Dynamic Planet - Battle for the Biosphere - 3

Battle for the Biosphere

% biome is a very large ecosystem

The value of the biosphere Use for survival (of humans and animals)
Rainforests and coral reefs are very biodiverse they provide habitats and homes for a large number of animals !orests remove carbon dio"ide from the atmosphere and provide us #ith o"ygen to breathe !orests can help prevent flooding because of interception

Commercial use (for money and business)

!orests can provide us #ith timber #hich #e use to ma$e furniture and for building Rainforests can provide us #ith medicines and cures Rainforests and coral reefs often attract tourists

How have humans effected the biosphere: The Amazon Rainforest The effects of humans The effects of climate change

&ncrease in temperatures along #ith #ild #eather #ould cause #idespread changes to the %ma'on &t #ould trigger a shift from humid rainforest to drier savanna ecosystems (his #ould affect the delicate biodiversity (plants and animals living there) )ildfires #ould also become more fre*uent due to the hotter and drier #eather (hese are problems because the rainforests are a huge store of carbon for the atmosphere &f the forests #ere lost the carbon #ould be released and global #arming increased

Dynamic Planet - Battle for the Biosphere - 3

How can the Amazon Rainforest be managed

!co"tourism in the Amazon (his aims to develop tourism in the %ma'on #hich is good for the environment+ #ildlife and local people ,eople stay in -ungle lodges #hich has very little impact on the rainforest (ourists learn about the rainforest &t also provides -obs for local people #or$ing as guides+ in hotels and selling souvenirs #t is sustainable because it is not cutting down the rainforest$ instead it is educating tourists and providing income for local people% Harvesting vines from the Amazon (his pro-ect involves cutting do#n vines in the rainforest+ not the trees (he vines gro# bac$ *uic$ly and the trees are unaffected (he vines are used to ma$e bas$ets and develop industries+ giving local people -obs and money #t is sustainable because it is not cutting down the rainforest$ it is providing people with &obs and income without having any lasting damage%

'hat other ways is the biosphere protected

RA()AR convention: %ims to protect #etland areas *#T!) convention: %ims to stop trade in endangered animal goods +ational Par,s: %im to conserve areas of natural beauty (e g .e# !orest+ U/) *ommunity -orests: %im to provide ne# areas of trees near ma-or cities