Should the Brazilian government allow continuation of further development in the Amazon rainforest?

The tropical rainforests of South America, Africa, Asia and the north of Australia are all distributed evenly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. The Equator runs through some of these rainforests and is also close to some of them. The map below illustrates all the rainforests in the world and the distribution of them. The tropical rainforests of the world are all global ecosystems. An ecosystem is the link between plants and animals and the habitats in which they live in, so this is why we call tropical rainforests ecosystems because they link the animal life, with the plant life. Another word for global ecosystems is biomes.

An example of a biome that I will be referring to is the Amazon rainforest. This tropical rainforest is one of the largest tropical rainforest in the world and is home to 10 per cent of all known plant and animal species. To describe the rainforest in briefer terms, we can say that it is a type of ‘system’; it has four main parts, which classify it as a system. The rainforest has an Input, which is material or energy moving into the system. An Output is material or energy leaving the system. Stores are places where material or energy is kept and Flows are movement of materials or energy between the stores. All these four parts are vital to the system and if one part of the system is taken away, then the whole system will fail to proceed and will stop.

There are many natural chains and cycles, which take place in all rainforests, such as, the food chain, the nutrient cycle, the water cycle etc. The food chain is a natural chain, which is ongoing to keep organisms healthy and alive. There are countless numbers of food chains, which go on and keep organisms in the world alive. This is how a typical food chain looks like:

Producer Herbivore Carnivore Omnivore Decomposers

The Producers are living things that take the non-living matter from the environment, such as minerals and gases and uses them to support life. Example of a Producer is grass. The Herbivores are animals that eat plants; they are considered as consumers and are second in the food chain. An example of a Herbivore is the grasshopper. The Carnivores are animals that eat other animals, they are also considered as consumers. An example of a Carnivore is a snake. Omnivores are animals that eat both animals and plants; they are also consumers of the ecosystem. An example of an Omnivore is a human. Lastly, Decomposers are living things, which feed off dead plants and animals and reduce their remains to minerals and gases again. An example of a Decomposer is Bacteria.

The Water cycle

The water cycle is a natural cycle, which is extremely fundamental to the rainforests. This cycle is very important to the rainforest because it provides rain that is exceedingly vital, hence the name rainforest.

Rain from the clouds falls to the ground. This type of rainfall is called Convectional rainfall. Some of this rain falls into trees and is intercepted by them whereas some of the rain falls onto the ground. The water on the ground then flows to different directions. Some of the rainwater infiltrates into the soil and is eventually taken up by tree roots. However, some of the rainwater flows on the surface of the land and eventually ends up in the river. When the sun comes out, the water from the river is evaporated. Water that has landed on leaves and twigs is also evaporated. This water turns into water vapour and rises. Trees also make water vapour this, is called transpiration. As this water vapour rises to the atmosphere it forms clouds. The three types of clouds the water vapour forms are cumulus clouds, cirrus clouds and stratus clouds. The clouds eventually cool and condense and fall as rain. The cycle is then repeated.

Another natural cycle, which takes place in the rainforest ecosystem, is the nutrient cycle. This cycle is important as it provides nutrients for the rainforest.

The Nutrient cycle

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Another natural cycle, which takes place in the rainforest ecosystem, is the nutrient cycle. This cycle is important as it provides nutrients for the rainforest.

The Nutrient cycle

Leaves and twigs fall from trees to the ground, mainly in autumn and winter. These leaves and twigs then cause leaf litter on the soil. This leaf litter then decomposes with the aid of bacteria to form humus, soil that is formed by decomposition of plants. The humus contains a large amount of nutrients and is dissolved with water. The trees then absorb these liquid nutrients through their roots. This cycle is then repeated. Without trees soil nutrients are lost and not replaced in the soil, this leads to soil infertility. These three cycles and chains that I have listed are just some of the cycles and chains, which go on in the rainforest to keep its ecosystem running.

The Structure of the rainforest

The rainforest ecosystem is structured into four main parts. The first layer is the shrub layer. This layer consists of mainly soil and the roots of the trees. There is very little undergrowth and is roughly 5-10 metres tall. It is also extremely dark because of the other trees blocking the sunlight and the only amount of sunlight the shrub layer gets is just 5 minutes. The next layer is the under canopy. This layer receives more sunlight than the shrub layer. This layer consists of mainly trees, which try and reach the next layer, the canopy. This layer is approximately 20 metres tall.

The next layer is the canopy. This layer acts as the roof of the rainforest as the trees interlink with each other and it takes in most of the precipitation and keeps the floor of the rainforest dry. It is 30-40 metres tall and it receives most of the sunlight and water, so photosynthesis mainly occurs here. This layer also has fruits and vegetables’ growing on it due to the amount of water and sunlight it receives, and this means that it has a lot of animals feed and live on it. This layer also has Epiphytes, plants that grow on tree trunks, growing on the tree trunks in this layer. It also has Lianas, plants that wrap around tree trunks to reach the canopy layer. Their roots dangle in the air and absorb water from it.

The final layer is the emergent tree. These trees can grow up to a staggering 50-84 metres tall and are the tallest trees in the tropical rainforest. Most rainforest soil is very poor with all the nutrients available largely remaining at surface level, because of this the rainforest trees have very shallow roots. Some very tall trees have developed ways of obtaining much needed additional support by forming Buttressed roots, which grow out from the base of the trunk sometimes as high as 15 foot above the ground. These extended roots also increase the area over which nutrients can be absorbed by the soil. The picture on the right is a picture of Buttress roots.

Groups who use the rainforest

Many people are using the rainforest throughout the world. Some use it for a living and some use it to make a living. The Indigenous Indians are self-sufficient people, people who get everything they need in life from the environment they live in; they live within the Amazon rainforest. They are the local people who use the rainforest for a living, in Brazil. Their food is available from the rainforest and their diet is quite monotonous, as they eat fish, fruit, vegetables and meat everyday. Although their diet is monotonous, it still provides them with the essential resources to keep them fit and healthy. All the food they need comes from their environment, the rainforest.

The Indigenous Indians use the Amazon rainforest for their own use, such as travel, fuel, household uses etc. and this is all available from their environment. These people also grow their food in a sustainable way, shifting cultivation. This is when the Indians cut down an area of trees and plant their crops in that area. They use the trees to make something, e.g. canoes, baskets, houses, and the waste that is made is then burnt, as the waste is for no use and it also provides nutrients for the soil. The stumps of the trees are left in the soil because they are difficult to remove and their roots keep the soil together, this prevents soil erosion. As harvesting time begins, the Indigenous Indians harvest their crops and use them as food. After two or three years the soil loses its fertility and the fields are abandoned. The area begins to grow back to a forest. The Indians move on to another area of the forest to grow their crops.

Brazil as a country also uses the rainforest to earn money as a country. As it is a LEDC (less economically developed country), it needs all the money it can make from the resources available in the country. One of the main ways, in which the Brazil uses the rainforest, is through Deforestation. This is when trees, such as mahogany, are cut down and then sold on to other countries or places in the world, in return for money. To transport the trees, the Brazilian people have to make transport links, and this means clearing the rainforest to build roads for transport. Brazil also uses the rainforest to produce hydroelectric power. To produce this, Brazilian people flood large parts of the rainforest and then build dams and lakes. The country also has cattle ranching going on in parts of the rainforest. This is when large amounts of the rainforest are removed for cattle to graze, and then eventually these cattle are sold on. Brazil also plants tropical fruits and uses them for trade. The Brazilian people clear parts of the rainforest to plant crops, which in the future are sold on. All of the income and profit made from these developments is still not enough to transform it from a LEDC to a MEDC.

The Amazon rainforest is used by people globally. Companies like Nestle use the rainforest to produce their products, such as chocolate and coffee. They use Cocoa beans to produce products chocolate and they also use coffee beans to produce coffee. The rainforest is also used to make products such as furniture from the timber available in the rainforest. Products such as nut oil are extracted from nuts grown in the rainforest. Scientists from abroad also use the rainforest to find cures and take samples, with which they then experiment on to find treatments. People from abroad come to the rainforest to begin a new life and they usually make land for new settlement. Also, mining companies set up factories in the rainforest to look for minerals and ores.

Although Brazil is making money through trade, it is exploiting and destroying the Amazon rainforest. This is because when trees are cut down for trade, other trees are forced down as well, and this causes a lot of damage to the surrounding trees. Deforestation also causes Global warming because to get rid of the excess tree waste, we would have to burn the trees and this creates Carbon Dioxide, which is a Greenhouse gas. This gas contributes to Global warming thus in the future this will cause a rise in Global temperature and sea level. Also, to transport the trees, more trees have to be cut, as roadways have to be built to transport the trees. Brazil is clearing large amounts of the rainforest to make dams and lakes, which in result will produce hydroelectric power. By clearing large amounts of the rainforest, Brazil is disturbing the water and nutrient cycle. A large majority of the Brazils techniques for making money are unsustainable, and are destroying the rainforest ecosystem. Recent figures show that almost 50% of the rainforest has been felled and statistics say that it will be gone by the year 2013. Also, the removal of trees in the rainforest interferes with the water and nutrient cycle. The water cycle will be affected because there won’t be any trees to intercept the rain, so this will cause flooding and will eventually lead to soil erosion. Also, there won’t be any trees to transpirate, and this will produce less water vapour. A process known as desertification leaves soil with a lack of nutrients and vegetation. Lastly, the nutrient cycle will be affected because there are no trees to form leaf litter and also there are no trees to take in the available nutrients, without trees in the rainforest this will cause soil infertility.

Sustainable development for future uses in the rainforest

Albeit the rainforest is undergoing unsustainable development, the exploiting and destroying of the rainforest can be solved, and benefit the rainforest for future terms. Brazil could use various techniques, which are sustainable and benefit the rainforests ecosystem. One of the ways that Brazil can make money is through Rubber tapping. This technique requires scoring the rubber trees and then collecting the latex, which can be used for trade. This latex can be sold too many countries, as latex is an essential product. Another way Brazil can make money through a sustainable way is through non-timber forest products. These consist of fruits, vegetables and meat. These products can be sold to foreign countries for trade and then can be replanted. Also medical plants are another way in which Brazil can make money. The Brazilian government can introduce licenses, which each company would have to buy in order to research in the rainforest for medical cures.

Another way in which Brazil can produce money through a sustainable way is Ecotourism. Allowing tourists to explore the rainforest only when they have bought a ticket does this. Extra money could be made by having souvenirs, accommodation and shops for the tourists, and to reserve space, the shops and accommodation don’t have to be grand but can be made the same way Indigenous Indians make their homes. In addition, the government will have to employee forest management to look after the Ecotourism business. Also, sustainable logging is a better way to export trees beyond the rainforest and provide a good income. By having a helicopter exporting the trees from the rainforest, rather than the trucks, will cause less damage to the rainforest because trees don’t have to be cut down for making roads to transport the trees. Also, for every tree that falls down, another 19 are also damaged and by having helicopters taking the trees, other trees don’t have to be damaged and the whole process will take less time.

The Brazilian people should also consider Afforestation. This is when trees that have been removed by Deforestation are replanted. This is sustainable because by replanting the trees, the Brazilian people are replacing those trees lost and are saving the ecosystem for the future and are not exploiting the rainforest but are replacing the trees for long term benefits. All of these sustainable development ideas will to some extent interfere with the water and nutrient cycle, because removing any vegetation in the rainforest will affect both cycles and the helicopters needed for sustainable logging will produce pollution in the environment, which contributes to Global warming, however, the effects created will be greater than the damage created.

Brazil should also consider measuring trees. This is the idea that trees should only be cut down when they reach a certain size. This will ensure younger trees survive longer and will encourage careful management of the rainforest. Lastly, by introducing a rainforest university, Brazil can educate its people on how to take part in sustainable development. This can then keep the Brazilian population well informed on sustainable development. Overall, these techniques are much more sustainable and effective towards the rainforest and its ecosystem. These ideas will also not interfere and disturb with the water and nutrient cycle because, unlike the techniques that Brazil is using now in the rainforest, not as much damage is being done with the ideas that I have listed. Finally, all of these sustainable ways to provide Brazil with money will help Brazil pay off debts and it will help the countries people to live a better quality of life.

Should the government allow the continuation of further development on the Rainforest?

In my opinion, I think that the answer is yes and no. The reason being is because I believe that the Brazilian government should prevent development taking place in the rainforest because firstly it is destroying and exploiting it. Statistics have told us that the Amazon rainforest is disappearing rapidly and that most of it has already gone. Natural beauty is being lost through development of the rainforest. Rare animals, such as the Toucan, are being lost. The habitats of the animals, which the rainforest houses are also in danger by further development in the rainforest. The danger of destroying the water and nutrient cycle in the rainforest should also be considered because without the water and nutrient cycle the rainforest will first get flooded, which will erode the soil, and then eventually the cleared out areas will transform into a desert. Climate change will take place in places undergone desertification because places such as deserts have very high temperatures, which will affect Brazil as a country.

On the contrary, I think that the rainforest should be used for further development. This is because I believe that the Brazilian people can use the rainforest as an advantage, due to the fact that they are a LEDC. Brazil can provide themselves a steady income if they were to continue with further development in the rainforest. The country can sell timber as well as non-timber products from the rainforest to other countries and yet have a profit to help the country pay of debts and increase the quality of life for the people living in Brazil. The rainforest can also provide enough money to help the 4 million people in Brazil living in shanty homes, to live in a much stable and safer home than before. As a whole, I am unsure if continued development should be allowed in the rainforest.