BATTLE FOR BIOSPHERE

TASK 1: INTRODUCTION
Biosphere – the part of Earth’s surface inhabited by living things.

Biome – A world-scale ecosystem that covers a huge area. They are

distinguished by distinctive plant and animal species as well as their climate.

Ex. Desert, Tropical Rainforest, Mediterranean, Tundra, etc.

A Resource – any material that is valuable and useful to humans. There are
different types of resources:

1. Biotic resources – they reproduce and

regenerate themselves and include all living
elements of the environment, with the
exception of coal.

Ex. Fish, etc.

2. Abiotic resources – are non-renewable and

include all non-living elements of the
environment.

Ex. Minerals, water, land, etc.

Agriculture – the growing of crops and raising livestock such as cattle for food.
Basically, farming.

Ex. Growing corn, cotton and raising sheep

Climate Graph – a combination of a line and bar graph that shows the rainfall
and temperature of a certain area. The temperature is shown as a line while
the rainfall is shown as a bar graph.

Biodiversity – the range of animal and plant life found in an area.

Ex. A desert has lower biodiversity than a rainforest.

Keystone Species – a species of animal that plays a unique and critical role in
its ecosystem. They have particularly large effects on other living organisms. If
removed from its habitat, the ecosystem will be affected and may drastically
change.
Ex. Bees – they pollinate plants. Plants act as shelters for some insects, which
are then eaten by other species such as birds.

Beavers – they build dams. Dams help maintain stream and river flow and
they also create ponds, which host other creatures.
 TASK 2: DIRECT AND INDIRECT THREATS TO THE
BIOSPHERE

a) A direct threat are actions intentionally committed by humans that

directly impact the biosphere, while an indirect threat, also known as
secondary threats, are long term problems that create other problems of
which affect the biosphere. So they indirectly affect the biosphere. For
example global warming causes glaciers to melt. Melting glaciers is an
indirect threat. Direct threats can be managed and reduced by countries,
but indirect threats are harder to manage.

Threats Direct or Indirect? What is it?

Deforestation Direct When large areas of forest land
are permanently cleared or
removed by humans for other
uses.
Mining Direct The extraction of valuable
metals and minerals from the
earth.
Overfishing Direct Catching a surplus amount of
fish, causing the stock of fish to
deplete.
Sea Temperature Rise Indirect When the average temperature
of a sea rises.
Changes in Amount of Rainfall Indirect When the average amount of
rainfall changes in a certain
area.
Melting Glaciers Indirect Due to global warming and
climate change, glaciers are
melting.
How does it degrade the biosphere?

Deforestation
- Removing trees result in severe flooding and also there is less cover to
hold heavy rains. The heavy rain water may trigger mudslides, like the
one in China’s Zhejiang Province, on November 13 2015.
- The excess rain water also becomes runoff and instead of seeping down
into the soil, it goes into the ocean, bringing along sediments with it.
This will affect the marine animals
- Loss of trees also results in soil degradation. Without tree roots to hold
the soil, the rain will leach the nutrients, which might lead to
desertification.
- Valuable plants are destroyed
- Habitats are destroyed and species go extinct or become endangered

Ex. In the Amazon, Brazil many birds, which are dispersers of large seeds are
near extinction. This will reduce the reproduction of some tree species.
Mining
- Deforestation needs to take place before mining can be put into action.
Wildlife habitats will be affected.
- Toxic amounts of minerals and heavy metals are released into the soil
and water, contaminating them. This may affect plant growth and those
who drink the water.
- Mountains are blasted apart to reach the coal. Permanent scars are left
on the landscape.

Ex. Because of the Ok Tedi Mine in Papua New Guinea, up to 30,000 people
living to the south of the mining site have been seriously affected. Fish stocks
have also been declining. This is because up to 30 million tones of fine sand are
released into local rivers annually.
Overfishing
- Overfishing results in a lack of fish/food for other species
- This affects the food web and may lead to some species dying out

Ex. In the 1970s in the Northern Benguela ecosystem off the coast of Namibia,
stocks of anchovy and sardines depleted due to overfishing. This lead to an
increase of jellyfish and the bearded goby. Also, animals that thrived off
sardines and anchovy such as penguins were struggling to survive.

Sea Temperature Rise

- Affects coral reefs, which provide a home to over 25% of all marine life
- Sea levels will rise, because as water warms it expands and takes up
more space.
- Higher temperatures typically decreases the level of dissolved oxygen of
water
- The metabolic rate of aquatic animals may increase. This will result in
them eating more in a shorter time span, which could lead to fewer
resources.
 - Food chains will be affected, as some fish species may avoid certain
areas. Migratory patterns will also be affected.
- Warm temperatures increase plant growth, which can result in
overpopulation. Algal bloom may occur and will decrease oxygen levels
even more.
- If oxygen levels are reduced, the tiny algae which live symbiotically
inside corals are damaged due to heat stress. The corals then become
‘bleached’ and die. This is known as coral bleaching.

Ex. The Great Barrier Reef experienced

coral bleaching in 1980, 1982, 1992,
1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006 due to
elevated sea temperatures
Changes in Amount of Rainfall
If there is less rain:

- Deserts will get hotter and may not be able to host a variety of life
- Rainforests can face droughts more frequently and species will struggle
to survive
- People who depend on the rain to fill up rivers and lakes will have no
water supply

If there is more rain:

- Increased amount of floods

Ex. India will receive stronger cyclones which will lead to more floods
Melting Glaciers
- Sea levels will rise. This will affect those who live on very low-lying areas
as well as threaten wildlife population. For example, the citizens of
Venice will face difficulties when their city is flooded and turtle nests on
beaches will be swept away. Many turtle species are already
endangered, so they cannot afford to lose any of their off springs.
- The melting fresh water from glaciers pushes down the heavier salt
water, changing the Thermohaline Circulation of the ocean.
Termohaline refers to the flow of ocean water caused by changes in
density. This will not only affect the immediate area, but nearby regions
as well.
- The habitat space for creatures such as Polar bears will decrease
- Floods will be more frequent
- Climate patterns will alter, because the sun’s rays are reflected off the
glaciers’ white surfaces, helping to keep our current climate just right.

Ex. In the Arctic the population size of polar bears are decreasing. This is
because due to melting ice, there are fewer hunting opportunities which result
in an increased scarcity of food. Also, some polar bears may drown as sea ice
platforms move farther apart, making swimming conditions more dangerous.
TASK 3: THREATS CASE STUDIES

Borneo Island, Indonesia

Indonesia, with Jakarta as its capital, is a
country located in South East Asia and is
comprised up of over 17,500 islands. It is
home to one of the largest areas of tropical
rainforest in the world and possesses very
rich biodiversity. Indonesia also hosts a wide
range of biomes, from tropical, deciduous
and coniferous forests, to grasslands and
shrub lands.

Borneo is one of the many islands found in

Indonesia. Borneo Island is shared between 3
countries: Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia.
 Sea Level Rise
Deforestation Forest Fires

Threats faced by
Kalimantan,
Borneo

Invasive Alien
Species Temperature
Rise
Illegal Wildlife
Trade

Driving Factors: Direct

Indirect
Deforestation
Increased agriculture land use demand

- Agricultural activities have increased

- Forests are cleared to grow cash crops such as rice and coffee
- Some clear more forested areas to extend their farmland, so they can get
higher profits
- Plantation companies want to grow crops like palm oil. There is a big
global demand for palm oil, which is one of the most important tropical
vegetable oil in the global oils and fats industry.
- In Indonesia, palm oil production expanded from 600,000 hectares in
1985 to 6 million hectares by 2007

Urbanization

- People are resettling for better

employment opportunities
- Rainforests are cleared so
towns and cities can expand
- An example is the expansion
of Balikpapan, a small city in
East Kalimantan

Improved Transport Networks

- Roads and railway tracks, like the Trans-Kalimantan Highway, cut through
forests
- They have been constructed to improve accessibility to previously remote
areas
- They have also, however, made it easier to destroy larger parts of the
rainforest

Industrial Development

- Logging and mining have led to deforestation

- Before an area can be mined, the vegetation has to be removed to the
ground underneath is exposed. This causes vast areas of rainforests to be
removed.
 - Kalimantan holds 53% of Indonesia’s 4,300 million tons of recoverable
coal reserves
- Trees are logged and sold as timber
- Between 1985 and 2001, 56% of protected lowland tropical rainforests in
Kalimantan (almost the size of Belgium) were cut down to supply global
timber demand
- A lot of the logging that takes place in Indonesia is illegal. Local
communities have turned to this path because of the absence of sufficient
alternative options to support their financial needs. Keep in mind that
Indonesia is an LEDC, so many of the people living in rural areas are quite
poor.

Forest Fires
Industrial Development

- Most forest fires are set deliberately by plantation owners, to clear land
for their plantations. They use this method because it is cheap and easy.
- The Indonesian Government said that about 80% of the fires were started
by plantation owners, industrial estates and transmigration land-clearing
projects.

Borneo still burning after 2 months…

Illegal Wildlife Trade
Business

- Animal trafficking is a big business,

that can allow you to rake in
hundreds of millions of dollars
- This is a good option for
uneducated and poor people who
will have difficulties finding proper
jobs
- It is also a good option for rich, greedy and lazy people, because they
won’t have to do much physical work.
- Many wild animals are also captured to satisfy the demand in the pet
trade. Each year, around 200-500 orangutans from Borneo are entered in
the pet trade. This is worrisome considering the fact that orangutans have
a low productivity rate. Orangutan skulls can also fetch you too $70, as
the trade in orangutan parts are quite popular in Kalimantan.

Beliefs

- Many Chinese believe that different animal parts have medicinal

properties, so they hunt those animals down to make medicines. But
whether the medicines really work or not, we don’t know.

Ex. Pangolin scales are used as a treatment for a range of ailments from
rheumatism and arthritis, to reducing swelling and discharging pus.

- Some also believe that the animals will bring luck, wealth and prosperity,
something along those lines. Or they believe that they posses
supernatural powers. In Japan, the Super Red Arowana can be sold for
prices ranging between $2,000-$200,000
Food

- Some animals are hunted for their meat.

Invasive Alien Species

- Alien plant species are imported for cultivation, collection of the botanical
garden, or as experimental plants
- Sometimes they are brought accidentally
- Sometimes people bring plants with them as the move around
- Industries that depend on raw materials have allowed the transport of
species to various parts of the world

Sea Level Rise

- This happens due to global warming and climate change. When water is
heated, it expands. Also, melting ice will add more water.

Temperature Rise
- This happens due to global warming and climate change

Impacts:

Deforestation

Loss in Biomass
 - Biomass means combined weight of all organisms, measured in
kilocalories of stored energy
- Kalimantan forms a significant proportion of Earth’s biomass, so
deforestation in Kalimantan will reduce Earth’s biomass and its ability to
support life as biomass represents the total amount of food available on
Earth.
- The reduction of biomass means that Kalimantan’s ability to support
various wildlife is decreased and the food chain, as well as the amount of
nutrients in the forest ecosystem is affected.
- If the nutrient cycle is affects, vegetation growth is limited

Loss in Biodiversity

- Kalimantan’s ability to support a diverse range of plants and animals will

be affected if there is a loss of biomass.
- Deforestation destroys the natural habitats of plant and animal species.
- Animals will then compete for mates as well as habitat space
- This will cause animal species to go extinct or become endangered.
Examples of endangered species in Kalimantan are the Proboscis monkey,
orangutan and sun bear.
- Kalimantan is recognized by the WWF as one of the ‘richest rainforests’
in the world. It is home to over 380 bird species, 10,000 plant species and
2000 varieties of orchids. It rivals the diversity of the Amazon and Papua
New Guinea.

Changes in Nutrient Cycle

- The soil’s fertility will be reduced if there is a loss of vegetation, because

forest vegetation ensures leaf litter, which decomposes and releases
nutrients into the soil.
 - Due to the absence of trees, there will be fewer roots to hold the soil. This
will lead soil leaching if there is heavy rain.
- The soil will become infertile, so it will not be able to support a lot of
vegetation growth.

Changes in Quantity of Water

- If there are fewer trees, less transpiration is able to take place. This leads
to a reduction in cloud formation, thus reducing the amount of rainfall,
causing droughts.

Ex. In 1997-1998, Kalimantan faced prolonged droughts and dry season.

Because little rainfall was received, there was a lack of water supply so
many people didn’t have sufficient water.
- Floods may also be trigged by the removal of trees. This is because the
soil will be eroded more easily and will be washed into the rivers. The
deposited soil makes river beds shallower, causing the rivers to overflow
its banks.

Ex. Samarinda and Balikpapan are cities in East Kalimantan and are
located near a forest reserve, Taman Natsional Kutai. In 2001, they faced a
severe flood due to the logging activities taking place in Taman Nasional
Kutai. The floods destroyed many home and farms, leaving people
without enough food and water to survive.

Changes in Quality of Water

- An increase in sediment
level in rivers turns the
water acidic. Aquatic life
will be affected by the
 change in pH and the freshwater will no longer be safe for consumption.
- If the number of aquatic animals in the rivers decrease, people will have
less food and some of them might starve.

Air Pollution

- The ‘slash and burn’ method is commonly used in Indonesia as it is

cheap and easy. However, the forest fires created may spread rapidly and
grow out of control
- Forest fires also release dust and smoke, causing air pollution and haze
- The winds will spread the haze to neighboring countries as well, such as
Malaysia and Singapore.
- Prolonged haze can cause health problems such as throat and eye
irritations
- This can affect the tourism industry as people will avoid visiting affected
countries.

Forest Fires

Ecological Impacts

- In 1982-1983, 3.5-3.7 million hectares of land in Kalimantan and Sumatra

were affected by forest fires. At the time, this forest fire was thought to be
the biggest in history.
- Due to the repeated burnings, many forests are lost and replaced by
other vegetation. Many of forest land in Kalimantan have been replaced
by alang-alang grasslands, which are like wild grass. It is predicted that
the total number of alang alang grasslands in Indonesia is around 11
million hectares.
Loss in Biodiversity

- Forest fires endanger the

biodiversity in the
rainforests. Approximately
5% of trees in Indonesia are
already classified as globally
threatened by WWF in
1997.
- Habitat, feeding ground
and roaming areas were
damaged by the fire. They also caused the behavior of wildlife to change
as well as accelerating the rate loss of the Black Orchid, which is a highly
endemic species, in Kersik Luay Nature Reserve, East Kalimantan.

Economic Impacts

- Indonesia’s forest fires could cost South East Asia $5-6 billion in short-
term-health-care, according to the Director of the Economy and
Environment Program for South East Asia.
- In 1997, the forest fires cause losses of &3.5-7 billion from ecological
impacts, transportation, hotel businesses, tourism, health and plantation.

Air Pollution

- Forest fires release dust and smoke, causing air pollution and haze
- The winds will spread the haze to neighboring countries as well, such as
the Philippines and Thailand.
- Prolonged haze can cause health problems such as throat and eye
irritations
 - Up to 70 million people were affected by the haze altogether in 6 Asian
countries.
- The World Health Organization of Philippine estimated that the hospital
visits for respiratory problems were more than up to 2-3 times the usual,
when the haze was its worst in Indonesia.
- This can affect the tourism industry as people will avoid visiting affected
countries.

Illegal Wildlife Trade

Loss in Biodiversity

- Many animals become endangered while

some go extinct

Ex. The Super Red Arowana has been fished

almost to extinction in West Kalimantan and
it is extremely rare to catch one in the wild.
- Some species in Borneo that are at risk are:
 Pangolin
 Arowana
 Orangutan
- If these animals disappear from their ecosystems, the food chains will be
affected. Especially if those species are keystone species.

Invasive Alien Species

- The plant species Piper aduncum is spreading in Borneo
- It is considered an aggressive species that out-competes native trees
- It can become a significant weed to farmlands
- It can be a problem in areas that are being managed for timber
 - However it has some benefits; controls soil erosion and improves soil
fertility

Sea Level Rise

- South Kalimantan is already experiencing freshwater salinization due to
rises in sea level. This will affect aquatic life.
- Farmlands will be destroyed; 150,000 hectares of land in South
Kalimantan are being used to farm rice and other food crops. This will
affect the lives of thousands of farmers and their communities
- Many agricultural areas are located in lowland areas which are reclaimed
swamplands
- These lands are frequently
flooded every year
- It is predicted that the losses in
rice production will grow as
more years pass by
- If sea levels rose beyond 40-45
cm, there would also be losses
in fruit, fish and shrimp
production

Temperature Rise
- Rise in sea temperature will reduce the ocean’s chlorophyll. This will
indirectly cause fish that feed on plankton to decrease.
- Because of the El Nino event in 1997-1998, over 34% of Asia’s coral reefs
were lost due coral bleaching in response to sea-surface temperature
which rose
 - Temperature rise will also affect the reproduction cycle of fishes, which
will lead to the numbers of fish decreasing. Indonesia may then
experience economic losses from not being able to meet the future food
demand.
- Indonesia’s marine turtle populations will be affected by the changes in
ocean circulation and salinity patterns. Also, if the temperature of sands in
beaches increase, the gender of the baby turtles will be affect as well. If
the majority of the turtle population is one gender, it will be hard for them
to reproduce.
- Forest fires have also become more frequent due to the rise in
temperature. These will affect the wildlife in the forest as well as the
health of villagers nearby, due to the smokes that will be emitted.

Key Players:

Key Player Opinion

Loggers They need to cut trees in order to be able to
export timber and make profit.

Poachers They are really desperate and need the money

because they live in rural areas so there are not
much job opportunities. The animals they kill
will make them quick money. Their families
depend on them.

Miners They are also poor and most uneducated, so not

many job opportunities are open to them. They
need to mine to get money to support their
families. Sometimes mining can be dangerous,
so they are even putting their lives on the line.

Local Farmers They need to grow crops so they can sell them
and make money. Sometimes they need to kill
the wild animals that go on their farms because
they will destroy their crops. Less crops means
 less income. They are already poor.

Plantation Owners Plantation owners want to make a lot of money.

In order to grow palm oil, they need to clear the
space. Their palm oil plantations also need large
areas. They have to kill the animals that get in
their way, if not the animals might destroy their
plantations. This will make them lose profit.
- The plantation owners and farmers will agree with the poachers because it will save them
the time from getting rid of the wild animals themselves. It will also save the plantation
owners and farmers some money as there won’t be any future damage.

- The local farmers will not agree to the poachers killing all the animals, because if they need
some more food there won’t be animals for them to hunt.

- The loggers, poachers and miners all understand each other because they are poor and
need the money to support their family. Maybe if more opportunities were opened up to
them, they would stop.

- Plantation owners will be on the loggers’ side, because they can use the land cleared by
the loggers.

Policies for Sustainable Management:

The government of Indonesia,
Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam wanted
to manage the Heart of Borneo
sustainably. So in February 2011, all 3
governments signed the Heart of Borneo
Declaration to protect an area of more
than 220,000 square kilometres in the
centre of the island and bordering all
three countries. The declaration is
supported under important regional and international agreements such as
Association of East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Philippines East Asia Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Asia-Pacific Economic Co-
operation and the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.
 More local actions have been
taken place as well. Afforestation is
carried out on agricultural lands
abandoned by farmers.
Afforestation is the planting of
trees in areas not covered with
forests before. This has allowed the
significant restorations of forest to
be made possible. Also, protected
nature reserves, where logging is
illegal, have been created in many
areas. In East Kalimantan, 18% of
forest is protected in areas including the Heart of Borneo, The Bukit Soeharto
State Forest and Kutai National Park. In North Kalimantan, 28% of forests are
protected including Kayan Mentarang National Park and The Heart of Borneo
as well. West Kalimantan is doing better with 40% of forests protected,
including the Trough Mountain, Lake Sentarum, Gunung Palung and Betung
Kerihun National Parks.
 Community based ecotourism have also been established. In West
Kalimantan, KOMPAKH, a community based ecotourism organization in the
Kapuas Hulu district was established in 2005. It raises awareness in local
communities and encourages sustainable and responsible tourism in that
district.

To help stop the trade in endangered animal products, Indonesia has

joined CITES, The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
The CITES treaty lists the endangered species. It was signed in 1973 and is
adopted by 165 other countries. Although it is difficult to manage international
treaties like CITES, they do provide useful legal framework for conservation.

Another international treaty that Indonesia has joined is the RAMSAR

convention on Wetlands of International Importance. It was created in 1971
and involves 163 countries, who have agreed to protect 196 million hectares of
wetland habitat at over 2000 sites worldwide. Indonesia currently has 7
Ramsar sites. Each individual country is responsible for protecting their own
wetlands by following the 3 Ramsar pillars:

- Identify important wetlands and agree to manage them carefully

- Wise use of wetlands – tourism, fishing and other human activities
should be sustainable
- Co-operate with other countries when wetlands are shared across a
border

The government could also control logging activities and perhaps force
companies to use selective cutting. This is considered a sustainable method
because only commercially valuable trees will be cut down, leaving a large are
of non-valuable trees undisturbed.

In 2003, WWF co-founded the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil,

which is a collaborative group working together to bring sustainable palm oil to
the marketplace and reform land use practices.

Other countries are also trying to help stop deforestation in Borneo.

Norway and Indonesia made a deal where Norway would help Indonesia
reduce their emission by 26%. This commitment was made by Indonesia as a
part of the Copenhagen Accord. Norway committed $1 billion to assist
Indonesia in taking specific actions. The agreement was made in 3 phases:
- Preparation

- Transformation

- Contributions for Verified Emissions Reductions

SOURCE: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jschmidt/indonesia_takes_concrete_steps.html
St Lucia
Saint Lucia is located in the
eastern Caribbean and is
an island nation. It is well
known for its beaches as
well its rainforests. It is
home to volcanic beaches,
fishing villages and
luxurious resorts. Its
capital, Castries, is also a
regular cruise ship stop.

Sea Level Rise

Deforestation Tourism

Threats faced by
St Lucia

Temperature Ocean
Rise Over Acidification
Fishing/Destructive
Fishing
Driving Factors:

Deforestation
- People are doing it for economical benefits

- They cut the forest area to find charcoal

- Large areas of land are cleared due to the increasing demand for
agricultural space; 33.7% of their land is under agriculture

- Many people are banana farmers and are dependent on the banana
production

- Trees are cut down for the development of residential construction and to
build more roads

- Due the amount of tourists flocking to St. Lucia annually, there is a push
for more large scale development projects

Over Fishing/Destructive Fishing

- For people living in tropical areas, fish is a crucial part of your diet

- As the population increases, there is also an increasing pressure on the

coral reefs and marine species.

- A harmful method of fishing such as cyanide fishing is used to capture live

fish to satisfy the demand for salt water fish for aquariums and food
trades.

- Sometimes the use of poison to catch fish is used by locals because it is a

traditional technique

- Bottom trawling is used because you will catch a lot of fish in one go, so
you can easily make a lot of profit
Tourism
- For LEDCs, like St. Lucia, the tourism industry is a major source of their
income

- People come to St. Lucia

for its pristine beaches,
lush rainforests and its
tropical climate

- There are also many

activities you can o such
as whale watching,
snorkeling, surfing,
parasailing, etc.

Sea Level Rise

- This happens due to global warming and climate change. When water is
heated, it expands. Also, melting ice will add more water.

Temperature Rise
- This happens due to global warming and climate change

Ocean Acidification
- This happens due to global warming and climate change. The ocean
absorbs Co2 let out into the atmosphere.
Impacts:

Deforestation
Floods

- Coastal lowlands are flooded

Loss in Biodiversity

- There is an increase of sediments that flow into the ocean, which limits
the photosynthesis of coral reefs. This can lead to coral deaths and a
decreasing amount of fish, as there is smaller food supply.
- In 1975, there were less than 100 Saint Lucia Parrots, also known as
Jacquot. This is because deforestation destroyed their natural habitat.

Changes in Quality of Water

- Water quality is affected as more sediments are deposited in rivers

Over Fishing/Destructive Fishing

- Numbers of fish are depleting. This will affect the food chain.

- During the 1980s, the average marine catch declined by 1.3% per year

- Bottom trawling crushes everything in its way, such as fish and corals.
Also, sometimes fish that are already at risk of extinction are already
caught. They are then thrown back into the sea, often injured or already
dead.
 - Sometimes other forms of marine life are caught unintentionally while
fishing, such as dolphins and turtles. This is known as by catch. The
animals either die while caught in the nets, or they are released into the
oceans in bad shape.

- A WWF report estimates

that by catch represents
40% of global marine
catches. Most of them
that are caught are also
babies. This will affect
species population and
reproduction rate.

- When dynamite fishing is

used, not only the targeted fish killed, but the surrounding fauna and flora
as well. It can take decades for the reconstruction of damaged habitats in
coral reefs. (1 kg of beer bottle bomb can kill 50-80% of the coral in that
area)

Tourism
- When tourist do activities such as diving and snorkeling, they can destroy
the corals if they accidently hit them with their flippers

- When tourists go in the water, their sun block goes into the water as well.
This will pollute the sea and impact the marine life.

- Sometimes tourist will throw rubbish and waste into the ocean. This will
affect the sea animals because some of them might eat the rubbish and
die.
Sea Level Rise
- St. Lucia will lose some of its beaches. This will lead to less tourists
resulting in a lost in income. Tourism accounts for 60% the country’s
GDP, so their economy will be greatly
affected.

- Salt water will contaminate fresh

water

- 70% of people in the Caribbean live

on the cost, so people will lose their
homes

- Many will be affected by floods,

especially the poorer people

Temperature Rise
Animal Populations

- Temperature can affect the reproduction of animals

- For some species, like turtles and copepods, the genders of their off
springs are determined by the temperature. This will affect the sex ratios,
leaving an unbalanced population.

Coral Bleaching

- High water temperatures causes corals to die

Moving Homes

- The ideal water temperature differs for different species

 - Because of rising sea temperatures, some species might move into
deeper water. If this happens, coral reefs won’t be as vibrant, for there
will be a less variety of species. This could lead to a loss of tourists, which
again, will affect St. Lucia’s economy.

Ocean Acidification
- If there are high levels ofCo2 in oceans, primary productivity will be
affected. The ocean pH will decrease as well. Some species have specific
water requirements. The formation of coral reefs will be also be slowed
down or stopped altogether in result of the decrease in pH.
- If oceans are more acidic, the coral bleaching will take place. This will
cause many corals to die. The death of corals will affect the species that
depend on corals, such as seahorses and moray eels.
Key Players:

Key Player Opinion

Fisherman Need the coral reefs for fish to breed, they
want the freedom to fish anywhere they can
find the fish to provide food for their family
and an income. Fisherman would also rely
on the tourists as they supply the
restaurants and hotels with fresh seafood
for visitors increasing their own income.

Tourists Want to see beautiful coral reefs because

they are paying to see them. If it is dirty, the
tourists will be dissatisfied and won’t want
to come again. They also want a clean place
when they do water sports.

Scuba Divers If the water is polluted or an area is

overfished, they won’t see anything when
they go scuba diving. They come to see the
marine wildlife in their natural habitats. If
not they would’ve gone to aquariums. If
they are scientists who are doing research,
they won’t be able to collect much
information.

Farmers Farmers need the land to grow bananas.

They and their families depend on their
income from their banana farms, so if they
don’t make money they will struggle to
survive.

Ship Captain He needs to anchor his ship so the

passengers can get off. If he anchors his ship
far away from the coast, it will be hard for
the passengers to get to land.
- Divers and tourists will not agree with the fishermen if they use destructive methods. This
is because when they go to see the reef, there won’t be much to see because they corals
would be bleached and damage. The reefs would not look vibrant and colorful then.
- The divers would also be unhappy with the tourists if they don’t treat the place properly
and litter, because it would be a nuisance if you were diving and rubbish was floating
around.

- Divers and tourists would also be unhappy with the ship captain if they anchored the ship
near the bay, because they might injure the fish and destroy corals

- The ship captain might and the fishermen will come into conflict. If the fishermen fish all
over the place they will block the captain’s way when he wants to dock. Also when the
captain docks, he will disrupt the water which will disturb the fishermen’s’ farming

Policies for Sustainable Management:

People have attempted to manage these threats through different
methods. The government created the idea of community-based management
of ecosystems. In 1986, 19 areas were declared Marin Reserve Areas. These
included coral reefs, turtle breeding grounds and mangroves. Fishing Priority
Areas were also created. However the boundaries were never fully defined, as
it is difficult to do so in the ocean.

In 1992, the Soufriere Marine Management Area was set up by various

organizations in St. Lucia, including the National Trust for St. Lucia and the
Soufriere Regional Development Foundation. They got together with the
government and USAID to try and identify problems and conflicts and find
resolutions for them. They created 5 different zones where the different
groups could respectively do their work. They improved the control of
agricultural and urban pollution, so surface run-off into the ocean could be
reduced. Now, there was less group conflict and 11 km stretch of coast was
now being used more sustainably. One sector was the private marine reserve
area, where young fish could grow and corals could regenerate. This place is
only accessibly with permit. Another zone that was created was the fishing
priority areas, where no diving or yachting was allowed. Then there is the
recreational area, mainly for diving and other water sports. A yacht mooring
area was also created for yachts. Last but not least is the multiple-use area,
which is open to all users. The money used to manage the area come from
tourist funds and taxes.

The Soufriere Marine Management Area is managed by the Soufriere

Marine Management Association. The Association has social positive impacts
as locals are trained to become rangers and patrol the area, which will help
employment rates at the same time. They rangers are also enforcement
officers and are Special Police Constables with powers of arrest. The
Association have also given locals many opportunities to gain skills and
expertise such as dive certification training and underwater Crime Scene
Investigation training. The aim of the SMMA is to conserve the natural marine
environment and make sure it is being used and developed sustainably.

Other actions taken included banning damaging fishing methods, such as

trammel net fishing. The fishermen were then taught less damaging fishing
techniques. Loans were also provided to the fishermen to buy boats and
equipment so they could go fishing farther out at sea, where they would not
damage the corals.