Tropical Rainforest

Tropical Rainforest

1. Located Example - Amazon Rainforest

2. It consists of one-third of the planet's remaining tropical rainforest.

3. It provides resources for people locally and worldwide, including food, water, timber and medicines

4. It is home to a diverse range of plants and animals, with over 13,000 bird and 40,000 plant species.

5. Sustainable Management

   • Government Policies (governance) - Brazil
     • National Forests belong to the state, but government can grant timber companies concessions to manage certain areas
     • 31 National Forests covering 16 million hectares - an are larger than England
     • Biodiversity survey must be carried out before logging, to establish which areas need protection
   • Commodity value
     • In parts of the Amazon (e.g. Paragominas) timber firms are realising that undamaged forest is a commercial asset and can yield sustainable income
     • 'Sustainable management' or 'reduced-impact logging' (RIL) can be more profitable than 'clear all' methods of timber extraction.
     • RIL is up to 12% cheaper than conventional logging
   • Conventional logging
     • The TRF is fragmented and species become endangerd
     • For every tree cut down, 10-20 others are damaged
   • Reduced-impact logging
     • Selective matures trees cut down
     • 'Seed' trees are left to help quicker regrowth
     • Direction of falling trees calculated to reduce damage to other trees.
     • Less fragmentation and quicker regeneration