Transcript Deforestation and Climate Change

Deforestation and Climate Change
Phillip Larson
Ben Mancheski
Andrew Rooyakkers
&
Aaron Schaufenbuel
Introduction
Definition: the deliberate clearance of forested land by cutting or burning.
Can have a major impact on:
1. surface water flows
2. hydrographs
3. soil erosion
4. Climate
What causes deforestation?
1. Agricultural Practices
a. Shifting Agriculture
b. Permanent Agriculture
2. Cattle Ranching
3. Commercial Logging
Shifting Agriculture
1. Traditional shifting cultivation
a.
b.
“slash and burn”
Regeneration: 15- 20 years
2. Short rotation cultivation
a. fallow periods
3. Encroaching cultivation
a. Spreading from main roads
Permanent Agriculture
1. Why is it a problem?
2. Fish Farming
3. Government Resettlement Schemes
Cattle Ranching
- Law states that ½ of land must be retained as
forested
Other causes
1. Mining
2. Hydro electric plants (Tucuru Dam)
3. Urban expansion
4. Cultivation of illegal
drugs
Commercial Logging
-alleviates debt
-developing countries (Brazil)
Climate Changes
1. Increase in solar radiation= cooling
2. Less evapotranspiration= warming
3. Rainfall
4. Mountain climates
Wisconsin?
- Many rivers (easy transport)
(Fox, Wisconsin, Chippewa, Menominee, Peshtigo, Eau Claire, Flambeau)
- First paper mill built in Appleton in 1853
Natural Causes of Climate Change






Glacial Ages (Ice Ages)
Milankovitch Cycle/ Orbital Changes
Carbon Dioxide/ Atmospheric Changes
Volcanic Activity
Sea Water Circulation
Continental Position
Over the past 750,000 years of Earth's history, Ice Ages have occurred at
regular intervals, of approximately 100,000 years each
http://www.clearlight.com/~mhieb/WVFossils/ice_ages.html
Over half the Earth’s surface was covered by Glaciers or extreme deserts
at the extent of glaciation 18,000 years ago.
http://www.clearlight.com/~mhieb/WVFossils/present_interglacial.html
Present day vegetation cover
http://www.clearlight.com/~mhieb/WVFossils/present_interglacial.html
Deforestation and Climate
Change

(A) Mass deforestation of Amazon regions
could increase in the mean surface temperature
2.5°C and decrease the annual evapotranspiration (30% reduction), precipitation
(25% reduction), and runoff (20% reduction)
in the region
Deforestation and Climate
Change


(B) There has been an increase in atmospheric
concentration of CO2 of 90 ppm between the preindustrial era and year 2000. The projected range of
CO2 concentrations in 2100, under a range of
emissions scenarios developed for the IPCC, is 170600 ppm above 2000 levels.
Complete global deforestation over the same time
frame would increase atmospheric concentrations by
about 130-290 ppm.
Deforestation and Climate
Change

(C) Managing forests to help control
greenhouse gases can be complicated. If the
forests are cut down again before they grow to
their optimum carbon storage potential, they
might not prove to be as helpful to counterbalance deforestation as once was thought.
Preventing Deforestation
Several techniques already in place
Tree incentive program



Tree replacement program
This program offers an incentive in the form of
money to those who plant trees.
Many state governments have joined this
approach.
Benefits


Helps shoulder the overall cost of planting new
trees.
Gives incentives to business by using the
capitalist system to replant trees after cutting
them down.
Pitfalls


The money incentive is often not enough
money to cover the full cost of planting trees.
This leads to mainly environmentalists or
corporations planting trees. People who most
likely would have done so at a loss anyhow.
Non-Profit Organizations


There are many non profit organizations who
go about collecting money / donations to plant
trees.
Some even encourage children to buy land in
the rain forests through the schools.
Preventing Deforestation

Several ways that deforestation could be
prevented
Social Reform


The current capitalist system takes advantage
of the earths resources to the point where
permanent damage can be expected.
There currently societies who live within a
sustainable rate of environmental degradation.
Social Reform



Not likely to happen.
The current setup of our government allows
candidates to be “bought” by big money.
Corporations donate money to a candidate’s
campaign and the candidate will look out for
that corporation’s interests in return.
Technology


There is the possibility that technology could
progress to the point to where we once again
live in a sustainable environment.
Our capitalist system dictates that corporations
will always try to corner the market and by
doing so make huge profits.
Technology


Often, for a corporation to receive such an
edge is through technology. This ensures the
progression of technology.
Technology could come to the point where it
becomes so advanced through the capitalist
system that the demand for natural resources
becomes significantly reduced.
Strict Regulations


Throughout history, we see that public outcry
has elected politicians who take to hart what
the people want rather than the needs of the
corporations.
If there is enough of a public outcry over
environmental issues, candidates and
government leaders will begin to enforce
stricter environmental regulations.