Rain Forest Outline

Rain Forest Outline

Thesis Statement: Rainforest benefit humans in many ways, but they are becoming less due to human activities, thus requiring immediate interventions to reduce the negative impact.

1. Rainforest statistics
   1. Introduction
      1. Nature of rain forest
         1. Evergreen
         2. Grow in areas with more than 2000 mm annual rainfall
         3. There have temperature variations.
      2. Types of rainforest
         1. Tropical rainforest
         2. Tropical moist deciduous forest
         3. Tropical dry forest
      3. Tropical Ecosystem
         1. Natural terrestrial ecosystem
            1. Tropical rainforest
            2. Savannas
            3. Aquatic ecosystem
         2. Reducing coverage
            1. Less than 3% of the earth area is covered by tropical rain forest.
               1. Forest coverage depends on canopy cover and the height of the trees.
               2. The largest rain forest in Amazon rainforest
            2. Increased human activities
               1. Agriculture
               2. Urbanization
               3. Increased human population
            3. Importance of rainforest
               1. Food
                  1. Most popular fruits
                     1. Banana
                     2. Avocado
                     3. Citrus
                  2. Highest producer of stimulants
                     1. Coffee
                     2. Tea
                     3. Cocoa
                  3. Medicine
                     1. Most of the plants in rainforests are sources of western medicine.
                        1. Trees with anticancer properties such as Lapacho tree
                        2. Trees to improve kidney health such as Wasai
                     2. Rain forest contains psychotropic medications.
                        1. Anxiety relieving Amusangade Motelo
                        2. Addiction curing medicines such as Sodo
                     3. Pain-relieving medicines
                        1. Plants such as Cola de Raton help indigestion
                        2. Plants such as Shapumvilla and Tawari tree bark help to stop bleeding and treating infection
                     4. Shelter
                        1. Animal shelter
                           1. Mountain gorillas
                           2. Bengal tigers
                           3. Jaguars
                        2. Human shelter
                           1. Furniture
                           2. Building
                        3. Water
                           1. Transpiration
                              1. Releasing water to the atmosphere
                              2. Increase in rainfall
                           2. Water Filters
                              1. Trees reduce the flow of pollutants to the water.
                              2. Increase the flow of water to underground reserves
                           3. Climate control
                              1. Absorb carbon dioxide through transpiration and release oxygen
                              2. The forest regulates temperature to ensure individuals do not get affected by warm temperatures.

• Human activities threat to the rainforest
  1. Farming
     1. Pastoral farming has increased in Amazon forest.
        1. Increased demand for meat influences individuals to enter the forest for farming.
        2. The forest provides animals with vast sources of pasture and water.
     2. Crop farming is increasing in forest areas.
        1. Increased need for land to grow cash crops
        2. The forest provides effective conditions for growing various farm products, including fruits.
     3. Logging
        1. Furniture
           1. Most of the trees found in rainforests are accessed for timber.
           2. Illegal activities in the forest due to the high demand for future
        2. Industries
           1. There increase in demand for paper products which are created by trees.
           2. Trees are also cut down to build houses for human shelter because they are easily accessed and cheap.
        3. Mining activities in forests are increasing
           1. Rainforests are rich in natural resources
              1. Iron ore
              2. Copper
              3. Tin
           2. Lack of better methods to extract the minerals without destroying the forest has resulted in the development of mines in the forests.
              1. Carajas mine in Brazil
           3. Roads
              1. There is an increase in human activities demanding connectivity through roads.
                 1. Increased agricultural and mining activities in the forest lead to creating of roads through the forest.
                 2. Increased tourism activities are influencing the creation of roads in the forest to enable effective movement to different parts of the forest.
                 3. Human is introducing the forest to development.
              2. Energy
                 1. Rainforests include rivers and water sources that are targeted for energy production.
                    1. Reservoirs and dams created in Amazon basin for hydroelectric power.
                    2. Balbina dam in Brazil
                 2. Increase in industrialization and living standards increases the energy demand.
                    1. Biofuel expansion
                 3. Population
                    1. The human population is increasing at a higher rate leading to the demand for more land.
                       1. Land for houses
                       2. Land for infrastructure
                       3. Land for urban centres
                    2. Effects of rainforest loss
                       1. Soil erosion
                          1. Clearing of land through human activities clears the vegetation covering the soil.
                             1. Rain washes away nutrients from the soil.
                             2. The soil becomes infertile for plant life.
                          2. Lack of trees
                             1. No leaves to create nutrients in the soil.
                             2. The nutrient cycle is affected.
                          3. Biodiversity
                             1. Deforestation reduces the connection that exists between plants and animals.
                                1. The food web is disrupted.
                                2. Plants and animals die due to lack of food.
                             2. Climate change
                                1. Global warming is caused by deforestation.
                                   1. The process of photosynthesis does not absorb all the carbon dioxide.
                                   2. Increase in fuel burning and reduction of trees causes an imbalance in the atmosphere.
                                2. Increase in health issues
                                   1. Respiratory diseases increase due to unsafe air conditions in the atmosphere.
                                   2. Increase mortality rates due to unbearable conditions from high temperatures and pollution
                                3. Development
                                   1. Deforestation leads to economic development caused by different factors.
                                      1. Mines improve the economy through taxes from foreign exchange.
                                      2. Farms improve families living standards.
                                   2. Social standards improved
                                      1. Integration through roads
                                      2. Socialization through economic activities
                                   3. Management of rainforests
                                      1. Controlling logging to ensure sustained forest conditions
                                         1. Replanting trees after logging
                                            1. Replaces a tree with another
                                            2. Enables human participation in preservation
                                         2. Increasing rainforest canopy
                                            1. Careful logging of matured trees
                                            2. Creation of more space for small trees
                                         3. Education
                                            1. Awareness to ensure the population understand the value of the forest
                                               1. Increases public awareness
                                               2. Influences public participation
                                            2. Education should ensure individuals have alternatives to timber
                                               1. Individuals can use rubber timber for decoration.
                                               2. Creation of alternative economic activities
                                            3. Ecotourism
                                               1. Sustainable tourism that enables individuals to benefit from the forest without putting the future at risk
                                                  1. Tourism creates jobs
                                                  2. Using tourism to promote and protect the rain forest
                                                  3. Setting part of the profit for forest conservation.
                                               2. Creation of National parts to influence biodiversity
                                                  1. Local communities value for the forest increases
                                                  2. Influences individuals to become responsible through shared values.
                                               3. Government interventions
                                                  1. Policies enforced to ensure compliance at the local, state and national level.
                                                     1. The criminal justice system ensures effective implementation.
                                                     2. Public participation in creation to promote participation
                                                  2. Creation of economic opportunities the people
                                                     1. Creation of jobs
                                                     2. Government incentives in farming
                                                  3. Eliminating governance challenges
                                                     1. Governments need to be transparent in their operations.
                                                     2. Corruption among the leaders needs to get eliminated.
                                                     3. Eliminate inconsistent standards for resources management
                                                  4. International agreements
                                                     1. Implementation of international regulations to protect the environment through the UN sustainable development goals.
                                                     2. Agreements between countries to protect rainforest through collective strategies.

References

Tang, K. H. D. Impacts of Climate Change on Tropical Rainforests’ Adaptive Capacity and Ecological Plasticity. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Daniel_Tang_Kuok_Ho/publication/329999875_Impacts_of_Climate_Change_on_Tropical_Rainforests%27_Adaptive_Capacity_and_Ecological_Plasticity/links/5c2d597c92851c22a3563589/Impacts-of-Climate-Change-on-Tropical-Rainforests-Adaptive-Capacity-and-Ecological-Plasticity.pdf

Laurance, W. F. (2013). Emerging threats to tropical forests. In Treetops at risk (pp. 71-79). Springer, New York, NY. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4614-7161-5_5

Clark, D. B., Hurtado, J., & Saatchi, S. S. (2015). Tropical rain forest structure, tree growth and dynamics along a 2700-m elevational transect in Costa Rica. PloS one, 10(4), e0122905. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article%3Fid%3D10.1371/journal.pone.0122905

Kooyman, R. M., Morley, R. J., Crayn, D. M., Joyce, E. M., Rossetto, M., Slik, J. F., … & Wilf, P. (2019). Origins and assembly of Malesian rainforests. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics. https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/62084/1/Kooyman%25202019%2520origins%2520SE%2520Asian%2520rainforests.pdf

Smith, N. J., Williams, J. T., Plucknett, D. L., & Talbot, J. P. (2018). Tropical forests and their crops. Cornell University Press. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=frdcDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=Tropical+Forests+in+Our+Daily+Lives&ots=HY5AsR-Xyu&sig=A2WJUXgoHIZ8uJsTrEHYwKtbAGI

Swamy, L., Drazen, E., Johnson, W. R., & Bukoski, J. J. (2018). The future of tropical forests under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 37(2), 221-256. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10549811.2017.1416477

Hecht, S., Yang, A. L., Basnett, B. S., Padoch, C., & Peluso, N. L. (2015). People in motion, forests in transition: trends in migration, urbanization, and remittances and their effects on tropical forests (Vol. 142). CIFOR. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=tJhpCwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=Tropical+Forests+in+Our+Daily+Lives&ots=Y_ymEeiVYa&sig=r9enSgjFdBKVi_NYQ-2Ag9deM3I