ACADEMIC.CENGAGE.COM/BIOLOGY/MILLER 247
ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT ANALYSIS
Study the data below on deforestation in five countries, and
answer the questions that follow.
sions. Do you think these benefits are important enough
to justify burning and clearing some tropical rain forests?
Why or why not? Can you think of ways to produce
biofuels, other than cutting trees? What are they?- In the early 1990s, Miguel Sanchez, a subsistence
farmer in Costa Rica, was offered $600,000 by a ho-
tel developer for a piece of land that he and his family
had been using sustainably for many years. The land
contained an old-growth rain forest and a black sand
beach in an area under rapid development. Sanchez
refused the offer. What would you have done if you
were in Miguel Sanchez’s position? Explain your
decision. - There is controversy over whether Yellowstone
National Park in the United States should be accessible
by snowmobile during winter. Conservationists and
backpackers, who use cross-country skis or snowshoes
for excursions in the park during winter, say no. They
contend that snowmobiles are noisy, pollute the air, and
can destroy vegetation and disrupt some of the park’s
wildlife. Proponents say that snowmobiles should be al-
lowed so that snowmobilers can enjoy the park during
winter when cars are mostly banned. They point out that
new snowmobiles are made to cut pollution and noise.
A proposed compromise plan would allow no more than
950 of these new machines into the park per day, only on
roads, and primarily on guided tours. What is your view
on this issue? Explain.
6. In 2007, Lester R. Brown estimated that reforesting the
earth and restoring the earth’s degraded rangelands
would cost about $15 billion a year. Suppose the United
States, the world’s most affluent country, agreed to put
up half this money, at an average annual cost of $25 per
American. Would you support doing this? Explain. What
other part or parts of the federal budget would you de-
crease to come up with these funds?
7. Should developed countries provide most of the money
needed to help preserve remaining tropical forests in de-
veloping countries? Explain.
8. Are you in favor of establishing more wilderness areas
in the United States, especially in the lower 48 states (or
in the country where you live)? Explain. What might be
some drawbacks of doing this?
9. Congratulations! You are in charge of the world. List the
three most important features of your policies for us-
ing and managing (a) forests, (b) grasslands, (c) nature
reserves such as parks and wildlife refuges, (d) biologi-
cal hotspots, and (e) areas with deteriorating ecosystem
services. - List two questions that you would like to have answered
as a result of reading this chapter.
Note: See Supplement 13 (p. S78) for a list of Projects related to this chapter.Area
Area of of Deforestation Annual Rate
Tropical Rain Forest per Year of Tropical Forest
Country (square kilometers) (square kilometers) Loss
A 1,800,000 50,000B 55,000 3,000C 22,000 6,000D 530,000 12,000E 80,000 700- What is the annual rate of tropical rain forest loss, as a
percentage of total forest area, in each of the five coun-
tries? Answer by filling in the blank column in the table. - What is the annual rate of tropical deforestation
collectively in all of the countries represented in the
table?
3. According to the table, and assuming the rates of defores-
tation remain constant, which country’s tropical rain for-
est will be completely destroyed first?
4. Assuming the rate of deforestation in Country C remains
constant, how many years will it take for all of its tropical
rain forests to be destroyed?