has to be formed between economics and environment. Deforestation activities in tropical rainforests have increased over the years due to higher demand for timber for the furniture, construction sector, and pulp and paper industries. The situation is worsened by the continuously growing local populations and their demands for agricultural expansion and wood fuel. Deforestation in the tropical regions became rampant as logging became a profitable business, with unwavering market demands. Deforestation is a problem with global consequences. Recently, Brazils Amazon rainforest has come center stage prompted by concerns for a warming planet.
In 1991, it was predicted that at current deforestation rates, only scattered remnants of tropical rainforests will exist and a quarter of all species on Earth will be extinct by the time today’s preschoolers retire (Binswanger, 1991).
This rapid rate of deforestation raises concern in a number of different environmental issues such as biodiversity loss and global warming (Binswanger, 1991).
Rainforests are also cleared to provide land for farming or cattle ranching. In some countries, especially in Brazil, the act of clearing the land confers legal title or ownership on the person doing the clearing: moving into the rainforest and clearing land thus becomes one way for the landless to own property in many poor countries. However, statistics reveal just who is benefiting from land speculation: 93% of the arable land is owned by 7% of the landowners (Anderson, A. 1990).
The Brazilian government support and encourage migration to rainforest areas; not only does such migration reduce population pressures on the cities, but it also ensures national sovereignty in unprotected or undefended frontier territories.
Once the land is cleared of trees, crops may be planted. However, rainforests typically have very shallow soil, not suited to agriculture, and can be cultivated for only 2 or 3 years on average. Environment experts sometimes label the ranchers in Brazil as predatory occupants of the Amazon. They are known to grab as much land since the governments law had declared ownership to the individual who cleared the land and put it to effective use. Thus, the rich ranchers are seen as the main culprits here. They clear large tracts of land for their own selfish use. Around 23 of the 28 largest landowners in Brazil have their immense estates in the Amazon region covering more than 60 million acres, (Amazon Conservation: How to Save the Amazon Rainforest).
The Term Paper on Deforestation In The Amazon Rainforest
... tropical products. The only reason deforestation is happening is because MEDC countries have a high demand for the Amazon's natural resources. The rainforest ... soil. Soil fertility will decrease and erosion will increase. This will increase flooding and make farming difficult. ! Some ... This means that the amount of farming land grows but the amazon rainforest is being destroyed. Although vast amounts ...
The loss of Brazils rainforests also causes heavier rainfall and stronger storms in various parts of the world. Since the world climate and weather are generally dependent on the sun heating the surface of the earth, the reduction of rainforest canopies naturally causes major changes in the usual weather patterns. First, with the absence of vegetative covers, the sun directly heats the soil, which reflects solar radiation back to the atmosphere, but with the presence of greenhouse gases, the heat is simply trapped in the atmosphere. The warming also increases the water-holding capacity of the atmosphere. Thomas R, Karl explains that the increased availability of water vapor in the atmosphere also leads to a significant increase in the energy available to drive storms and associated weather fronts, therefore affecting rainfall rates, precipitation amounts, storm intensity, and related runoff.(Karl, Tomas).
The situation is worsened as the more violent storms easily inflict damage to human settlements that used to be protected by rainforests. Recently, there have been increasing reports of landslides and major floods in valleys adjacent to what used to be tropical rainforests. These natural calamities have resulted in the loss of thousands of lives and millions of dollars in livelihood.
Tropical rainforests protect those human settlements through their tree roots that can absorb large amounts of precipitation and rapid runoff. Rainforests also promote land stability, without which, landslides are more likely to occur. Without vegetative cover, the soil is easily exposed to torrents and erosion. Even if the rainforests are reforested, the roots of the young trees will not be strong enough to absorb the tremendous amount of precipitation. The young forests will also be unable to take on the impact of large storms and deluge. Without the rainforests to absorb runoff, the soil becomes saturated, causing floods in the valleys where human settlements are concentrated. The rainforests are also essential in protecting watersheds as they prevent excessive evaporation of watershed areas through their canopies.
The Essay on Water Pollution 16
Water Pollution People keep on throwing trash and industrial wastes into our clean water. If this continues, the quality of our water will deteriorate, and without it everything dies, including us. Water pollution is destroying our world, but fortunately we can count on special treatments for this kind of problem. What is water pollution? "It is the contamination of water by foreign matter such as ...
The roots also hold large amounts of water, thus ensuring that there is enough water stored in the aquifers for irrigation and water supply. The loss of rainforests exposes the watershed areas to drought and siltation, affecting water supply for human consumption and for agriculture. Continuous deforestation activities could result in an overpopulated earth that is suffering from water supply shortage. Another important factor in solving the issues of continued deforestation is the cooperation of local communities, which surround rainforests and rely on slash and burn activities to meet their immediate needs. Even with government restrictions on rainforest areas, forest degradation will still most likely to occur if the local communities are not made aware of the environmental impact and the long-term economic disadvantages that logging activities will bring. Massive reforestation projects also need to be enforced to replace lost forests. The problem with this is that sometimes, it is too late for reforestation, as young replacement trees could not withstand the strong storms and winds.
In ideal and actual rainforest scenarios, mature trees, with stronger roots and larger canopies, protect those young trees. Even with the drawbacks, governments need to pursue reforestation programs as they are significant measures in resolving the current problems of the environment. In summation, this paper recognizes that there is an urgent need to look into the causes of the deforestation in Brazil and seek measures to solve them. If Brazil is to progress, it must contribute more to the search for truths and values and to their dissemination than to the mere surface remedy of critical areas. Brazils deforestation problem is not an easy one to solve. It needs the help from all sectors of its society before a glint of hope is seen. But that is better than not doing any recourse at all.
The Essay on In Your Opinion Are Water Resources Over Or Undervalued In The United States
In your opinion are water resources over or undervalued in the United States? Water is the most important life element to humans after oxygen. Without water human can live only up to 3 days after which they would die. Today water represents a great and profitable industry for the fact that the producers of the main US soft drinks need water, as well as the ordinary citizen who use water for their ...
There are some areas that need further research. The responses of man to his environment cannot be described merely in terms of immediate direct effects, but must be regarded as dynamic processes, conditioned by the adaptive powers of the organisms, and often resulting in long-range cumulative alterations. An area that may need further research is the need to look for other means of preserving the forests utilizing local and cheap sources. This would need some creative minds of experts to dwell on this area but it is worth looking into. There is also a need to look into financial institutions about its policies for lending money to developing countries. Some questions that need to be further explored: Are projects screened for their environmental impact? Is financing given only to those projects that do not harm the environment? Can forums be formed as venues to discuss issues with people or professional associations whose work may in some way be related to the rainforests.
How can we encourage professional associations to develop a code of conduct with respect to rainforest products? Mans future rests heavily on the collective utilization of his intelligence; on his seeking verifiable truths; on his developing curiosity, satisfying motives, and the desire for understanding and on his skill in reaching sound judgments. Brazil is a land of excellent biological diversity. Thus, any kind of problem here, especially that of deforestation, is worth looking into. The continuing disappearance of the wild lands is a sad fact. But it is never too late. Authorities need to take measures of preserving these hotbeds of biodiversity because that is also like preserving a part of us.
Bibliography:
Anderson, A.
(1990).
Smokestacks in the Rainforest: Industrial Development and Deforestation in the Amazon Basin. World Development, vol. 18, no. 9 pp. 1191-1205.
Amazon Conservation: How to Save the Amazon Rainforest. http://rainforests.mongabay.com/amazon/amazon_cons ervation.html#protect Binswanger, H. (1991).
Brazilian Policies that Encourage Deforestation in the Amazon World Development, vol. 19, no. 7 (1991): pp. 821-829. http://www.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/defor-bra zil.html Karl, Thomas R. Global Warming and the Earths Water Cycle: What Do the Changes Mean and Why Be Concerned? U.S.
The Research paper on Amazon Deforestation Land Rainforest Cattle
The battle for the Amazon rainforest is a daunting task. Its a long going battle between miners, loggers, and developers against the indigenous people who call it home. Its a battle like any battle in a war; it affects lives, families, the economy, politics, and the environment amongst other things. The main topic of this debate is the effects of the Amazon deforestation on the people who live in ...
Global Change Research Program Seminar. http://www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/seminars/971105DD.htm l Karl, Thomas R. Global Warming and the Earths Water Cycle: What Do the Changes Mean and Why Be Concerned? U.S. Global Change Research Program Seminar. http://www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/seminars/971105DD.htm l Urquhart, Gerald, Walter Chomentowski, David Skole, and Chris Barber. Tropical Deforestation. Earth Observatory. http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/texis/web inator/printall?/Library/Deforestation/index.html.