...The Tropical Rainforest is known for its biodiversity as it is home to many different types of plants and animals also referred to as Flora and Fauna (Hess, 2016). There are approximately 15 million different species of plants and animals thriving throughout this biome (Bioexpedition, 2012). In each level of the biome, there are different types of animals and plants because of the unique characteristics of each location (Bioexpedition, 2012). Tropical rainforests create a layered appearance separated into four levels (Hess, 2016): Emergent Layer Top Level: Consists of the tallest trees usually called “emergents” as they overlook the canopy layer (Hess, 2016). Canopy Level Middle Level: Consists of smaller trees that create the ongoing shade of the forests called “canopies” (Hess, 2016)....
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...of the area, whereas for others they are regarded as a product of human interference. Discuss the statement in the context of the tropical biome you have studied. [40] A tropical rainforest is an ecosystem type that occurs roughly within the latitudes 28 degrees north or south of the equator (in the equatorial zone between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn). This ecosystem experiences high average temperatures and a significant amount of rainfall. In particular, I will be focusing on Borneo Rainforest, which is the oldest rainforest in the world. The island is divided among three countries (figure 1): Malaysia and Brunei in the north, and Indonesia to the south. Approximately 73% of the island is Indonesian territory. In the north, the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak make up about 26% of the island. Climate is the average weather the region receives over a 30 year period. Climate can be on a global scale or a local scale, for instance where it is mountainous more rainfall is generated therefore that region sees a different climate to perhaps a neighbouring region. Aspect and altitude also affects climate, which will be explored in greater detail. The purpose of this essay is to explore whether the natural, climatic factors have influenced the characteristics of the rainforest, or whether humans have had an influence on it. I will be focusing in the current day characteristics to start off with, and after establishing these I will then describe the climatic...
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...Deforestation has become a serious global issue which is resulting in many negative effects such as a loss of biodiversity, land erosion and climate change. Deforestation can be broadly defined as “forest conversion and different types of degradation that reduce forest quality” (Sven, 2000). The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) provides a narrow definition: “depletion of tree crown cover to less than 10% as the deforestation” (FAO, 1993: 10). Forests play a significant role in humanity’s life. According to the World Rainforest Movement (1998), 25% of medicines come from the forests. Moreover, over the past 8000 years, about 5000 square miles of forest has been cut down annually (Rochen, 2008; Seitz, 2008). There are three main causes which lead to the deforestation: logging, overpopulation and road construction. This essay will examine each cause and evaluate the effects. It will begin with discussing the causes of deforestation. Next, it will examine the serious effects. Industrial logging is one of the most significant causes of deforestation. According to Phelps (2005), industrial logging is the clearance of trees for commercial purposes. In West Africa, over the past 40 years, about 2800-3500km² forests have been logged every year (Middleton, 2008). The peasants in Africa play an important role but it is modern industry that cut down so many trees. For example, as Heller (2001) found, every year more than 800 square miles of trees disappear due to the demand of paper...
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...Situation analysis Kenya’s forests are rapidly declining due to pressure from increased population and other land uses. With B of the country being arid and semi-arid, there is a lot of strain on the rest of the land since the economy is natural resource based. The productive area which forms about 20% of the country’s area falls in the medium and high potential agro-ecological zones and is under agriculture, forest and nature reserves. According to FAO Forest Resource Assessment 1990, Kenya is classified among the countries with low forest cover of less than 2% of the total land area. The dwindling forest cover has a severe effect on the climate, wildlife, streams, human population especially forest dwellers. Introduction. Deforestation is clearing Earth's forests on a massive scale, often resulting in damage to the quality of the land. Forests still cover about 30 percent of the world’s land area, but swaths the size of Panama are lost each and every year. The world’s rain forests could completely vanish in a hundred years at the current rate of deforestation. Reasons for cutting down the trees Forests are cut down for many reasons, but most of them are related to money or to people’s need to provide for their families.The biggest driver of deforestation is agriculture. Farmers cut forests to provide more room for planting crops or grazing livestock. Often many small farmers will each clear a few acres to feed their families by cutting down trees and burning them in a process...
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...Running head: THE BATEK OF MALAYSIA: A FORAGING SOCIETY 1 Rough Draft: The Batek of Malaysia a Foraging Society Paula Chapman ANT 101: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Professor: Vasilica Margarit May 12, 2013 I. Introduction A. Thesis Statement The Batek are 'the original people of Malaysia' they make their homes in the rainforest, they are a society that forages, they have a different religious style, well-established traditions social organization, and gender defined roles. II. Body paragraph 1 – Topic Sentence The Batek are a foraging tribe that shares everything amongst their village, they have a community built on the kinship way of life. A. Supporting Evidence As stated in the book, Property, Power, and Conflict among the Batek of Malaysia, Sharing food is an absolute obligation to the Batek, not something, the giver has much discretion over – as one hunter said “If I didn't take the meat back to camp, everyone would be angry at me.” Endicott, Kirk (1988) B. Explanation The Batek feel they have a moral duty to share the food that they forage. They feel that not sharing would be a form of stealing from the group. C. So What? So the main mode of survival for the Batek and their...
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...that they may pass this information along to their soldiers. Understanding the culture of a region in the key to developing a strategy that will enable US forces to conduct operations in that region without unnecessary civilian casualties and without fomenting unnecessary hostility amongst the populace. MESSAGE Nigeria is located in the coast of western Africa, bordering Benin and Cameroon, and is about twice the size of the state of California. The only major river in the country is the Niger, which enters in the northwest and flows through tropical rainforests and swamps out to the Gulf of Guinea. The major geographical issue affecting the country is the loss of arable land due to soil degradation, rapid deforestation, and oil spills. In addition, the country is going through a period of rapid urbanization. A US force operating in the region will encounter environments ranging from open desert to tropical rainforests, and will be forced to operate in urban environments. Due to rapid desertification and air pollution, forces operating in the area will be forced to contend with high temperatures and a lack of potable water sources. Nigeria has the following natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead, and zinc. None of these natural resources can be found in such abundance as to have inspired conflict. The population of Nigeria is largely literate, with an overall literacy rate of 68%. Comprised of 50% Muslim, 40% Christian, and...
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...plant species while rainforests cover twice that area. Deforestation is occurring across the globe on a scale that if it were continue at its present rate the forests could disappear within the next one to two hundred years. This raises concerns and questions. First, why should we be concerned? Second, what kind of damage could deforestation lead to animal and plant species, human existence, and to mother Earth and its atmosphere? Third, how and why the rainforests benefit the human race. To answer these questions, this paper will discuss where the most deforestation is occurring and the consequences of deforestation. Tropical rainforests are defined by two primary factors: location and amount of rainfall they receive. Rainforests receive from 4 to 8 meters of rain a year. Most of the rainfall is blocked by heavy vegetation, and water reaches the forest floor by rolling down branches and trunks. A distinctive characteristic is that the rainforests have no seasonality or no dry or cold season of slower growth. In addition, they are the Earth’s oldest living ecosystems. The rainforests are a priceless part of mother earth and their removal through deforestation would mean the loss of one of the planet’s most valuable ecosystems. Rainforests are being destroyed at an astounding rate. According to the National Academy of Science, at least 50 million acres a year are lost, “an area the size of England, Wales, and Scotland combined,”. “All the primary rainforests in India, Bangladesh...
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...Biomes Tropical rainforest: * What: Hot and wet areas with broadleaved evergreen forest * Where: Within 5°N and S of the equator * Climate, limiting factors: High rainfall(2000-5000 mm yr-1), high temperatures( 26-28°) and high insolation, P>E rain washes nutrients out of the soil, so nutrients may limit plant growth * Structure: amazingly high levels of biodiversity: plants compete for light thus growing tall to absorb it, so there is a multi-storey profile to the forests called stratification. Many niches and habitat for animals and large mammals can get enough food * Net productivity: produce 40% of NPP of terrestrial ecosystems. Fast rates of decomposition, respiration and photosynthesis. Biomass gain very high, rapid recycling of nutrients * Human activity: more than 50% of world’s human population live in the tropics/subtropics forests exploited e.g. nutrients quickly exhausted by agriculture, commercial logging of timber * Issues: logging, conversion to grazing and to plantations forests exploited for economic development * Examples: Amazon rainforest, Borneo rainforest Desert: * What: dry areas usually hot in the day and cold at night as skies are clear and there is little vegetation to insulate the ground. Tropical, temperate, cold deserts * Where: cover 20-30% of the Earth’s land surface, about 30°N and S of the equator where dry air descends. Most are in the middle of continents * Climate, limiting factors: water...
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...In the Merriam-Webster dictionary deforestation is defined as “the action or process of clearing of forests; also: the state of having been cleared of forests.” Deforestation is a growing problem on the planet Earth. It takes away homes for thousands of species each year and it is becoming another problem for global warming. There are many reasons why this occurs throughout the lifetime of man. Whether it is naturally, agriculturally based or timber/lumber working, all of these factors are a major reason why the forests on the Earth are slowly diminishing. Deforestation is big in the Amazon that is mainly located in Brazil, the Congo Basin that is mainly located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and on the island of Madagascar. One reason why deforestation is occurring is just based on natural causes, such as forest fires that at times are useful but other times become a problem when the happen in the wrong areas, droughts that are never good because it causes plants and animals to lose their food sources and eventually vanish. The second mainly occurs when farmers next to the forests cut down acres of trees to get more land for them to grow their crops and feed their farm animals. They usually do this because their soil will become dry and will not be useful any longer, so they chop down some trees from the forest area so that they can use the soil in there. The third big problem of why this occurs is because of lumber companies that illegally cut more wood that they are...
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...Air pollution caused by unlawful burning of forests is a yearly issue. The illegal deforestation across Indonesia has covered much of South-East Asia – particularly Singapore, Malaysia, as well as parts of Philippines and Thailand, in an acrid haze, resulting to one of the most severe regional shutdown in years. According to the scientists, the 2015 pollution could surpass the one in 1997 - when it had created an environmental tragedy that cost about US$9 billion in damage. The economic cost The total economic cost will take months to assess, and will have to cover all aspects of daily life – lost productivity, lost workdays through respiratory illness and lost tourism. Early estimates of Indonesia’s total economic costs of the fires in 2015 exceed US $16 billion - equivalent to about 1.8% of Indonesia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This estimate includes losses to agriculture, forestry, transport, trade, industry, tourism, and other sectors. Some of these costs are immediate damage and losses to crops, forests, houses and infrastructure, as well as the expense of reacting to the flames. The haze has also disrupted the air, land and sea travel which contributed to the economic losses. The economic growth rate of the affected provinces is expected to be severely affected by the damages and losses. It is also reported that about 78,000 people were unable to report to work due to respiratory infections caused by the haze. Depending on how long the haze lasts, Singapore...
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...The Emerald Ash Borer is a tiny little creature that is causing the most severe damage to our forests in the United States of any living creature. The metallic green beetle is only a ½ inch long and an 1/8 of an inch wide yet it is destroying trees at an unprecedented rate. The beetle has been in Russian, Japan, Korea and northern China for some time, and was found for the first time in 2002 in Michigan. While we can not be certain it is widely believed that the Emerald Ash Borer arrived here via the wood in shipping containers. Currently the beetle is found across the entire northern United States, from New Hampshire to Colorado and in most of southern Canada. Concern of the beetle's further spread via ash firewood is a great concern. The most obvious symptoms include dieback of the upper and outer crown after multiple years of EAB larval feeding. The canopy of infested trees begins to thin above infested portions of the trunk and major branches because the borer destroys the water and nutrient conducting tissues under the bark. Because the larva feeding disrupts nutrient and water flow to the upper canopy, leaves at the top of the tree may be thin and discolored or fall of completely. When trees are under attack or sick they try to grow new branches wherever they can, and since the crown is effected more by the Emerald Ash Borer trees may start new growth at the base of the tree and on the trunk. This is often just below where the larvae are feeding and you will see small...
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...D.J. Ram’Seur Mrs. Mitchell CBA-6th 13 October 2017 The Kinka-Who? The Potos Flavus, also known as the Kinkajou (kiNGkəˌjo͞o), is one of the many endangered animals that are losing their natural habitat, the Brazilian Rainforest, to the most invasive species on this planet, Humans. The kinkajou is one of the two species of animals (excluding primates) that have a prehensile tail. They have specially jointed feet, this enables them to turn a complete 180˚. It is also the only animal of the carnivorous order that relies only on fruit, with the exception of the insects that are on the fruit and in the honey that they eat. They are also the only mammals that are pollinators. Efforts to save the kinkajou wave been set in place by the Kids Saving...
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...Although I have spent most of my life in the temperate deciduous forests of the eastern United States, exploring different organisms and features of the temperate deciduous forests has still been very interesting. There are temperate deciduous forests of the world are in Japan, China, the eastern United States, Canada, Europe, parts of Russia. Over the past few weeks, I have been exploring the temperate forests of several countries. In the temperate deciduous forest, there are four seasons: summer, fall, winter, and spring. Temperate deciduous forests are the second rainiest biome. There are about 30-60 inches of precipitation annually. It is typically hot in summer and cold in the winter. The average annual temperature is 50 degrees Fahrenheit....
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...Essential Environment Abstract When European explorers reached Easter Island in 1722, they "found a barren landscape populated by fewer than 2,000 people." This was amid evidence that there was once sophisticated civilization on the island. Indeed, further studies found that the island was once lushly forested, supporting a society of 6,000 to 30,000 people. Evidence indicates that "this once-flourishing civilization overused its resources and cut down all its trees, destroying itself in a downward spiral of starvation and conflict. Today, Easter Island stands as a parable and a warning for what can happen when a population consumes too much of the limited resources that support it." Using the scientific method, analyze and prepare a report on the story of Easter Island. In your report, include responses to the following questions: Observation: What were some of the key observations at Easter Island? Hypothesis: What hypothesis was formed as a result of the observations? Results: What were the results and conclusions after applying the scientific method? Do you agree with the assertion that Easter Island holds important lessons for our world today, regarding the use of natural resources? Why or why not? Support your answer with examples. Sustainability Easter Island holds...
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...Climate change implications for the Pacific Islands Across the planet now we see ever more flood, ever more drought, ever more storms. People are dying, communities are being wrecked and local plants and species are being wiped away — the impacts we’re already witnessing from climate change are unlike anything we have ever seen before. There is report that identifies small island states as being the most vulnerable countries of the world to the adverse impacts of climate change. The Pacific is in fact without a doubt one of the world’s most vulnerable regions when it comes to risk of disaster due to climate change, particularly several of the low-lying coral islands. Climate change is already affecting Pacific Islands with dramatic revenue loss across sectors such as agriculture, water resources, forestry, tourism and other industry-related sectors. Some of the projected impacts of climate change on main sectors that specifically apply to the Pacific Islands are listed below. (reference here) Agriculture is extremely vulnerable to climate change, with high temperature levels reducing yields of desirable crops and changes in precipitation patterns increasing crop failures (reference here). Pacific islands are constantly being exposed to these threats of climate change and we have already witnessed the effects of these threats. For example the different weather variations occurring in different parts of the pacific islands, low levels of our crops and forestry production...
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