Rainforest enquiry the affects of deforestation, how we can protect the rainforest and the ways the rainforest survives and the plants get their food.

Deforestation

Mining:-   Mining in tunnels does not do as much damage to the

                  rainforest as the more devastating open cast mining

                  method. In the Brazilian rainforest the majority of

                  mining is done using the open cast method, this

                  digging crater like holes in the rainforest. To get at      

                  the area the trees in the vicinity have to be cut down,

                  when these trees are removed the soil has nothing

                  holding it in place causing land slides and as the trees

                  are not taking in water this can lead to flooding which

                  will wash away any remaining nutrients in the soil. All

                  this devastation is caused just to get at the minerals

                  such as tin, bauxite, gold, copper and iron ore. This

                  mining causes tremendous damage to the local          

                  ecosystems destroying habitats and the trees and

                  other plants.

Ranching:-  Ranching involves burning down thee foliage and

                     replaces it with grassland for the cattle. When the

                     feed on the grass it rids the soil of the little nutrients

                     it has and gives little back. Once all the soil has got

                     no nutrients left the cattle ranchers move on to

                     another part of the rainforest and the cycle repeats

                     itself over and over again. It is a never ending cycle

                     that left unchecked could help lead to the total

                     deforestation of the Amazon rainforest and many

                     others.

H.E.P:-  To build hydro electric power stations large areas of the

               rainforest have to be cut down. When the H.E.P station

               has been built the local area around it will be flooded

               causing infestations of mosquitoes and animal habitats

               and plant lives are destroyed. These do not only destroy

               the rainforest when building them but when they are

               operational as well. All these things make H.E.P

               stations on of the main factors in the destruction and

               and deforestation to the Amazon and other rainforests

               through out the world.    

The impact of Deforestation

Deforestation causes many serious impacts to both the immediate area, to biomes and to the environment. The deforestation not only destroys the animals habitats that live in the local area but it affects the world, if all the trees in the Amazon rainforest were cut down in oxygen in the environment would me diminished. The trees also play a vital role in flood protection they hold the soil in place and take up water through their roots stopping saturation of the soil. If these trees were cut down there would be flooding in the immediate area and even further afar could be affected, animals, plant life and whole ecosystems can be destroyed. Burning down the trees in the rainforest releases carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere polluting it and the fires caused kill animals and destroy their habitats.

                  How Can We Protect The Rainforest?

The Brazilian government could do a lot to put a halt or at least slow down the destruction of the rainforest. They could restrict company’s exports stopping the companies exporting excessive amounts of their goods abroad instead of selling their products to the Brazilian citizens. The government could totally ban mining, building, ranching, road building and cutting down the trees in separate parts of the rainforest. The government could separate a section of the rain forest and give it to the companies and restrict them to only use that area of land to mine, farm, build or ranch.

  When the trees are burned in the rainforest carbon dioxide (CO2) is released into the atmosphere increasing global warming the U.N. could restrict this and demand the Brazilian government to put in laws banning the slash and burn method of deforestation.

  Charities could put pressure on the government to change laws restricting what the companies are allowed to do when in the rainforest. If the charities could raise enough money the charities can buy areas of land to make into conservation areas.

Conclusion

In conclusion the main causes of deforestation are open cast mining, ranching, H.E.P. stations and road building. If these causes of deforestation aren’t stopped the whole ecosystem of the Brazilian rainforest could collapse. If left unchecked the Brazilian rainforest could become a pit from the remains of open cast mining being cut through by motorways, with ranches and the remains of old ranches, and flooded land from the H.E.P stations, Destroying the rainforest and the ecosystems within it. If the deforestation does stop it will be due to the Brazilian government taking action and restricting the company’s actions within the rainforest.

By Alex Paveley 9CG