Deforestation dimitar d, simona, veselin
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Transcript of Deforestation dimitar d, simona, veselin
Veselin KaradjovDimitar DrumevSimona Zahova
What is it?Cutting down treesElimanating huge land masses of woods and forestsThinning/dearing of forestsMay vary from a small area to areas bigger than a country
http://www.all-creatures.org/hope/gw/amazon_deforestation.jpg
Ecological Impacts part 1Selective logging – increases the flammability of
the forestDeforested land – turns into steep mountain
hillsides – no roots, high rainfalls and slopes leads to landslides – kill people/land
Forests are “Earth’s lungs” – they produce O2, which is vital for most of the ogranisms
No CO2 absorbed – as trees grow they sequester carbon in the form of wood and other biomass, taking it from the atmosphere as CO2
CO2 released as woods decomposes or is burned
Ecological Impacts Part 2Loss of living spaceAnimals die – tropical forests – the greatest
concentration of animal and plant species – 2/3 of the species on the planet – as deforestation proceeds it may cause the extinction of species
Trees and plants dieRain forests help generate rainfall – no
rainfall any moreCause drought
Causes Part 1Earth’s total croplands – 15 mil. Sq. km., 11
of which from deforested land
Tropical forests cut down:Croplands – 2 millions square kilometersGrazing – from 5 to 9 mil. Sq. Km.Commercial loggingPlantations of rubber trees, oil palms, or
other economically valuable treesProduction of paper
Causes Part 2Temperate forests cut down:Croplands – 9 millions square kilometersGrazing – at least 2 mil. Sq. Km. only in
Europe and North AmericaSlash-and-burn agriculture – small areas are
cut down and then crops are grow, thanks to the fertilized soil by the ashes
Timber productionWood used as fuelProduction of paper
Solution Sustainable forestry – way of management a
forest that makes it inexhaustible of the resources humans need
Uneven age management – the cutting of the trees in a forest at different periods of timeSelective cutting – very little of the trees are cut
and at different periods of time so the life in the forest does not really change
Shelterbelt – many trees are cut and are left only those who could make a shelter from wind to provide a friendlier environment for new species
SolutionEven-age management – the cutting of the trees in
a forest at the same time Clear-cutting – cutting absolutely all trees allowing
new species to realize their fundamental niches (due to the newly present lack of shadow)
Shelter-wood cutting – lowering the competition between the plants and offering a semi-shadowed environment which again allows new species to grow
Seed-tree cutting – cutting almost all trees and leaving just a few for reproduction; after they have reproduced, they are cut too
SolutionTree Plantations – getting the timber humans
need from artificially planted forests Advantages – decrease n cutting natural
forests + serving the environmentDisadvantages – a lot of them need to be
planted in order to make a difference and that will lead to the extinction of a lot of species
• Forest plantations in Brazil supplied 102.9 million m3 of timber in 2001
Amazon DeforestationBiggest rainforest on EarthCauses : 1/3- subsistence agriculture and 2/3-
other economic activities: Clearing for cattle pasture Infrastructure construction Commercial agriculture Logging Floods caused by hydroelectric projects
Amazon Deforestation1. Clearing for Cattle PastureSince 1970s38% of the total deforestation in the AmazonIncrease in meat exports Demand for more
land2. Subsistence agriculturePoor farmers are encouraged to settle there
by gov’t policiesUse fire to clear the forest
Amazon Deforestation3. InfrastructureRoads provide access to new logging and
mining sitesTrans-Amazonian Highway- rapid increase in
deforestation4. Commercial Agriculture – soybean export5. LoggingOnly in designated areas, but there is illegal
logging.
http://www.jabulela.com/files/media/Deforestation-Amazon.jpg
http://www.rechargenews.com/multimedia/archive/00027/amaz2_27672a.JPG
Works citedButtler, Rhet. "Deforestation in the Amazon". Mongabay.com. 16 June 2010 <http://www.mongabay.com/brazil.html>.Butler, Rhet. "Reduced Impact Logging." Mongabay.com. Rhet Buttler, 2010. Web. 15 June 2010. http://rainforests.mongabay.com/1011.htm"deforestation." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2010."Environmental Studies." Spark Notes. SparkNotes, 2009. Web. 15 June 2010.http://sparkcharts.sparknotes.com/gensci/envsci/section3.php May, Peter. "FOREST CERTIFICATION IN BRAZIL: ." WTO. WTO, 2003. Web. 15 June 2010. <http://www.wto.org/english/forums_e/ngo_e/ccc_cert_forest_brazil_e.doc>.