Use and conservation of the biosphere.

1
Use and conservation of the biosphere.

• Aims
• To be able to recognise the direct actions of
  humans in degrading ecosystems.
• To explain the range of indirect effects that
  pollution and climate change have on the
  biosphere.

2
How do people use the different biospheres?
Rainforests
Oceans
Deserts
Antarctic
3
Rainforest use

• Add to your brainstorm as you watch the clip.

4
Causes of biosphere threats

• Question 1 pg 49

5
Your task

• On the VLE Year 10 locate the Rainforest web
  enquiry
• Should Brazil have the right to exploit its
  forest?
• Follow the instructions to prepare your
  presentation.
• You will be assessed on the various skills
  involved, these are
• Presentation how well is the information put
  together, is it coherent and understandable?
• Knowledge and understanding depth and breadth
  of both.
• Argument how well you address the key question
  and formulate an evidenced opinion.

6
Rainforest web enquiry

• What is it saying?
• Who might have published it?
• Is there an alternative view?
• What might be the sources you would look for on
  the web to find out more?

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The Big Enquiry Question!Should the Brazilian
government and people have the right to exploit
the Rainforest as a resource?
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• Purpose of the enquiry  The purpose of the
  enquiry is to develop a more complex
  understanding of the
• scale of the rainforest,
• nature of the ecosystem
• uncertainty about the rates of destruction
• various opinions about rainforest exploitation

9

• Your Task  You are working as a civil servant in
  the Department for International Development. 
  You have to prepare a briefing presentation
  (using PowerPoint if possible) to Clare Short,
  the Secretary of State for International
  Development on the current state of rainforest
  destruction and the opinions of various interest
  groups in Brazil and abroad. You need to prepare
  a list of questions for Clare to ask the
  Brazilian Government.   Clare has decided to stop
  off in Manaus, Brazil on her way back from
  Argentina. You have only time to use the Internet
  to develop your presentation.

10

• The enquiry questions with weblinks
• What is the rainforest like?What are the
  ecological processes? http//www.panda.org/kids/wi
  ldlife/idxtrpmn.htm for a simple visual view. 
• How big is the Amazon Rainforest?This map is
  startling isn't it! the Amazon not Brazil is
  underneath Europe!

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• Some general facts are available at
  http//www.dpi.inpe.br/Amazonia/homehttp//forest
  s.org/forests/maps/samerlg.gif - gives a more
  detailed map of the different forest ecosystems.
• What is the nature and scale of Rainforest
  destruction?  Look at this album of pictures from
  the Brazilian space agency to get a flavour
  http//www.dpi.inpe.br/dalves/album.html
• Here is some from the Brazilian Space Agency
  INPE- based on satellite imagery.
• Data is available at theses sources but look
  closely at the maps which illustrate the
  different ways the forest is destroyed. Some of
  this is in Portuguese but don't worry you will
  make sense of it.http//www.dpi.inpe.br/prodes/ho
  me
• To look at all the satellite images- INPE has
  provided 1995 imagery.http//www.grid.inpe.br/ 
• You might like to check it with NASA data. They
  have incredible range of Landsat Images.
  http//www.bsrsi.msu.edu/trfic/index.html

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• Who is affected?Consider carefully these views.
  Who is not represented. Perhaps you should
  consider carefully the views of people who live
  in Brazil?http//forests.org/forests/brazil.html
  
• What are the different opinions in
  Brazil?http//www.brazil.gov.br/ is the official
  government site and you can email the ministry of
  the environment.  However Sergio's site is the
  definitive list on Brazil - you may be able to
  find more opinions from Brazilians.
  http//darkwing.uoregon.edu/sergiok/brenvironment
  .htmlstart
• A list of schools might also enable you to find
  other opinions of young people. Try the
  International Registry of Schools on the web
  http//web66.umn.edu/schools/BR/Brazil.html

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• Why is it happening?What are the economic,
  social and political forces that encourage
  it?http//www.dpi.inpe.br/Amazonia/pg12.html is
  quite a simple account but for those of you who
  are trying to develop your arguments - try this
  from a US university http//www.ciesin.org/TG/LU/d
  eforest.html
• The mineral explration companies have created
  this site on Amazon myths.http//www.amazonmyths.
  com.br/indexengilsh.htm 

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• Also the Amazon Mineral explorers gives you some
  commercial insight into what is happening.
  http//sites.uol.com.br/jacobis/ame.htm
•  
• What are the views of environmental groups in the
  UK and abroad?Here is an essay from Chico Mendes
  from one organisation in the USA.http//www.nwf.o
  rg/internationalwildlife/esaynd98.htmlHere are
  some images from the Rain-tree Foundation, the
  pharmacy of the world!  http//www.realtime.net/
  raintree/gallery/destruction.htmThe Rainforest
  Action Network is full of information and
  opinion. http//www.ran.org/ran/info_center/index
  .html
• Think about the source of information here. Can
  you distinguish between fact and opinion.
• Are the sources of information acknowledged?
• Why are they saying what they are saying?
• Can you find any Brazilian Environmentalists?
  Ambientalista is environmentalist in Portuguese!
• What are the views of UK geographers about
  rainforests?
• You should ask yourself about why Phillip Stott,
  Professor of Geography feels so
  strongly.http//www.ecotrop.org/
• What ideas are there to exploit and conserve the
  rainforest at the sametime?sustainable
  development
• Can you explain the story of Brazil Nuts? Use a
  web searcher to find out why it is impossible to
  grow the king of nuts in a plantation!
• Raintree is a company interested in
  pharmaceutical properties of rainforest
  plants.www.rain-tree.com/comerce.htm but should
  you ask How will the Brazilians themselves
  benefit from this company?
• Are there other ideas?  Ecotourism? Ethical
  timber production?
• What is evidence is missing?
• What is your own view?

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Feedback so far

• What opinions are you beginning to formulate so
  far?
• What evidence do you have to support these ideas?

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Homework

• Work collaboratively with your partner to finish
  the presentation for next lesson.
• You will be expected to work separately on
  different sections and bring it together at the
  end.
• Make sure you have each others email addresses!