DEFROESTATION IN THE AMAZON G1-OC Class Yisel & Maggie May,2010

Quiz Which country has the biggest portion of the Amazon rainforest? - Brazil What amount of the world’s fresh water is in the Amazon River basin? - 20% How many countries have part of the Amazon within their borders? - nine Which is the only river in the world longer than the Amazon. - Nile in Africa

Agenda Background History Causes Effects Solutions Conclusion References

What is deforestation? By logging and burning

Where is the Amazon?

Lungs of our planet The ninth largest if it were a country Recycling carbon dioxide into oxygen More than 20% of Earth’s oxygen 10 million species : plants, animals, and insects One-fifth of the world’s fresh water

History 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 Europeans Rubber production 1888 1912 Rubber production 1967 1988 Government policies 1994 Environmental movement 1995 new government incentives 2003 Brazilian cattle exports outpace Domestic markets

Breakdown of Causes

Government policies Land grants for deforesting and colonizing Credit and tax incentives for cattle ranching Roads built through the Amazon that increase access

Other causes Historic Factors : war, industrialization, colonization, etc. Population Growth : more people → more inhabited land → more deforestation Urbanization : city area increases → forest recede South America has highly urban populations. Urbanization levels are expected to reach 85 per cent by the year 2025

Other causes Climate change : climate change → local vegetation recede → deforestation Green house effect CO, Emission increase cause : the clearing of land for cattle, the need for land in increased soybean production, illegal logging.

Effects Rondônia, Brazil. Top:June 1985 Bottom: August 1992

Effects Loss of biodiversity : no trees → no shelter → no animals Soil erosion : no trees → no beneficial soil Ground water table : no soil or less soil → retain no or less water → the ground water levels reduced Floods : no trees → no (major) obstruction to flowing water →no chance to percolate into the ground→ cause flood Drought : water gone by flood / evaporation → drought Less carbon conversion : contributing to global warming

Solutions Reforestation Legislation Wildlife sanctuaries Cities Incentive to Corporate Commercial Forest Plantations Water Management

What can be done? Avoid beef products from Brazil! Recycling : more recycle → less disposable products → decrease deforestation Gas fireplaces : Use gas → less wood → deforestation decrease International Workshop on Solutions to Deforestation for Cattle Expansion is on Facebook

Conclusion Background History Causes Effects Solutions

References http://www.mongabay.com/brazil.html news.mongabay.com/2005/0827-brazil.html http://www.earthportal.org/?p=143 http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm www.unep.org/geo2000/ov-e/ioe9.htm www.realtruth.org/080207-001-weather.html www.france24.com/en/node/4934720 www.all-creatures.org/hope/gw/02_bio-fuels.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Rainforest http://www.buzzle.com/articles/deforestation-solutions.html http://www.facebook.com/pages/International-Workshop-on-Solutions-to-Deforestation-for-Cattle-Expansion/117348320487