6.4 What Causes Destruction in Tropical Rainforests?

6 Disappearing green canopy © Oxford University Press (China) Ltd 2019
6.4 What causes

destruction in
tropical rainforests?
What are the different types of forest

destruction?
Forest destruction includes both _____________
deforestation and
forest degradation.
Both of them result in the loss of ____________
biodiversity and
cause disturbance to the ecosystem.
(Credit: Ibama/Wikimedia Commons)


destruction?
Deforestation refers to the ________
cutting of trees on a large
scale and the conversion of forested land for other
uses.
Trees are ( expected / not expected ) to regrow naturally
in that area. This reduces theUrban
Agriculture amount of forested land.
development
(Credit: Pedro Biondi/ABr/ (Credit: User:OS2Warp/

Wikimedia Commons) Wikimedia Commons)

destruction?
quality
Forest degradation refers to the decline in the ________
of the forest’s natural conditions and the reduction of
trees in the forest.
______
Trees are ( expected / not expected ) to regrow or be
replanted.
Timber logging Fuelwood collection
(Credit: USAID Biodiversity & Forestry/ (Credit: Marco Schmidt/

Wikimedia Commons) Wikimedia Commons)
What are the causes of rainforest

destruction?
Agricultural development
Extraction of resources
Causes Urban expansion
Construction of
infrastructure
Uncontrolled fires
What are the underlying reasons for

rainforest destruction?
Population growth
Reasons Poverty and government policy
Shifting diet and globalised markets

10 interesting facts of tropical

rainforest
1 Agricultural development
Agricultural
development
Commercial Shifting cultivation and

farming small-scale farming
Cattle Plantation Shifting Small-scale

ranching cultivation farming
a Cattle ranching
Clearing the rainforest for cattle ranching is the main
cause of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.
Cattle ranching is carried out in an ( intensive /
extensive ) way.
On average, one cow

occupies one hectare of
land for grazing.
(Credit: HVL/Wikimedia Commons)

a Cattle ranching
Multinational enterprises buy large areas of rainforest at
a low cost to rear cattle.
Landowners in Brazil use cattle to gain legal ownership
of land.
Cattle provide beef
and hide to
overseas markets
To satisfy the
increasing demand
for beef in Asia, the
Middle East and
locally in Brazil
(Credit: Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento/
Wikimedia Commons)
b Plantation
Large areas of tropical Sugar cane
rainforest have been
cleared for growing
______
cash crops.
(Credit: Mariordo/Wikimedia
Commons)
Cocoa bean
Rubber tree
(Credit: Infocaster/Wikimedia Commons) (Credit: Maxence/Flickr)

b Plantation
Large agribusiness enterprises grow these crops in
plantations
( large / small )-scale farms, known as ____________.
In many plantations, only one type of cash crop is
grown. This practice is called ______________.
monoculture
Oil palm
(Credit: Irvin calicut/Wikimedia Commons)

b Plantation
i Soybean
Soybeans are mainly grown in large-scale plantations
export
for ________.
They can be used as food, fodder and _______.
biofuel
This crop has become profitable in the global market
for biodiesel production.
A small portion Mostly as fodder For biodiesel
as human food for animals (e.g. production
chicken, cattle
and farmed fish)
(Credit: United Soybean Board/

(Credit: pnmralex/Pixabay) (Credit: Artem Flickr)
Beliaikin/Flickr)
b Plantation
i Soybean
In the late 1990s, Brazilian scientists developed a new
type of soybean which can grow quickly in the
rainforest soil and climate.
Since then, many large soybean plantations have been
set up in the rainforests, leading to deforestation.
Soybean production
of Brazil, 1992–2018
b Plantation
ii Oil palm
Oil palm is a native tree species of tropical rainforests.
Palm oil from its fruits is a cheap _____________
raw material for
products such as cooking oil, soaps and cosmetics.
It is also used as ________.
biofuel
Palm oil from
pulp (edible) Palm oil

Pulp from kernel
(usually not eaten
but applied to hair
and skin)
Kernel
(Credit: T.K. Naliaka/ (Credit: tristantan/
Wikimedia Commons) Pixabay)
b Plantation
ii Oil palm
The global demand for oil palm is very high.
Since tropical climate favours the growth of oil palm,
plantations are set up at the expense of rainforests.
(Credit: T. R. Shankar Raman/

(Credit: Wagino 20100516/Wikimedia Commons) Wikimedia Commons)
Oil palm plantation in Indonesia Fragmented rainforests in Malaysia
b Plantation
ii Oil palm
Rainforests in Malaysia and Indonesia are under great
threat as they are the largest producers of palm oil.
The area of oil palm plantations in Indonesia is
expected to ( increase / decrease ).
56,000 km2
6,000 km2
260,000 km2
Video of the impact of oil palm

1985 plantation in Indonesia
2005 Please click to browse online
2025 (projected)
Expansion of oil palm plantations in Indonesia
a Shifting cultivation
Shifting cultivation is a traditional way of farming
mainly practised by native tribes.
Shifting cultivators move from one place to another to
farm when the land is no longer suitable for farming.
Labour from Primitive tools are used
family members
Land is usually around

2 to 3 hectares only
(Credit: Thukuk/Wikimedia Commons) (Credit: Bediong/Wikimedia
Commons)
Shifting cultivation is a traditional way of farming
mainly practised by native tribes.
Shifting cultivators move from one place to another to
farm when the land is no longer suitable for farming.
Tropical crops Small numbers of
are grown livestock are raised
Yield per hectare is low

(Credit: ABHIJEET/Wikimedia Commons) (Credit: klimkin/Pixabay)
Farmers clear trees with ‘slash-and-

Farmers use simple tools to
burn’. Nutrients are released from the
grow food crops
biomass. The ashes enrich the poor soil
Decades later, trees on the original plot Natural nutrients are quickly used up in
of land grow back. Farmers can move 3 to 5 years. Farmers abandon the land
back to grow crops again and move to a new plot of land
In shifting cultivation, the abandoned land is left
________
fallow for trees to grow back.
After several decades, it regenerates into a degraded
or ____________
secondary forest.
Fully regenerated
forest
Partially
regenerated forest
Newly
abandoned
field
(Credit: Rohitjahnavi/Wikimedia Commons)

Historically, shifting cultivation could be viewed as a
sustainable type of farming.
In the past, tribal Each plot of land Rainforests had

populations were could be left fallow enough time to
( small / big ) for several decades regenerate
(Credit: Agência de Notícias do Acre/Flickr) (Credit: Agência de Notícias do Acre/Flickr)

In recent decades, however, tribal populations have
( increased / decreased ).
Demand for land from other ___________
economic activities
have also increased.
Land available for
Shorter fallow Fallowed land
shifting cultivation
periods cannot fully regrow
decreased
Productivity of the
land declines
A shortened farming cycle

b Small-scale farming
Millions of poor, landless farmers depend on forest
resources for their survival.
They cut and burn ______
trees to clear the land and grow
staple crops.
(Credit: Rohit Naniwadekar/Wikimedia Commons)

b Small-scale farming
Most of these farmers do not know about the
productivity of their land.
They abandon the land when they notice that
rainforest soil is unsuitable for permanent cultivation.
Farmers clear new plots of land
along roads and highways,
creating a fish-bone pattern
(Credit: NASA)
2 Extraction of resources
Extraction of
resources
Timber logging Mining Fuelwood collection

and charcoal
production
1 Timber logging
Most of the trees in tropical rainforests are hardwoods.
Multinational enterprises carry out ____________
commercial
logging to extract wood resources.
To make To make paper

furniture products
How is
commercial
logging
carried out?
(Credit: TR15336300101/
(Credit: Bonsoni.com/Flickr) Wikimedia Commons)
1 Timber logging
Selective logging Clear-cutting
Only _________
mature trees with All trees in an area are cut,
___________
economic value are cut including trees that do not
for their timber. It is common have economic value. It is
in Central and South America common in South-east Asia
and Africa
1 Timber logging
In theory, selective logging will not lead to deforestation
because the forest is not completely cleared.
However, trees in tropical rainforests are linked by
__________.
climbers When a tree is cut down, trees nearby will
be pulled down too.
(Credit: Hans/Pixabay)
1 Timber logging
Roads built to transport logs will provide access for
other forest users.
When logging is completed, ranchers and landless
farmers clear selectively logged areas for pasture and
crops.

1 Timber logging
Soil is ___________
compacted or disturbed by heavy logging
machinery and vehicles.
This ( increases / decreases ) surface run-off and
accelerates soil _________,
erosion hindering forest
regeneration.
(Credit: T. R. Shankar Raman/Wikimedia Commons)

2 Mining
Many rainforests are rich in mineral reserves.
For example, the Congo Basin contains vast reserves
of gold, coltan and diamonds.
This leads to active mining activity in rainforests,
especially in less developed countries.
(Credit: Image Journeys Sasha Lez/

Flickr)
A child miner working at a gold
mine in the Congo Basin
2 Mining
Most miners adopt opencast mining, which is a low-
cost method.
All vegetation and topsoil Roads built for mining
are removed, leading to activity assist further
severe soil erosion deforestation
Loud noise from the

machinery causes
noise pollution
Hazardous chemical running

into the drainage system
Dust from mining causes water pollution
causes air pollution

3 Fuelwood collection and charcoal

production
In many poor tropical rainforest countries, fuelwood
and charcoal are the major sources of ________.
energy
They are used for cooking or home heating.
Fuelwood comprises of stems Charcoal is the fuel produced

and branches of trees by the carbonisation of wood
(Credit: (Credit: Ischaramoochie/Wikimedia Commons)

Dlearn/Pixabay)
3 Fuelwood collection and charcoal

production
The usage of charcoal is
expected to rise in less
developed regions.
The rate of removing
small trees and branches
is faster than the
__________
recovery rate of the
forest, leading to forest
degradation.
Projection of charcoal usage in less developed

regions
3 Urban Expansion
To lower the population density in overcrowded urban
areas, large areas of primary forests are developed
into ________.
towns
Urban development is carried out to boost the
economy and provide ______
job opportunities.
(Credit: dany13/Flickr)
Urban development invading tropical forests in Brazil
3 Urban Expansion
Apart from towns, poor people develop settlement
areas in the rainforest called _______.
slums
In the late 1970s, the Brazilian government launched a
large-scale resettlement scheme. This caused rapid
clearance of the rainforest in the Amazon Basin.
(Credit:
NakNakNak/Pixabay)
Slums, called ‘favela’, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
4 Construction of infrastructure
Construction of
infrastructure
Building dams Building roads

and highways
1 Building dams
Tropical rainforests are rich in water resources. This
hydroelectric power.
favours the development of ______________
Rainforest countries such as Brazil build _______
dams to
generate electricity, causing rainforests to be
inundated.
(Credit: International Hydropower Association (IHA)/Flickr)

Itaipu Dam in Brazil
2 Building roads and highways

accessibility of
Transport networks enhances the _____________
rainforests and lowers transport costs.
However, it also facilitates the encroachment of human
activities, leading to further deforestation.
(Credit: Marinelson
Almeida/Flickr)
Trans-Amazonian Highway in Brazil
5 Uncontrolled fires
People burn rainforests to clear the land for farming.
Under dry conditions, fire can spread to neighbouring
rainforest.
Repeated fires at short intervals will transform the
rainforest vegetation into grassland vegetation.
(Credit: Anand Osuri/Wikimedia

Commons)
Fire in a tropical rainforest
1 Population growth
Growing global
population Demand for
Adds to the burden
resources
on rainforest
( increases /
Rising living resources
decreases )
standards
Global population and annual loss of tropic tree cover, 2001–17

2 Poverty and government policy

‘Poverty-driven’ deforestation
Many people in tropical rainforest countries are poor.
To tackle poverty, some governments set up
__________
migration schemes and build ______
roads to encourage
poor and landless people to develop the rainforest.
(Credit: Aidenvironment/Wikimedia Commons)


‘State-driven’ deforestation
Rainforest countries borrow money from other
countries to pay for development projects.
They open up rainforests and sell rainforests resources
to pay the heavy ______.
debts
Timber
Rubber from
Brazil nuts
a rubber tree
(Credit: Delphine Hourlay/ (Credit: Free-Photos/

(Credit: Pexels) Pixabay)
Blacktator/Pexels)
Examples of rainforest resources in Brazil

‘State-driven’ deforestation
For example, multinational enterprises are invited to
take over forested land for activities such as cattle
ranching and growing cash crops.
Tree-cutting _________
permits are sold to earn government
revenues.
(Credit: melalouise/Flickr)
3 Shifting diet and globalised markets

‘Enterprise-driven’ deforestation
A shift in diet towards _______
meat brings economic
incentives for cattle ranching.
Since the land in tropical rainforests are much cheaper
than that in more developed countries, enterprises
clear forests for grazing.
(Credit: www.Pixel.la Free

Stock Photos/Flickr)
3 Shifting diet and globalised markets

‘Enterprise-driven’ deforestation
Governments of rainforest countries provide _____
tax
incentives for enterprises and build infrastructure to
facilitate ________.
exports
This boosts cattle ranching in rainforests.
(Credit: USDA
NRCS Texas/Flickr)

6.4 What Causes Destruction in Tropical Rainforests?

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6 Disappearing green canopy © Oxford University Press (China) Ltd 2019

6.4 What causes

What are the different types of forest

(Credit: Ibama/Wikimedia Commons)

What are the different types of forest

(Credit: Pedro Biondi/ABr/ (Credit: User:OS2Warp/

What are the different types of forest

(Credit: USAID Biodiversity & Forestry/ (Credit: Marco Schmidt/

What are the causes of rainforest

Causes Urban expansion

What are the underlying reasons for

Reasons Poverty and government policy

Shifting diet and globalised markets

10 interesting facts of tropical

Commercial Shifting cultivation and

Cattle Plantation Shifting Small-scale

On average, one cow

(Credit: HVL/Wikimedia Commons)

(Credit: Infocaster/Wikimedia Commons) (Credit: Maxence/Flickr)

(Credit: Irvin calicut/Wikimedia Commons)

(Credit: United Soybean Board/

pulp (edible) Palm oil

(Credit: T. R. Shankar Raman/

Video of the impact of oil palm

Land is usually around

Yield per hectare is low

Farmers clear trees with ‘slash-and-

(Credit: Rohitjahnavi/Wikimedia Commons)

In the past, tribal Each plot of land Rainforests had

(Credit: Agência de Notícias do Acre/Flickr) (Credit: Agência de Notícias do Acre/Flickr)

A shortened farming cycle

(Credit: Rohit Naniwadekar/Wikimedia Commons)

Timber logging Mining Fuelwood collection

To make To make paper

(Credit: Ibama/Wikimedia Commons)

(Credit: T. R. Shankar Raman/Wikimedia Commons)

(Credit: Image Journeys Sasha Lez/

Loud noise from the

Hazardous chemical running

(Credit: Ibama/Wikimedia Commons)

3 Fuelwood collection and charcoal

Fuelwood comprises of stems Charcoal is the fuel produced

(Credit: (Credit: Ischaramoochie/Wikimedia Commons)

3 Fuelwood collection and charcoal

Projection of charcoal usage in less developed

Building dams Building roads

(Credit: International Hydropower Association (IHA)/Flickr)

2 Building roads and highways

(Credit: Anand Osuri/Wikimedia

Global population and annual loss of tropic tree cover, 2001–17

2 Poverty and government policy

(Credit: Aidenvironment/Wikimedia Commons)

2 Poverty and government policy

(Credit: Delphine Hourlay/ (Credit: Free-Photos/

2 Poverty and government policy

3 Shifting diet and globalised markets

(Credit: www.Pixel.la Free

3 Shifting diet and globalised markets

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