Amazon Rainforest
What are squatter's rights laws?
Laws that give land ownership to people who have occupied & used land for 5 years
How have rubber trappers made a living in the rainforest without destroying it?
Instead of cutting trees, they tap them to collect resources
How have native Amazonians tried to stop the destruction of the rainforest?
Attack/ threatened those who try to take their land - band together to petition the government to make resources - legally figh for ownership of the land
How did the Brazilian government decide to develop the Amazon rainforest?
Brazil is poor and needs to boost their economy
Why did encironmentalists begin addressing destruction of the rainforest in tge 1960s?
Brazil was poor and the government was encouraging using the resources of the land for timber, dams, farming, and minerals
Why did poor Brazilians come to the rainforest as settlers?
Brazilians were poor and landless; the government was giving transportation and money to grow food
What environmental problems result from the destruction of the rainforest?
Carbon dioxide is released from slash and burn which causes greenlight effect which changes climate, so plants and animals are facing extinction
How have rubber tappers responded to land disputes?
Created unions to peacefulky respond land desputes
What do ranchers do with rainforest land?
Cut trees, cattle graze on the land, sell land when the value increases
Describe the physical features of the Amazon rainforest:
Diversity, plants, lowlands, river largest in the world. 20% of the earth's oxygen comes from the river basin
Why did millions of native americans die after Europeans colonized Brazil?
Europeans brought contagious diseases like measles, small pox, and flu
Why have settlers often deforested the rainforest?
Farming and deforested land is 30% valuable that forested
How have ranchers responded to threats to their land?
Force/ violence, hired gunmen, armed themselves- took matters into their own hands
How have native americans lived in the rainforest without destroying it?
Gathering food, medicines, and hunting
Why have native Amazonians' lives changed dramatically since the 1960?
Government built roads, opened rainforest for economic development
What was a failure of the Amazon policies of the military government between 1960s and 1985?
Government caused conflict between interest groups and rapid deforestation
What happened in the 1960s and 70s that changed the rubber tappers way of life?
Government encouraged settlers and ranchers to clain land, so tappers didn't have enough trees to make a living
How did the government encourage people to settle in the rainforest?
Government gave them land. Huge tracks of land for ranchers
How has the Brazilian government resolved land disputes?
Government protects legal land claims of settlers and created reserves for tappers and natives
What was a success of the Amazon policies of the military government between 1960s and 1985?
Government quickly developed the rainforest land for resources to help the economy
What's the climate like there?
Hot & humid
What solutions do environmentalists propose to slow deforestation?
Limitied/ selective cutting, no fire without permit, making alliances with people/ groups who don't harm the forest - Natives + rubber tappers + business leaders, +, +,= more power
What are the Native Amazonians' claim to the land?
Lived there for 100s of years without destroying it
Describe the diversity in the Amazon rainforest:
Many species of animals, insects, plants- diversity of habitat
How has ranchers land been threatened since the 1970s?
Natives claim the rancher's land is theirs and should be returned
Why did rubber tappers come to the Amazon rainforest?
Peasants were recruited by large landowners to fuel the industrial revolution like make rubber for tires
What is the environmentalists' claim to the land?
Rapid development of the rainforest is cauing harm and needs to be slowed and studied
Which groups of people are considered environmentalists in Brazil?
Scientists, scholars, business leaders, lawyers, & volunteers.
Why is the rainforest valuable to the world?
Stabilizes climate Water cycle Prevent soil erosion Home to diverse plants, animals, people 20% of worlds oxygen
What is the ranchers' claim to the land?
The government gave the land to clear and develop for cattle ranching.
What is the settlers' claim to the land?
The government gave the land to clear and develop for farms
How big is the amazon riger?
The size of the U.S.A.
Why is life in the forest difficult for settlers?
The soil is poor, insects kill the crops, and no support from the government
What is the rubber tappers' claim to the land?
They have used the land without harm and made a living for generations
What is the governments' claim to the land?
They need to encourage economic growth to make Brazil successful.
Why did ranchers found a political party?
They wanted to influence the government to protect their land
Why did government start giving ranchers land?
To help the economy