Human Impact on the Amazon Basin

Deforestation is the removal of trees in a forest region that causes the conversion of forest land to non- forest land

The main cause of deforestation in the Amazon forest are human settlement and land development

Deforestation in the Amazon basin began in the 1600’s as a result of colonist established forms within the forest. Their farming existed as planting followed by a slash and burn method. This implies that crops are grown, harvested, and the land is burnt to prepare for the next planting season. Due to these farming practice, the land of the amazon had a short term fertility rate, and farmers had to seek new farming land within short periods of time. Over the years, deforestation in the amazon forest of Brazil continue to grow due to the following reasons

Pastoral farming is the leading cause of deforestation in the amazon. It accounted for about 38% of deforestation that occurred between 1966- 1975. Today, about 80% of the beef produced in pastoral farming in Brazil is used for export.

One of the main causes of the increase in cattle production and cattle export is the drop in the country's currency. This weakness in currency allows brazil's agricultural product to be more competitive in the world market.

Another cause of increased export is the complete eradication of Brazil's Foot and Mouth Cattle Disease, which allows Brazil to produce higher quality beef. Eradication of this disease also lead to an increase in price and demand for Brazil's Beef.

The constructions of roads have also lead to easier accessibility to forest land. This has lead to the reduction in shipping and beef packaging cost.

The lack of agricultural certification in Brazil has lead to more and more people using domant forest land for cattle rearing. Colonist and developers could easily earn land title by converting forest land for pastoral farming use.

SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE:

Subsistence agriculture in a method of crop production, where farmers produce only enough food to feed the family. The practice of subsistence agriculture is done mainly by poor farmers that settle in forest land. The government encourages these farmers to settle on the land and earn ownership after five years of agricultural practice.

However, most of these farmers engage in the slash and burn method. The slash and burn implies that farm land is burnt after crops are harvested. However, in most cases, the fires set in farmland end up spreading to forest land.

Also, the slash and burn practice causes land to loose its productivity in about two years. This loss in productivity encourages land owners to clear more trees for crop cultivation. Between 1995 and 1998, the Brazillian government granted land to over 150 000 people This lead an increase in the amout of forest land lost to deforestation.

CONSTRUCTION: Construction of roads and Highways to mining and logging sites in the amazon has also lead to deforestation. It has also opened new forest land that can exploited by peasant farmers, looking for new land or expansion of old land.

One of the major constructions that lead to deforestation and economic development in the amazon basin was the construction of the Trans- Amazonian High way. The Trans- Amazonian highway was created to open up new forest land to poor farmers, and also allow the production of timber and minerals.

However, the Trans- Amazonian Highway did not create prosperity as expected by the Brazilian government. It was subjected to erosion, traffic caused by flooding, and loss of soil productivity within short periods in the Amazon basin due to the slash and burn method that was practiced by the peasant farmers.

COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE AND SETTLEMENT: Brazil is known world wide in the global market for the production of food crops for export. It is currently the world’s 2^nd largest producer of soybean. High soybean prices have lead to the increase in the amount of forest land used for commercial crop cultivation. The effect of soybean crop cultivation damage extends past the actual deforestation itself. It allows exploitation of more forest land by the slash and burn method practiced by subsistence agricultural farmers, and creates room for the creation of more highways. For instance, soybean farming lead to the creation of the BR-163 road which caused an increase in deforestation and settlement by poor rural farmers.

Keep Our Forest

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is asking the state for $25 million to build a new base for firefighting aircraft at Hemet-Ryan Airport.
Plans call for demolishing the 1950s-era base now at the Hemet airport and replacing it with state-of-the-art buildings and facilities that should help improve firefighting capabilities, said county and CDF officials.
Riverside County Executive Officer Robin Zimpfer made the announcement at the recent Third District Economic Development Forum in San Jacinto. She said the county's economic development agency, which owns the airport, assisted CDF in submitting a budget package to fund the proposed facility.
Riverside County contracts with CDF for fire-protection services.
The planned base affirms CDF's commitment to stay at Hemet-Ryan Airport, said CDF fire Capt. Patrick Tomlinson.

Virgin Forest

The Sumava is a heavily wooded mountain region stretching for about 125 km along the border with Austria and Germany. Its importance lies in its large tranquil, thinly populated forests, which are relatively unpolluted and undamaged by acid rain. Although only one small patch, the Boubin Virgin Forest (Boubinsky prales), is regarded as completely untouched, the Sumava's pristine state still makes it a unique asset.Euroregion Sumava - Bavorsky Les was found in the beginning of the 90's. It is a cooperation between districts of Sumava (Cesky Krumlov, Domazlice, Klatovy and Prachatice) and their partners from Upper Austria and Bavaria. The Sumava Protected Landscape Region (Chranena krajinna oblast or CHKO) was established in 1963. In 1990 UNESCO declared this a biosperic reservation. The adjacent Bavarian Forest gained this status in 1981. In April 1991, 685 km2. of the CHKO became the Sumava National Park (Narodni park Sumava). This and the CHKO now make up the biggest single state - protected area in the Czech and Slovak Republics. The mighty Vltava rises in the Sumava, as do five other major rivers. Two canals, the Vchynicky and Schwarzenbersky, built in the early 1800's to transport logs, scar the region. There are many lakes and ponds within the region - five major lakes are Plesne, Prasilsky, Certovo and Cerne (Black Lake). Winter sport lovers will find many opportunities in Sumava.If you need to calm your spirit your mind and draw new energy in the beautiful countryside, you should take the SUMAVA WALKING TRAILS - KLOSTERMANNOVA STEZKA (28 km) from Hartmanic across Kasperske Hory to Vacon or the INSTRUCTIVE TRAIL - HORNI PLANA, BOUBINSKY PRALES (3,8 km) MEDVEDI STEZKA, HAMIZNA, POVYDRI, CHURANOV.The virgin forest of Boubin is situated on the southeastern slope of Mt. Boubin (1362 m) that used to be a part of a property of the family of Schwarzenberg. Joseph John founded it in 1856 and it consisted of 47 ha. The area was changed several times, finally it is 666 ha, and 47 ha are surrounded with a fence that should protect the plants from animals. An instructive path in length of 5 km follows it. On your trip through a mixed forest you can learn many interesting things about the history of the forest from 9 informative panels. You can see really giant trees - "the King of spruces", is 460 years old, 57.5 m high and its volume is 30 m3. It is a pity that you cannot see it any more from the path. The starting point is the Boubin lake that was used to transport wood to the glass factories in Lenora.


On the way back to the parking you will pass the Ida's sawmill, now a tourist information centre during the summer season.Much of the original 138 hectares of forest was destroyed by a windstorm in 1870. Ironically, the region has been damaged by coring beetles, and the forest itself is out of bounds to visitors.Approximate length of the trip: According to the conditions 4 - 7h (7 - 20 km).

Burnt Forest

The fires of January 1939 were to be etched into the memories of those involved for the rest of their lives. Flames leapt from mountain to mountain, giant trees were blown out of the ground by fierce winds and large pieces of burning bark were carried for kilometres ahead of the main fire front, lighting up places that had not yet been devastated by flames.Sixty-nine mills were burnt, and seventy one lives lost. At one sawmill settlement near Matlock, east of Melbourne, fifteen people died whilst trying to escape from the fires. Over 1000 homes were burnt, and the townships of Narbethong, Noojee, Woods Point, Nayook West and Hill End were obliterated. The townships of Warrandyte, Yarra Glen, Omeo and Pomonal were badly damaged. Fires raged in the Yarra Ranges east of Melbourne, and affected towns including Toolangi, Warburton and Thomson Valley. The Alpine towns of Bright, Cudgewa and Corryong were also affected, as were vast areas in the west of the state, in particular Portland, the Otway Ranges and the Grampians. Large areas of state forest, containing giant stands of Mountain Ash and other valuable timbers, were killed. Approximately 575,000 hectares of reserved forest, and 780,000 hectares of forested Crown Land were burnt. The intensity of the fire produced huge amounts of smoke and ash, with reports of ash falling as far away as New Zealand. The devastation ended late on Sunday January 15, after rain fell across the state. What started the fires?Although the summer had been extremely hot and dry following a long period of drought, the fires that resulted in ‘Black Friday’ were a combination of human causes. Judge Stretton wrote in his report “…it will appear that no one cause may properly be said to have been the sole cause…”. Land owners, graziers, miners, forest workers and campers either deliberately or carelessly contributed to the 1939 fires by lighting fires prior to January 13. These included burning off for land clearing and grass growth, lighting campfires, inappropriate sawmill operations and domestic fires.