Revision

Statements for Year 9 Geography

**Between 50-90% of the earth’s species live in the tropical rainforest, even though they cover less than 2% of the total surface of the earth. If large areas of forests are cleared the average annual precipitation decreases and the region’s climate gets hotter and drier. A diminishing forest will result in an increase and concentration of the greenhouse gases especially CO2 this will lead to increase the greenhouse effect and global warming with unpredictable climate effects. A loss of trees emits a high concentration of CO2 and other greenhouse gases which causes the greenhouse effect and increases global temperatures slowly. Each day at least 8000 acres of forest disappear. Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere has increased about 25% since the early 1800s which was the first year of industrialisation (approximately). In some places where forests are cleared, the forests have been protecting villages from floods and droughts. These settlements are now much more prone to these events. Almost all of the deforestation occurs in the moist forest and forest woodlands, at this rate all moist forest could be lost by 2050 except for isolated areas in Amazonia and the Zaire basin and a few protected areas. Some countries such as the Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Costa Rica and Sri Lanka are likely to lose all their tropical rainforest by 2010. More than half of the world’s 10 million species of plants, animals and insects live in tropical rainforests. 1/5ths of the world’s freshwater is in the Amazon basin. Between May 2000 and August 2006 Brazil lost nearly 150 000 sq km of forest, an area larger than Greece. According to Norman Myers one of the foremost scientists on deforestation, the annual destruction rate seems yet to accelerate further and could double in another decade. One and one half of acres of rainforest are lost every second for both developed and developed countries. Nearly half of the species of plants and animals and micro-organisms will be destroyed or threatened over the next quarter century due to rainforest deforestation. Deforestation is a contributor to global warming and is often cited as one of the major causes of the greenhouse effect.

Farming in China** Agriculture employs 300 million people in China and is an essential part of the Chinese economy. Chief produces include: rice, wheat, potatoes, sorghum, peanuts, tea, millet, barley, cotton, oilseed, pork, and fish.

China influences the cost and sales price of grain in China, to regulate supply and to maintain production. This has caused some difficulties.

As China industrialises, much agricultural land is being turned into industrial land. This means that factories are being built where there were houses and farms. Just now in times of economic downturn, when factories are shutting, workers are in a tough situation, because they have nowhere now to go. Many farmers have been forced to move into cities or to work in factories as migrant labourers.

There is a newly growing sector of agriculture in China and this involves organic farming. This has helped products become higher in value.

If we look at a map of agriculture in China we find that the areas with most agriculture are located towards the coast. This is because the climate is better, and transport links are also better for moving produce.



China’s agricultural output is the greatest in the world only 15% of the land area can be cultivated. China has a big problem with having enough land for cultivation to provide for its massive population. This has often led to massive food shortages for people. Farm land has even been reducing because of the need for the land by factories and other industrial uses.

75% of China’s cultivated area is used for food crops. Rice is China’s most important crop.