Guiding Questions

• What is happening to tropical rainforests?
• What would a tropical rainforest look like before large-scale deforestation? Why does it look like that?
• What is the evidence for saying that tropical rainforest is a complex but fragile ecosystem?
• Why are tropical rainforests all over the world disappearing at a faster rate in recent times?
• What is the impact of large-scale deforestation in tropical rainforest regions?
• How will it affect the local and global environments?
• How will it affect the indigenous people?
• How will it affect our lives in Hong Kong?

How can tropical rainforests be prevented from disappearing?

• Will the protection of tropical rainforests hinder the development of the local economy?
• Can we strike a balance?
• What price has to be paid to protect tropical rainforests, and who should pay?

Table of Contents

HKDSE Geography : Core Module 6: Disappearing Green Canopy – Who should pay for the massive deforestation in rainforest regions? Tropical Rainforests (TRFs) Climate · Soil · Vegetation · Microclimate · Animals and Micro-Organisms TRFs as Ecosystems Trophic Levels · Energy Flow · Nutrient Cycle · Responses to Disturbances Human Activities Agriculture · Natural Resource Extraction · Settlement · Tourism · Underlying Causes Impacts of Deforestation Local Climate and Hydrosphere · Global Climate · Lithosphere · Biosphere · Economy · Society Solutions to Deforestation Measures · Stakeholders