While rainforests furnish two billion people with livelihoods, their services benefit billions more. Unfortunately, the damage does not end there. Scientific American. A., Bustamante, M. R., Coloma, L. A., Consuegra, J. In addition, there is neither summer nor winter in the tropical rainforests, but it usually is hot and wet all months of the year with frequent and heavy rains. In Britain we destroyed our ancient forests thousands of years ago and used the land for farming. Have you heard of palm oil? Rainforests are forests which grow in areas of high rainfall. See our orangutan factsheet below for more information. Agriculture, and the steps and infrastructures needed to maintain these industries, are destroying the Amazon rainforest with alarming speed. The loss of nature is a threat to humans as well as to animals, and the loss of tropical rainforests results in significant Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions that drive climate change. Beneath rainforests there often lies a wealth of natural resources in the form of mineral and gold deposits. The big companies and governments who propose these developments of the rainforest usually offer incentives for the affected people such as jobs, schools and clinics. That’s because tropical forest are the functional lungs of the earth. Unfortunately, the building of hydro-electric dams often results in major flooding which harms wildlife and can change the eco-system of the river downstream. This renewable “green” source of energy, ironically is to blame for some environmental destruction, for example in the Amazon when the Tucuri dam was built. China, with its growing demands for beef has in recent years become the largest consumer of soya from Brazil. The disappearance of the forest is called deforestation. Tree biomass stores carbon through photosynthesis, so deforestation contributes to carbon emissions. The Rainforest Alliance has long worked to conserve tropical forests—a vital defense against climate change—by partnering with forest communities on improved land management practices. Current rates of deforestation amount to about 6 million hectares a year. Tropical rainforests experience this tropical climate, a climate without any dry season. Imported products are products grown or made in other countries and then shipped to the UK, the opposite of this is exports - products made in the UK and sent to other countries. These changes became apparent in the mid to late 20 th century and are a result of the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels.No ecosystem on earth is safe from climate change; it affects animals, plants, and biomes.. In burning the rainforests Indonesia is also burning the peatlands below which store masses of carbon. The rate at which the forests have been cleared has accelerated during the latter part of the 20th and into the 21st century. In many cases, promised compensation is not delivered. It is possible that some of its forests may be opened up for mineral exploration. In a way Europe is contributing to the rainforests’ destruction as nearly a third of Brazil’s soy bean harvest is exported to Europe including Britain where 78% of the soya beans are imported form Brazil. An ecosystem is not just the plants, but also the birds, mammals, reptiles, fish, amphibians, invertebrates, bacteria, and even the non-living elements like soil, water and air. Valuable trees are harvested and the rest are burnt to clear the land for the farming of palm oil. For each 1C rise in temperature, tropical regions now release about 2 billion extra tonnes of carbon-containing gases According to the IUCN, over the last ten years their numbers have halved and up to 5000 are killed every year, despite their status as protected species. Not only are rainforests cut down, but the soil’s nutrients are depleted, greenhouse gases are emitted, water tables are altered, and diseases spread. As well as damaging people's health, the mercury used goes on to pollute river systems and is the second-worse source of mercury pollution in the world, after the burning of fossil fuels. The average precipitation in tropical … The lesson will focus on the indirect threats to the rainforest - focusing on climate stress and climate change. Such changes would result in significant shifts in ecosystem types – from tropical forest to dry savanna – and loss of species in many parts of the Amazon. Rainfall patterns “Most people know that climate change is a dangerous global problem, and that … Most of the world's soya comes from South America where areas of rainforest, as well as other habitats like the savannahs have been planted with this crop. The soya companies are often owned by foreigners, who are there to make money, so it does nothing to benefit the local people and their economic situation. A by-product of photosynthesis is oxygen. In some cases their climates have remained stable for the last 65 million years. High wind speeds combined with the tightly packed trees can cause large swaths of land to be cleared, which can take centuries to be naturally restored to its former state. Nearly 800 square kilometres of forest were cut down during the first three months of 2020 — 51% more than during the same period in 2019. Humans have cut down trees for thousands of years, yet concern over deforestation is fairly recent. The tropical rainforests of the Amazon Basin face the threat of deforestation. Indonesia is already the world’s third highest emitter of carbon dioxide after the USA and China because of the burning of its rainforests and peat lands to clear areas for growing palm oil. It is estimated that 33% of all the products in your local supermarket contain palm oil - that’s a lot of products! The problem is that 0% of the ingredient is sourced from sustainable sources, which means that farmers could be destroying the most species-rich rainforests in the world. In Africa apes such as gorillas and other animals are hunted for bushmeat to be sold by roadsides and in the markets. Out of the 6 million square miles (15 million square kilometres) of tropical rainforest that once existed worldwide, only 2.4 million square miles (6 million square km) remain. The construction was completed in 2019. The Xingu river is the site of the world's third largest hydro-electric dam, the Belo Monte project where 310 square miles (500 square km) will be flooded. “A changing climate poses a substantial threat to the Amazon forests, which contain a large portion of the world’s biodiversity. Otherwise farmers may resort to using more and more fertilizers and pesticides which bring with them their own problems such as the pollution of rivers. To be able to explain why climate change is an indirect threat to the health of the tropical rainforest; Competency: 1. Though both natural and human threats are responsible for loss of rainforests, maximum negative impacts are contributed by human intervention. Many of the food companies importing palm oil for use in our foods choose ‘sustainable’ sources which means that more care and responsibility is taken and areas rich in wildlife and animals are protected. Cats, dogs, pigs, cows and goldfish. Brazil is the world’s largest exporter of beef with more cattle (232 million) than people (210 million in 2020)! 97% of the soya meal produced worldwide is used for animal feed and much of that is not sustainably produced. Scientists warn this degenerative process could cause a “tipping point” leading to ecosystem collapse. Brazil has the world's largest iron ore mine and has rich reserves of other metals such as zinc, nickel, tin and aluminium. During the day, the rainforests absorb huge amounts of carbon dioxide from the air to make food in a process called photosynthesis. Palm oil production is such a huge business in Malaysia and Indonesia that the latter has gained the title of “World’s Fastest Rainforest Destroyer” in the Guiness Book of World Records! As the soil’s fertility does not last forever, the people at the head of logging companies avoid bankruptcy by buying up new areas of forest. The rainforest needs you more than ever. “Tropical deforestation delivers a double whammy to the climate – and to farmers,” says Deborah Lawrence, an environmental scientist at the University of Virginia. This makes Indonesia the country with the 3rd largest carbon footprint in the world, when deforestation is taken into account! Threats to the rainforest have increased significantly in the last five decades. As the population grows, people tend to log trees in order to get enough space to settle. Please donate £1 to help YPTE to continue its work of inspiring young people to look after our world. When the trees are removed, the flying rivers stop flowing. But we now know more about the important role that forests, especially rainforests play. Oil palms are palm trees which grow hundreds of little orange/red fruits that are squashed, squeezed and pulped to produce palm oil. World Bank, Washington, DC. Not only that but the cattle naturally produce large quantities of methane, another “greenhouse gas” approximately 26 times more effective than CO2. An estimated 23% of total human-caused greenhouse gas emissions (2007-2016) … As much as 40 per cent of the Amazon rainforest could be transformed into drier savanna-like landscape if rainfall levels continue to drop as a result of … The UK uses a considerable 10% of the global supply in palm kernel meal, and 80% of this is used in animal feed. Rainforests needs to be in good climate because otherwise the plants will die. He explained that climate change in the tropics affects all of us, perhaps even more so than the melting ice caps at the poles. The total area covered by rainforests was … Climate change After deforestation, the second major (indirect) threat to tropical rainforests is climate change via global warming. Tropical deforestation contributes 17% of the world’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. All the way from Asia, pets all over the country are eating food containing palm kernel meal. Ongoing rampant deforestation and global climate change fragment and undermine the integrity of rainforests, threatening their survival. Warming global temperatures affect the atmospheric systems that bring wet seasons to the equatorial climate. Rainforests also help to transport huge volumes of water vapour through the atmosphere in 'flying rivers'. (2013). Wood rotting underwater also releases carbon dioxide and methane greenhouse gases. Pounds, J. The destruction of the rainforest could affect the world's climate. Changes in weather patterns, rainfall distribution, and temperature will result in the transformation of rainforest into drier forest in some areas and the conversion of other forms of forests into tropical forest . Trees are also cut down for wood pulp, which until recently came only from softwoods like Canadian conifers. How about vegetable oil or olive oil? A., Fogden, M. P., Foster, P. N., … & Young, B. E. (2006). Tropical forests are taking up less carbon dioxide from the air, reducing their ability to act as “carbon sinks” and bringing closer the prospect of accelerating climate breakdown. The money that can be made is only available in the short-term. This is what Cool Earth has done and will continue to do until tropical deforestation and degradation plays no part in climate change. During the day, the rainforests absorb huge amounts of carbon dioxide from the air to make food in a process called photosynthesis. By burning the rainforest, we are not only adding huge amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere, but we are also reducing nature's ability to absorb CO2 and to produce oxygen. Tropical rainforests are found between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn and receive between 175-200 cm of rainfall a year. Widespread amphibian extinctions from epidemic disease driven by global warming. At the centre of the oil palm fruits, much like a nectarine, there is a stone, or ‘kernel’ and this is chopped and mashed up to produce the high protein ingredient palm kernel meal. As populations have grown and demands for land and timber have grown greater, so the deforestation has accelerated. It can also be used as a biofuel instead of petrol or diesel. Soy plants may also be genetically modified - still a controversial issue. Fortunes can be made in the rainforest. The pulp is used to make paper. Deforestation is responsibly for more global carbon emissions than all the planes, trains, buses and cars in the world put together! Brazil Faces Drop in Crop Productivity. This lesson is based upon an exam question within the subject specification and SoW. Carbon dioxide or CO2 is a 'greenhouse gas', which helps to retain the heat of the sun within the Earth's atmosphere. Eventually the good topsoil will be washed away by the rains within three or four years and the area may become a desert. An estimated 70 - 80% of logging in Brazil and Indonesia is illegal. Tropical Storms - While smaller tropical storms do not pose much of a problem to rainforests, larger storms (like hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons) can cause extensive damage. Some of the world's leading scientists went to the Daintree Rainforest this week to discuss how climate change will affect the wet tropics. To avoid buying this wood in the UK, the most recognised and trustworthy standard is the Forestry Stewardship Council logo on wood and paper products which ensures the source was from sustainably managed forests. The Amazon river is the second longest in the world and with its many tributaries it is a source of energy which could be harnessed. People also log trees to make fortunes. The Sumatran Orangutan is listed as “critically endangered” and the Bornean Orangutan as “endangered”. Gradually, the rainforest has gained the attention of the worldwide media, making most of us aware of the problems. 2) An increase in worldwide demand for tropical hardwoods has put a greater strain on the rainforests. Once roads are built to reach the mines, it becomes easier for illegal logging and poaching to take place. Climate change is another major issue for the rainforest, with lichens and bryophytes highly sensitive to atmospheric pollution. To be able to describe and explain the main causes of deforestation 3. It is also the case that with the example of soya, it doesn’t usually benefit the local people who are often violently forced off their lands and then sometimes forced to work on the plantations.