Environmental concerns about tropical rain forest Spring 2003 Manuel Corro AGED 4713 International Agriculture.

Environmental concerns about tropical rain forest

Spring 2003

Manuel Corro

AGED 4713International Agriculture

Objectives To know about:

Importance of tropical rain forest

Causes of deforestation in the tropics

Sequence of events of deforestation

Tropical rain forest

• Worldwide, 5 to 80 million species of plants and animals comprise the "biodiversity" of planet Earth.

• Tropical rain forests-covering only 7% of the total dry surface of the Earth-hold over 50 % biodiversity

Causes of Deforestation

Causes are very complex:• Economic reasons

• Need more land to increase agriculture

• Commercial logging• Agriculture• Poor conservation practices • Construction of highways & dams

Causes of Deforestation

• Slash and Burn • Land degradation

• Erosion

Sequence of events from deforestation to extensive cattle grazing systems in Central America

Little economic opportunity

Access to forest

People migrate to forest and clear land

Economic activities:wood, charcoal, cropping

Remaining nutrients extracted from forest remnant

LOW CROP YIELDS

(Nicholson et al 1995)

Sequence of events from deforestation to extensive cattle grazing systems in Central America

LOW CROP YIELDS

Land sold to larger producers

Grasses and cattle introduced for small producers

Cattle grazing system on formerly forested

land(Nicholson et al 1995)

Seek for new land to clear

How long does it take to recover a deforested land?

What can it be done to avoid deforestation?

Any Questions ?