Agriculture & Cattle Ranching
How do farmers clear rainforest land?
Burning or logging
Effects of carbon dioxide
Name 1
- Rise of Global Temperatures
- Rise of sea level
- Ocean acidification
What is the main cause of biodiversity loss in rainforests?
Deforestation
What is the primary cause of deforestation in the Amazon?
Cattle Ranching
The main crop grown on cleared rainforest land
Soybeans
What is the government view on mining in the Amazon
They support it:
- Tax cuts
-Funding
What percent of tree species in the rainforest are at risk of extinction?
points given within 5%
30-35%
What percent of the rainforest has been cleared already? (points if within 10%)
17%
What country's size of rainforest land is cut down every year?
Switzerland
Name the 3 primary minerals that are mined in the Amazon.
Gold
Iron
Copper
What is the importance of biodiversity in rainforests?
It allows the cycle of life to thrive and regulates the food chain and climate.
How many metric tons of CO2 does deforestation in the Amazon rainforest release every year?
Points if within 25 million. Hint: under 250 million
105 million
Effects of illegal cattle ranching?
Name two reasons
- Increased risk of fire
- Soil degradation
- Contamination of river water
Climate change has made the Amazon _____ times more prone to wildfires.
20-30 times more likely
Name the 2 main tree species cut down during logging in the rainforest.
Mahogany and Teak
How many trees are cut down every minute in the rainforest?
Point if within 500. Hint: under 5000
2,400 trees
Why do Amazon farmers keep clearing new areas of rainforest every few years, rather than reusing the same land?
The soil is "exhausted":
- It loses nutrients and becomes less fertile.
- Rainforest farmers are poorer and have less efficient farming methods.
What are the effects of climate change on the rainforest?
Name 4
- Increased risk of wildfire.
- Drought and lack of rainfall.
-high temps dry out plants.
- Increased wildfires emmit CO2, meaning the Amazon is less of a "carbon sink".
Name 4 consequences of logging in rainforests
- Disrupts animal habitats
- Soil becomes dry (higher risk of fires)
- releases CO2
- Damages the water cycle
-Pollution it creates also harms neighboring ecosystems
How have pressures of the rainforest influenced global weather patterns?
2 reasons
- Fewer trees cause less rainwater to be stored, leading to droughts and a longer dry season
- Less greenhouse gases get absorbed, raising global temperatures