Threats to Natural Resources in Brazil - Research Paper Example

Threats to natural resources in Brazil Brazil is the homeland of the largest rain forest biome in the world, the Amazon. It has the biggest portion of the world’s remaining rain forests, stretching over an area of more than 5 million square kilometers. Rich in biodiversity, the Amazon contains numerous plant and animal species numbering in the thousands. Brazil with numerous rivers and lakes is also the largest freshwater reservoir in the world, with the Amazon region alone containing up to one-fifth of the world’s freshwater. The Amazon is thus by far Brazil’s greatest natural resource. The forest formerly occupied more than 4 million square kilometers. Of concern has been the deforestation that has been a major threat to this resource. The rate of deforestation has in currently accelerated to over 8000 hectares each year (Lui and Lu, 322). One of the major causes of deforestation is ranching. The raising of bulls for meat is very popular in Latin America. However, it remains a low profit activity and only continues because it benefits greatly from government credits and subsidies or because of prospective speculative gains. Ranchers clear trees within the forest to create land for pasture with the number of farmers involved in this practice increasing (Sergio Margulis, 5). This is because it produces higher rates of economic return than the country’s traditional cattle ranching areas. Rates are much higher due to availability of cheap land and favorable production conditions such as rainfall. Without trees, soil nutrients are easily washed away leading to infertile soils. Over years of use, pasture land progressively becomes unproductive and is later abandoned. This land utilization precludes agriculturists from using the same zone for more than a few years. Ranchers then clear more forest area to make land for pasture. This threatens the forest and the biodiversity within it. Indigenous communities are also forced to move deeper into the forests as their native land is stolen from them. The international market for soybeans has been rapidly expanding with demand exceeding supply. Soybean growing has gradually shifted from temperate to tropical regions due to availability of cheap land. Latin America has had much growth in this with Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay being on the receiving end (Phillip, 24). Governments in Latin America have been hugely supportive in soybean growing through agricultural subsidies. An unintended consequence is agricultural areas expanding into forest zones. Deforestation occurs as plantation owners purchase already cleared area from small agriculturists who will then move into frontier areas and clear more forests (Phillip, 27). Agrochemicals used to combat diseases; pests and weeds in soy cultivation can also profoundly impact on the environment. During the perennial flooding of the Amazon Basin, high doses of agrochemicals used in soybean cultivation can be concentrated in the lakes and rivers. Agrochemical use may impact on the population of aquatic animals as well as people living in the Amazon Basin. Fish grown in the Amazon is also sold worldwide, and toxic chemicals may end up accumulating in human and animal populations as fish travel up the food chain. Soybean cultivation also necessitates growth in infrastructure and thus its production has justified road construction through forests in many states. The growing of soybean and other plantation crops such as palm oil have thus proven themselves as significant threats to natural resources in Brazil. Brazilian indigenous communities commonly employ slash and burn and shifting cultivation techniques. Slash-and-burn cultivation is the cutting and burning of forests for farming purposes. This method results in the land being stripped of its nutrients. Shifting cultivation is a farming practice where farmers cut and burn the forests, plant annual crops for a few years and then leave it fallow for a number of years. During fallow time, the land might grow into secondary forest and the soil can recover its nutrients. These methods are used mainly by indigenous communities that live near the Amazon forest or their protected land overlaps with forest land. It is a popular technique due to its low operational cost but at the expense of reducing the area coverage under forests. The continued use of such techniques in population plays a major role in deforestation. The number of small farmers that use these methods is increasing, and South American Governments have been unable to educate the public adequately on proper farming methods. The global furniture industry has fuelled the cutting of trees in forests. As consumers in developed countries drive up the demand for rare woods, the timber industries in Latin America together with other countries around the globe with vast forests have experienced rapid growth over recent years(Myers, 34). Timber extraction remains one of the leading causes of deforestation and loss of natural resources. As logging operations are found deep in the forest, numerous roads have been constructed trough forests to connect logging sites to urban areas. This is for the transportation of manpower, timber and machines to and from forests. Construction of these roads needs the felling of trees and thus has also contributed to deforestation. Animal populations around the world are plagued by poaching and overhunting. Many species have been declared extinct or endangered as the trade in wildlife trophies and game meat has grown. The Amazon biome is the home to numerous animal and insect species. They are constantly under threat as humans encroach more and more into forest areas. Indigenous communities have been increasingly involved in poaching as a means of livelihood and government policy has been inadequate in stopping poaching activities. With the growth of populations in South America, animals in the wild are over hunted to satisfy the demand for meat in urban areas. Global trade has been increasing with improvements in transport and communication. With technology, more nations are becoming industrialized. Technology has also helped in decreasing death rates that have led to rapid population growth. The developed world consumes most of the natural resources in the world. The BRIC countries of Russia, China, Brazil, and India have all experienced rapid industrialization. These countries also have high populations and thus applied more pressure on the environment in supplying raw materials for their industries. Overconsumption thus remains a major threat to the sustainability of natural resources as animals are over hunted; fish are overfished, and forests are cut down to supply the increasing demand of natural resources. Ecosystems are degraded, and many animals face the risk of extinction. Efforts to improve sustainability have been mostly unfruitful as world trade is largely competitive and thus dependent on how fast a country can consume its natural resources.In the meantime, the extraction of a lot of non-renewable resources is now arriving at or nearing a peak. A consequence of the overconsumption and industrial growth is climate change. Pollution from industries and the burning of forests releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Today, Brazil is the 10th largest emitter of greenhouse gasses, half of which comes from the burning of the Amazon forests. Climate change is still one of the most important environmental problems linked to our natural resource use, and it produces drastic climatic consequences. There has been a worldwide rise in temperatures as a result of climate change that has affected weather patterns around the world. Warmer temperatures and decreased rainfall during already dry months could lead to severe droughts. Climate change could also result in flooding as weather becomes more and more erratic. Droughts and floods could then lead to substantial changes in seasons. Droughts and floods can also lead to increased soil erosion, degradation of freshwater systems, loss of agriculturally valuable lands, loss of biodiversity, decrease in agricultural yields and increased insect infestation. Climate modeling studies have projected a warming and drying effect due to rising global temperatures. When combined with a decrease in evapotranspiration from plants, there will likely be a substantial decline in rainfall over much of the Amazon. From the study, the model resulted in significant shifting of climate within the Amazon ecosystem (Miles and Grainger, 559). With decreased rainfall all over the world, fresh water reserves and forest cover will greatly reduce. Many species, dependent on the forest will face the threat of extinction. Fertile land will then quickly be eroded with reduced forest cover Climate plays a large role in global ecosystems and the ecological services, and climate change will remain a large threat to natural resources. Another threat to natural resources in the world is wildfires. These fires originate from pasture management efforts, slash and burn cultivation or by deliberate deforestation. The fires escaped control and fueled by the densely packed rainforests, quickly increasing in intensity and range Hundreds of square kilometers may end up destroyed by the blaze. Raging fires results in loss of vast forest cover. The wildfires also contribute to climate change by increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Animal species end up migrating as they run away from wildfires and may end up moving to populated areas. Both animal and plant life are endangered as the fire burns through biodiverse areas. Wildfires can also result in changing ecosystems as animals are compelled to move to different regions leading to competition. Due to the nature of forest fires, governments face an enormous problem in fighting these fires due to inadequate manpower and the sheer scale of such fires.. Wildfires can be seen to be a significant threat to natural resources in Brazil. Human population growth and human activities that alter the environment have been escalating rapidly. With advancements in transport and increase in world trade, numerous alien species have been introduced into native ecosystems all over the world (Pimentel et al., 3). Most vertebrate animal and plant introductions have been purposeful, though most invertebrate and organism introductions have been accidental (Pimentel et al., 5). Intentional introduction may be as a result of landscaping, biological pest control, sports, pets, and food processing. In the later past, the rate and danger connected with outsider species introductions have expanded massively. Some native species are unable to compete with foreign species for resources. Other species face predation from the invading species. Exotic species can also reproduce with native species to create hybrid animal or plant species that quickly run existing species into extinction. Introduced species are thus a major threat to natural resources. Alien species can cause major economic losses in agriculture. In crop systems, many intentionally introduced plant, species have become grown weed pests. They become hard to eradicate as the plants quickly grow into encompassing vast areas with suitable climate conditions Accidental introduction occurs with crop seeds, from ship ballast soil, or from various imported plant materials. More herbicides are used to try and eliminate the weeds. These herbicides end up having an environmental impact as well as destroying non-invasive plant species. Vertebrae alien species such as birds or rabbits end up being agricultural pests. They cause billions of dollars in crop damages globally. Introduced insects and parasites also help in reducing crop production around the world. By spraying pesticides in farms, farmers contribute to environmental degradation as toxic chemicals may end up in water sources or soils. Alien species can also cause major economic losses in public health. Foreign pathogens may end up ravaging native plant and animal species that may not be able to fight the infection naturally. Alien species can cause major economic losses in agriculture, forestry, public health and other sectors of the world economy. To quantify the environmental damage and loss of biodiversity due to alien species invasions worldwide proves difficult. Most Latin American governments are hampered by inadequate and inconsistent policies on natural resources. In Brazil, the occupation of the Brazilian Amazon forest was mainly induced by government policies and subsidies. The governments have also been unable to mediate effectively on conflicts on land use and thus helping in the migration of indigenous communities from the frontier land into forested areas. Legislation remains a threat to conservation efforts of natural resources as the current laws are unable to enforce anti-corruption efforts. Corruption plays a huge role in deforestation and poaching as this threats end up occurring with the Governments full knowledge. But as the agents of deforestation and poaching are powerful individuals with governmental protection, little is done. There is also a lack of consensus by the government and communities on development strategies. This is because indigenous communities are not involved in the legislation process as well as being not educated on the need for conservation. There is additionally an absence of satisfactory social services and infrastructure leading to most of the population being poor and unsustainable use of natural resources is the only alternative. Low institutional capacity and weak governance have also led to the poor quality of life and inadequacies in controlling deforestation and fires. Also, property rights being largely ambiguous has contributed to the loss of forest land by ranchers and perpetuated land conflicts. Government policies thus remain a major threat to natural resources and only through proper enforcement and education can sustainable use of natural resources take place. Brazil and other different nations around the globe are confronted with numerous threats that affect the conservation of natural resources. This threats are in a large part caused by humans and only through a concerted global effort, and the involvement of all stakeholders can efficient and sustainable use of natural resources be developed. References Christian, Ted et al. The tropical emissions and fire experiment: Trace gases emitted by smoldering logs and dung from deforestation and pasture fires in Brazil. Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 112 (2007) Fearnside, Phillip.Soybean cultivation as a threat to the environment in Brazil.Environmental Conservation 28 (2000): 23–38 Lui, Karen and Chung-Chi Lu.Sustainable Land Use and Sustainable Development: Critical Issues.Issues in Agricultural Development 6 (1992): 323-329 Miles, L. A. and Grainger, Phillips.The impact of global climate change on tropical biodiversity inAmazonia.Global Ecology and Biogeography 13 (2004): 553-565 Myers, Norman. The primary source: topical forests and our future,. New York: Norton, 1992 Pimentel, David et al. Economic and environmental threats of alien plant, animal, and microbe invasions.Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 84 (2001) :1–20 Margulis, Sergio. Causes of Deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon.World Bank working paper 22(2004) Read More