Paper 1: Living with the physical environment

Q2 Section B: Living World Revision of Malaysia

This is revision so you will need to use your Living World homework tasks to help you complete some or all of these tasks. If you find you are missing work see your teacher or borrow the notes. If you are unsure of the work, ask for help. Work needs to be fully completed and handed in on time.Revision is the key to doing well in your examinations - the more effort you put in, the better you will understand the work in readiness for your Paper 1 examination.You will need to make some tables bigger so check that before you print the work.

Changing rates of deforestation

On the map below, point out: a) The two countries that have increased their deforestation rate the most (include the

percentage increase in numbers).b) The two countries that have done the most to reduce their rate of deforestation

(include the percentage increase in numbers).c) Malaysia

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Optional task – on your map, point out each country from the graph above and show which have increased their rates of deforestation and which have decreased their deforestation rates (you could use red and green like the graph above).

Causes of deforestation in Malaysia

Here are the causes of deforestation in Malaysia.

Clear felling (where all trees are chopped down in an area) was common in the 1980s. Malaysia became very rich selling these trees to other countries.

The Bakun Dam was built to make hydroelectric power for all the new industries in Malaysia. 700km2 of land was flooded to make this dam.

Forest has been cleared for mining work. Trees were cleared so roads could be built to get the machines in.Drilling for oil and gas has just started on Borneo so trees have to be cleared to get to the ground.

During the 1970s, larges areas of land were changed from forests to palm oil plantations (farms). Plantation owners were given a break from paying taxes for 10 years. Many landowners changed their land from forests to plantations to make more money.

Transmigration – where poor urban people were encouraged by the government to move from the city into the forests. Between 1956 and the 1980s, about 1500 hectares of rainforest were cut down to make space for the new houses. Many of these people then set up oil palm plantations.

Choose one economic cause (to do with money) – create a set of pictures that will help you to explain why trees are chopped down in Malaysia without looking at the text (you are not allowed to use words in your pictures). Ask if you don’t understand the task rather than ignoring it.

Economic cause of deforestation in Malaysia:

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Choose one social cause (to do with people) – create a set of pictures that will help you to explain why trees are chopped down in Malaysia without looking at the text (you are not allowed to use words in your pictures).

Social cause of deforestation in Malaysia:

Shifting cultivation is an example of sustainable deforestation (it could continue forever). Explain why this is sustainable compared to clear felling (see above for an explanation of clear felling).Hint: use your answers and the web link in the Malaysia homework tasks.

Impacts: Economic development

Use the information about the impacts of deforestation below to complete this table: Hint: choose examples that stand out to you so you will remember them.

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Impact of deforestation example

Information

Positive economicNegative economicPositive social

Negative social

Positive environmentalNegative environmental

Impacts of deforestation: Deforestation means orang-utans are losing their habitats and food supply. Many young orang-utans are killed or orphaned as the trees are chopped down so they may become an extinct species.

Conflict between groups of people occurs. The local Penan Community protested against the logging companies that were deforesting their farming land. 100 protesters got put into prison.

Rising temperatures could destroy some forms of farming such as growing tea, fruit and flowers.

Malaysia has made a lot of money from selling tropical hardwoods, palm oil and valuable minerals such as gold.

9000 Kenyah people were forced to leave their land because of the building of the Bakun Dam. They are traditional subsistence farmers (farm enough to eat but not sell). They are struggling to survive and many suffer from depression and alcoholism.

Companies will pay taxes to the Malaysian government which can be used to improve education, water supply and healthcare.

Mining, palm oil plantations and the Bakun Dam leads to jobs for the local people.

Plants that could bring huge medical benefits could become extinct.

Hydro-electric power provides cheap and plentiful energy – water turns turbines to create energy.

Improved transport infrastructure opens up new areas for industrial development and tourism.

The number of tourists attracted to see the beautiful rainforests could decrease so Malaysia will lose this income.

Climate change could lead to high costs as people have to adapt to living in a warmer world.

Land and rivers have been polluted by mining chemicals and this has affected local food chains.

Impacts: Soil erosion

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Describe how deforestation affects the humus cycle.Hint: Describe the differences between the two diagrams.

Optional task: Explain how deforestation affects the humus cycle.

Impacts: Contribution to climate change

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Use the diagrams to explain why deforestation has led to climate change. Hint: look at your climate change homework tasks and revision tasks to help you include the term ‘enhanced greenhouse effect’.

The value of tropical rainforests to people and the environment

Choose two facts from the photo below and complete this table:

Fact Reason why the rainforest is useful to people

Strategies used to manage the rainforest sustainably

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What does using the forest’s resources sustainably mean?

Sustainable management: Create a revision resource that outlines each of the following management strategies – include a description and examples:

a) Selective logging and replantingb) Conservation and Educationc) Ecotourismd) International agreements: Forest Stewardship Council e) Debt-for-nature swapping

Hint: You will need to look back at your Malaysia homework answers to find the detail for each management strategy. You could make a poster or a mind map or a spider diagram or you could get the facts down on flash cards (question on one side, answer on the other). Work out how best you will learn it ready for your exam.

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