“Maintaining biodiversity at its present level is...

â€Å"Maintaining biodiversity at its present level is impossible if people are going to achieve a reasonable standard of living in the near future† - Discuss this with reference to a tropical biome you have studied (40 marks) Biodiversity means the variety of life forms/organisms in an ecosystem, biome or entire planet. Globally, biodiversity is not evenly distributed. It generally increases from the poles towards the equator as around 50% of the world’s plants and animals live in tropical rainforests. This is because of the proximity to the equator causing a warmer, more moist, stable climate which means plants grow better and can support more species higher up in the food chain. Standard of living is the level of wealth, goods and†¦show more content†¦However, due to more people searching for plots there is greater pressure on the amount of available land. The logging industry is responsible for a relatively small level of deforestation, accounting for 3% in Brazil. Consequently, all these activity contribute together to the rapid loss of what is left of the rainforest and a large proportion of the world’s biodiversity. All of the resources that the rainforest provides could be lo st in the next 40 years. The Grande Carajas mining project, Brazil as well as other individual projects have created a series of problems for the rainforests. The Grande Carajas project in particular is a large complex of open pit mines, which takes up more than 6miles of rainforest. Along with many other schemes of this nature, the Grande Carajas is contributing to the continued deforestation of the Amazon. In addition large areas were deforested to make way for the construction of The Trans-Amazonian Highway, which was meant to allow access in and out of several project schemes. After the highway was built evidence of soil erosion could be seen as the ground was left exposed due to the lack of vegetation. Access roads like this have been known to encourage settlements for the transport links they offer, and people will often settle close to the road, which leads to deforestation in order to create space. The HEP Project; the Tucurui dam also had similarShow MoreRelatedEssay on Sil ent Spring - Rachel Carson30092 Words   |  121 Pageswhen it came out. As workof social criticism, Silent Spring represented a considerable departure from the natural history with which she had made a name for herself. Whether this would have been a turning point in her career or merely a detour is impossible to know because Carson succumbed to breast cancer only a year and a half after Silent Spring appeared. What is clear, however, is that her public image was irrevocably transformed. Average Americans came to see her as a noble crusader while theRead MoreArticle: Performance Appraisal and Performance Management35812 Words   |  144 PagesI. INTRODUCTION Organizations are run and steered by people. It is through people that goals are set and objectives are realized. The performance of an organization is thus dependent upon the sum total of performance of its members. The success of an organization will therefore depend on its ability to measure accurately the performance of i ts members and use it objectively to optimize them as a vital resource (Biswajeet 2009). In the present highly competitive environment, organizations have toRead MoreSexually Transmitted Diseases35655 Words   |  143 PagesScience For Living Notes (Compiled) Table of Contents Unit 1 Measurement 5-10 Unit 2 Matter 11-48 Unit 3 Basic materials for maintaining life Air 49-54 Water 55-68 Food 69-71 Other biomolecules of life 72-76 Unit 4 Energy in the Community Electricity 77-78 Heat 78-81 Light 82-91 Sound 92 Simple Machines 93-99 Unit 5 The Physical Environment Weather and Climate 100-113 Soils 114-128 Read MoreContemporary Issues in Management Accounting211377 Words   |  846 Pages Indeed it is possible to argue that the British academic accounting professoriate has played an extremely important role in mediating between the profession and the state, both bringing knowledge to bear on policy issues and providing a cadre of people who can operate effectively in this policy sphere. Michael Bromwich has certainly contributed in this way, advising accounting and competition regulators on complex issues and providing his own intellectual authority to the office of President of