Rainforest Deforestation Response
Why tropical rainforests are being cut down, and how they can be managed sustainably through selective logging, replanting, ecotourism and protected areas, using Malaysian Borneo as an example.
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Saving the rainforest
Tropical rainforests are being cut down fast, but they are too valuable to lose. The challenge is to use the forest without destroying it: to manage it sustainably. In this module you will learn the main causes of rainforest deforestation and the sustainable management responses, using Malaysian Borneo as a real example.
The key words
Four ideas run through this topic:
Causes and responses
Deforestation has clear causes, and sustainable management offers responses.
Match each response
- Selective logging
- Replanting
- Ecotourism
- Protected areas
- Cutting only some mature trees and leaving the rest
- Planting new trees to replace those that were cut
- Tourism that funds conservation and respects the forest
- National parks where clearing the forest is banned
Spot the cause
Which of these is a CAUSE of rainforest deforestation?
- Clearing land to grow palm oil
- Setting up a protected national park
- Replanting native trees
- Running guided nature walks
Sustainable responses
Select the TWO sustainable management responses to deforestation.
- Selective logging of only some trees
- Ecotourism that funds conservation
- Clearing forest for cattle ranching
- Building more logging roads
Case study: Malaysian Borneo
In Malaysian Borneo, large areas of rainforest have been cleared, mainly for palm oil plantations and logging. Sustainable responses there include selective logging, replanting, ecotourism and protected areas. These try to balance earning money from the forest with protecting it for the future.
Deforestation in words
Cutting down large areas of forest is called _____. In Malaysian Borneo, much rainforest has been cleared to grow _____ and for logging. A sustainable approach is _____ logging, where only some trees are cut and the rest are left. Planting new trees to replace those cut is called _____. Tourism that funds conservation and respects the environment is called _____.
Sustainable forestry
Put the steps of managing a forest sustainably in a sensible order.
- Choose only some mature trees to be cut
- Cut them carefully to avoid damaging other trees
- Replant new trees to replace those removed
- Allow the forest time to recover and regrow
- Monitor the forest over the years
Cause or response?
Some things cause deforestation and some protect the forest. Tap the TWO that are CAUSES of deforestation.
- Clearing land for palm oil plantations
- Setting up a protected national park
- Logging trees for timber
- Running ecotourism trips
- Replanting native trees
How ecotourism helps
How can ecotourism help protect the rainforest?
- It brings income that funds conservation and gives local people a reason to protect it
- It clears more trees to build large hotels
- It has no effect on the forest at all
- It replaces farming with mining
Manage the forest
Use what you know about Malaysian Borneo to answer each question.
- In Malaysian Borneo, what is a major cause of the rainforest being cleared?
- A logging company is told to cut only some mature trees and leave the rest. What is this called?
- Part of the forest is made into a national park. How does this help?
Manage it sustainably
Using a named region such as Malaysian Borneo, explain how a tropical rainforest can be managed sustainably. Write in clear, full sentences.
- Name the region and one cause of its deforestation
- Describe one sustainable management approach and how it works
- Describe a second sustainable approach
- Explain how these balance using the forest with protecting it