Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
undisturbed, but there is still a considerable annual loss
(see p. 690). In Borneo drought induced by the major
El Niño of 1997/8 assisted forest clearance during the
short dry season. Smoke from the forest became so severe
that aircraft movement in Indonesia and Singapore was
disrupted and air pollution was a major problem. The
precise area of forest lost is unknown but timber and
wildlife losses were appreciable as natural drought and
fires intended to clear forest for agriculture combined
together to burn thousands of hectares. In this area,
commercial production of palm oil is causing further
pressure also on forest reserves.
Cutting down of tropical rain forest has now reached
such proportions that major concerns are being raised
about its consequences. What we will consider here is, first,
why are the rain forests being cut down? Second, does it
matter and, if so, what are the impacts? Third, can and
should anything be done about their management?
the tropics by major world regions
Region
Main factors
Latin America
Cattle ranching
Resettlement and spontaneous migration
Agricultural expansion
Road networks
Population pressure
Inequitable social structures
Africa
Fuelwood collection
Logging
Agricultural expansion
Population pressure
South Asia
Population pressure
Agricultural expansion
Corruption
Fodder collection
Fuelwood collection
South-east Asia
Corruption
Agricultural expansion
Logging
Population pressure
Why are the rain forests being felled?
Surprisingly, this is not a simple question. The reason why
trees are felled varies.
Table 27.1
lists the main factors
which have been put forward as reasons for deforestation
by region. Common factors do appear in each region but
with different emphasis (
Figure 27.8
).
The actual felling
may be done by agriculturists, by loggers or by fuelwood
collectors but the key factors are access and transport.
Without a method of transporting the wood or the subse-
quent agricultural production out of the area, the only
Source: After Kummer (1991).
possibility of use is for subsistence agriculture (
Plate 27.3
).
Many of the countries containing rain forest are economi-
cally poor, with large population growth rates. Poverty,
low agricultural productivity and an unequal distribution
Elite control
Corruption
Logging concessions
Development projects
Urban poverty
Rural poverty
Landlessness
Population growth
Unrestricted logging
in the primary forest
Increased
road network
Creation of
secondary forest
Migration of
poor farmers
Expansion of
agriculture
Permanent
agriculture
Shifting
cultivation
DEFORESTATION
