Friday, September 27, 2013

Sources

De Blij, Muler, Nijman. Regions. Geography realms, regions and concepts. Chapter. The South American Realm. Page 241-242. Section:Economic Geography. Agriculture Land Use and Deforestation. 


How to Help


Although there are no set ways to end deforestation in the Brazilian amazon, we can take steps to help with the cause. There are many nonprofit organizations that strive to end the deforestation process. Some of those organizations include:

1          Conservation International -- teaches local farmers how to maximize their existing land, rather than clear new areas
2.      The World Wildlife Fund -- works to shape policies and teams with communities to preserve forests
3.      Rainforest Action Network -- uses in-your-face advertising campaigns to call attention to the rainforests
4.      The Environmental Defense Fund -- champions government bills that provide financial incentive to private landowners (such as farmers) who practice land conservation
5.      The Sierra Club -- works to protect and restore U.S. forests
6.      Amazon Watch -- defends the rights of indigenous people and communities faced with industrial development
7.      The Nature Conservancy -- has developed several initiatives to advance conservation



Major impacts



All of these diverse forms of deforestation are having several different impacts on our environment, and our amazons. These forests that make up our Amazons are each important, to the carbon amounts and water cycle that contribute to natural life on earth. By knocking down these trees (Logging), we are having a loss of species. Burning the trees is causing an increase of carbon emissions into the atmosphere, which is leading to climate change. Because trees have such an important part in the water cycle, cutting down the forests is causing the climates to become drier. Then, lastly, by affecting the water systems deforestation is causing the life quality in these amazons to decrease rapidly, which contributes to poor health for the population of these areas.

Location: Amazon territories

Date: 2008

Chapter/ Page Relevance: "The South American Realm" Chapter,
"Agriculture Land Use and Deforestation" Section (Pg. 243)


Key terms/ Concepts: Climate Change, Quality of life, population

Fires


According to the “National Space Research Institute,” in 1995 burning and logging destroyed more rain forests in Brazil than in any other previous years. Although most of these fires are set to abolish the forests, some are simply caused by farmers attempting to burn their pastures. One of the main issues deforestation by burning brings is the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. These trees that are being burned down each contain twenty percent carbon dioxide, which when burnt down, adds about six billion tons of the damaging gas to enter the atmosphere each year. This leads up to concerns, such as Global Warming, that in turn later leads to climate change.

Location: Amazon Rain forest

Date: 2000-2005

Chapter/ Page Relevance: "The South American Realm" Chapter,
"Agriculture Land Use and Deforestation" Section (Pg. 241)


Key terms/ Concepts: Climate (Pg. 15), Climate Change 

Logging


Logging is another cause that is leading to deforestation. Logging is the cutting down of trees for things such as, products for fuel, or for harvesting lumber for wood, and many other factors. Like other causes of deforestation, logging has a huge effect on the environment in several ways. A recent study was done in the Tapajós National Forest in the Brazilian Amazon, to see how the logged areas would reconstruct after being torn down. The study showed that after the logging occurs, there is a growth stimulated; however it only survived a small period of time, and by three years the growth had stopped. As a result, once the logging is completed, we can never full gain back these parts of our Amazon.

Location: RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil                                                                                                                              

Date: February 27, 2008

Chapter/ Page Relevance: "The South American Realm" Chapter,
"Agriculture Land Use and Deforestation" Section (Pg. 242)


Key terms/ Concepts: Logging, Amazon 

Small scale and Large Scale Agriculture



Small Scale and Large Scale Agriculture are also a part of deforestation causes. Small Scale or, Subsistence agriculture, deals with cutting down trees but mainly for farming families. This is about twenty to twenty five percent of deforestation causes.  While large Scale commercial agriculture, or more commonly known as Commercial farming, is a type of farming that is performed on a larger scale. These farmers use machines such as tractors and harvesters to clear out the areas and begin their farming. In Latin America, Commercial farming takes up about five to ten percent of the deforestation causes. Studies show that two thirds of all cut forests are due to this agriculture.

Location: Amazon Basin/Brazil

Date: 2010/February 17th

Chapter/ Page Relevance: "The South American Realm" Chapter,

"Agriculture Land Use and Deforestation" Section (Pg. 242)

Key terms/ Concepts: Subsistence agriculture, Commercial Agriculture


Large Scale, Small Scale farming 

Cattle Ranching


Although there are many causes of deforestation, today the most common source is Cattle Ranching in the area. Once government procedures started to change, along with the new roads, cattle ranchers’ began to settle. The beef market in Brazil is one of the highest leading industries, reasons for that would be the decline of real estate prices, and the increase of prices on beef products. Also, because the government was so encouraging for these ranchers to begin their farming, many jumped right in to the process. This of course caused deforestation by cattle ranching to rise quickly. However, according to the National Wildlife Federation, many steps have been taking to change the impact cattle ranching has on our deforestation rates.

Date: 2004

Chapter/ Page Relevance: "The South American Realm" Chapter,

"Agriculture Land Use and Deforestation" Section (Pg. 241)

Key terms/ Concepts: Cattle Ranching, Large Scale Agriculture


Small Scale Agriculture, Logging,