The Problem of Deforestation in Brazil

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The Problem of Deforestation in Brazil

• By Megan Schwarz, Derek Croad , and Andrew
  Sargent

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General Causes of Deforestation

• Population growth and demand for new land
• Growing economies and consumption
• Short-sighted political decisions
• Corruption and illegal trade
• Poverty and landlessness
• Agricultural and industrial opportunity
• Road building
• Logging

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Deforestation in Brazil
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Causes of Deforestation in Brazil

• Cattle Ranching - clearing for cattle pasture
• Many cattle ranchers expand their grazing areas
  by cutting into Brazil forests. Such actions
  contribute to almost 50 of deforestation in
  Brazil. The fact that beef is becoming an
  increasingly important export in Brazil only
  intensifies the already strong threat to the
  countrys forests.

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• Subsistence Agriculture
• Poor farmers are encouraged to settle on forest
  lands by government land policies that eventually
  result in ownership of the land the farmers
  acquire. Once ownership is attained, the
  individual has the right to make money by selling
  his or her land. Not all farmers sell their land
  though many plant crops hoping to make a profit.
  When soil quality deteriorates, however, farmers
  press farther into forests in order to benefit
  from new soil. Farmers also use fire to clear
  land for their crops, which often results in
  forest fires that contribute even more to
  deforestation.

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Logging

• Logging is an obvious cause of deforestation.
  Not only does logging call for the cutting down
  of trees, but it also requires the construction
  of roads in order to get to the trees. Such
  construction tears up the soil and increases
  erosion. When a tree falls after being cut down
  by loggers, surrounding trees may fall with it
  due to connecting vines.

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Population Growth and Urbanization

• As populations grow, more resources must be
  available and ready to use. Brazils population
  is growing and with it, the rate of deforestation
  is bound to also increase.

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Humans are not the only influence on deforestation

• Many natural causes of deforestation exist. Such
  examples include drought, storms, and natural
  fire. While such events are damaging to Brazils
  forests, the devastation is still not as bad as
  when humans are responsible. When natural causes
  of deforestation take place, the loss incurred is
  not so complete that nothing can be regenerated.
  Parts of the forest continue to exist and thrive
  so that, with time, all life in that particular
  area will eventually flourish.

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Some Major Effects of Deforestation in Brazil

• Climate change
• Reduction in rainfall
• Lower humidity
• Higher surface temperatures
• More severe dry seasons
• Decrease in biodiversity
• Reduction in ecosystem stability
• Lowers availability and use of certain
  resources
• Loss in quality of life- beautiful
  environment, loss of recreational usage.

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Amazon Drought Large amount of
deforestation could cause an estimated 20
reduction in Amazonian rainfall.

• Results
• Reduction in water availability to people in
  Brazil
• Vicious Cycle Reduction in water availability to
  previously intact forests
• Increase in Forest Fires

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Fire in Brazils Amazon Rainforest
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Threatened Species

• Jaguars, harpy eagles, manatees and giant river
  otters are just a few of the threatened mammal
  species.
• Amazon manatees are vulnerable due to over
  hunting, habitat destruction and droughts that
  reduce vegetation around the Amazon river basin

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Threatened Species

• Jaguars are found mostly in the Amazon, but their
  numbers are reducing significantly there due to
  the deforestation.

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Threatened Species

• According to the WWF website, there is estimated
  to be 40,000 plant species, 427 mammals, 1,294
  birds, 378 reptiles, 427 amphibians, and at least
  3,000 fishes that exist in the Amazon rainforest
• Much of the Amazon rainforest is affected by the
  deforestation occurring in Brazil
• It is worth stopping deforestation to preserve
  this large amount of biodiversity.

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Visiting the Amazon

• As deforestation takes over the Brazilian Amazon,
  opportunities such as these will begin to
  decrease.

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WHAT IS BEING DONE
If there is to be even a small chance to relax
the pressures on tropical biota, fundamental
changes in the world trade system and the basic
relationships between rich and poor nations must
take place. Paul and Anne Ehrlich 1988
Source www.cia.gov/saynotodrugs/
images/burnforest6.gif
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True Beginning of Preservation
We must keep our many and legitimate social
aspirations under control, so that they can be
fulfilled at the right pace and at the right
timefor the simple reason that no one can
harvest fruits without first planting the
tree. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
Source www.paraiba.pb.gov.br/ lula/biografia.shtm
l
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Tropical Forest Action Plan (TFAP)

• Began in 1985
• Billions of dollars available for any projects
  that are intended to save forests

• Problems with Plan
• Put an economic value on the motive for saving
  forests
• Directly helped the timber industry
• Ignored true causes of deforestation
• Ultimately blamed those who were victims to
  forest destruction

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Sustained Yield Forestry

• Created a limit to how much could be deforested
  in a certain time period
• Problems with Plan
• Plan had no major description of what it entailed
• No present example of sustainable operations in
  the world
• Under corruption, commercial pressure, etc.

Source www.pacificfringe.net/ sustainedyield/intr
o.htm
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