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Human Activities altering Biomes - Coggle Diagram
Human Activities altering Biomes
Intro:
impact of economic activity and its development on the Amazon Rainforest
Commercial Logging( deforestion)
Economic benefits
initial good with the government selling license to commercially logging companies.
Hardwood trees
=> Mahogany which is exported to foreign markets in ~Eu.
Equipment
allows for large amount of trees to be felled in a
short
period of time
Long Term Effect
(negative)
3-4 football pitches
cut down per minute. ITs believed
8%
of all logging is
illegal
Deforestation
is the unsastababke removal of trees from an area.
In the Amazon has resulted in
20%
of it being felled and cleared.
irreversibly altered
Removal of trees has
destroyed natural habitats
.
Biodiversity has been lost
demonstrating the importance of
interdependencies
. Trees are cut down insects and bird and some animals loss their homes. Without these insects and bird
pollination
can be prevented resulting in decline of trees.
Medicine
experts believe many possible cures for known diseases have been lost.
30% of medicines
like aspirin originate in from plants in rainforest. n/B only a fraction of plants in these shaved regions have been tested for potential medicines.
Climate slowly altered
: water cycle has been effected which sees amazon producing half its own rainfall.
trees transpire
large amounts of water, so with deforestation and the loss of trees,
less moisture is entering the atmosphere for convectional rainfall
. Regions on outskirts now experiences periods of
drought
Native tribes
Yanomami=> no immunity to diseases like TB and measles which have been introduced by loggers. Tribe =>
sustainable
relationship with this biome when hunting and gathering but pop. dwindled.
Asian companies
of
1990s
continue massive scale logging => valuable timber, biome may be lost forever.
Intensive Agricultural Practices
Soya beans
have been genetically modified to grow in this climate resulting in
monoculture plantations
. Brazil is the
2nd largest producer
Cattle Ranching
accounts for
70-80%
of deforested area => increased demand from the global market for beef. Brazil are
largest beef exporters
to the EU and USA
Cash Crop
=> soya beans in brazil exported across the world as animal feed. Demand for cheaper food has caused
intensive agriculture to move further north into the rainforest
heavy rainfall
= removes topsoil
heavy leaching aka lateralisation
.
Lack of humus
from falling leaves reduces soil fertility. Soil is exposed to
direct sunlight
baking the soil, making it hard, impermeable to water and plant root=>
laterite
never recovered and soil =>
desert
.
Cattle ranchers just
move on to new are of deforested land
Brazil
is now a world leader in
export of farm produce
and they hope to
double their beef
production in the last four years. Contradicting their objective to reduce
rate of deforestation
Soil form this biome have been altered
. Deforestation => more soil erosion occurs with soils losing the fertility. Absents of
canopy layer
means no protect for the forest floor.
Slash and burn
=> expensive hardwood tress being destroyed. if
better managed
these hardwoods could be felled before , reducing need for deforestation in other area.
Clearing tech
destroys all local ecosystems and stop the nutrient cycle
(soil sustainability)
expensive fertilizers
farmer move to new area convert soil to
impermanable laterite soils
. Less water can be soaked =>
more water run-off
increasing load of rivers. Risk of flooding in lowlands area.
Brazilian Gov
=>
encourage people to move
from the densely pop. south eastern region to Amazon. Added to problem of clearing new land using
slash and burn techniques
Industrial Activity
Traveling by
plane and boat is easiest
but with the region becoming more economically important
new roads built
... destroying forest.
New oil and gas pipelines
.
The Amazon Basin =>
iron ore and copper
South Bahia =>
1/4 tones of copper concentrate
rainforest cleared
iron to be transported and removed
Forest
felled
for miner temporary homes.
Industrial activity
=> 1800s with new settlers harvesting the
rubber trees
. An inland
port
was built called
Manaus
to transport goods by Amazon river.
City of Manaus
capital of state region with a pop of
2.2 million
=> expanding further
Miner
from other regions mean they are often only concerns in
short-term profit
. Leave once ore extracted.
Little to no money invested
to repair damages to flora, faun and the biome.
Long distance roads
=>
Trans-amazonian Highway
cut apart the ecosystem. Certain animals never appear in the open and will never cross newly built roads.
Reduces pop. => mating
Increased
illegal loggers => easy access to area
Tribe live near by => wiped out due yo
pollution of water supplies
. Tribes are forced to move or even murdered trying to resist these major mining operations.
Dams =>
extremely negative impact
.
Indigenous people
forced out
destroying their culture and way of life
.
Large amounts of Methane and Carbon dioxide
released from flooded areas. Vegation under the water
slowly rots
Toxic substance
washed into soils and rivers destroying local wildlife. Mineral extraction use chemicals to extract concentrated ore =>
poisoning
local environment permanently
Hydroelectric power
=> majoirty of electricty.
70%
comes from its 160 HEP dams
. Tucurui dam =>
8730 mega-watts*
Mining
demand for
raw material
increased with Brazilian economy development. Key for
industrial development
=> increased exploitation.
Gold, Iron ore and bauxite
Govern use profits to
pay of debt
Gov
accouncened they will end the Amazon mega dam building project