Lernmaterialien für industry and the environment an der University of Guyana

 Loss of Biodiversity The tropical forest provide habitat for two-thirds of all identified terrestrial species. These plant and animal species serve as source of food, medicine and fuel in most rural communities in developing countries. Tree harvesting adversely affects the population and variety of plant and animal species in the forest. The removal of forest cover during logging has in some instances resulted in the scarcity or out-right extinction of many important plant and animal species. Some wild animals have also been observed to migrate from areas where tree cover was removed to undisturbed vegetations. Some plant and animal genetic resources that could be used in producing new pharmaceuticals or traditional medicine are lost as a result of the destruction of forest cover.

 Soil Erosion Destruction of forest cover during tree harvesting results in the loss of the protection, which the plant cover gives to the soil. Timber harvesting also interrupts the normal nutrient cycle of the forest, promotes nitrification and increases nutrient leaching thereby leaving the topsoil impoverished and susceptible to erosion. soil under primary forest erodes at an average rate of 12 tonnes per hectare while open vegetation in deforested areas of upland topography erode at the rate of about 84 tonnes per hectare per year. Eroded soil are often deposited in rivers and fish ponds thereby causing siltation and contamination of such water body. These adversely affect the aquatic ecosystem and disrupt biodiversity by killing fish and other organisms.

Anchoring and other marine activities: In marine areas (around coastal waters, reefs, beach and shoreline, offshore waters, uplands and lagoons) many tourist activities occur in or around fragile ecosystems. Anchoring, snorkeling, sport fishing and scuba diving, yachting, and cruising are some of the activities that can cause direct degradation of marine ecosystems such as coral reefs, and subsequent impacts on coastal protection and fisheries.

Forestry Operations consist of several industries: Logging concessions (Clear Cutting and Selective Logging) sawmills, plywood mills, particleboard mills furniture factories.

Solid Waste and Littering In areas with high concentrations of tourist activities and appealing natural attractions, waste disposal is a serious problem and improper disposal can be a major despoiler of the natural environment, rivers, scenic areas, and roadsides. For example, cruise ships in the Caribbean are estimated to produce more than 70,000 tons of waste each year. In mountain areas, trekking tourists generate a great deal of waste. Tourists on expedition leave behind their garbage, oxygen cylinders and even camping equipment. Such practices degrade the environment with all the detritus typical of the developed world, in remote areas that have few garbage collection or disposal facilities.

 Loss of biological diversity The effects on loss of biodiversity: a) It threatens our food supplies, opportunities for recreation and tourism, and sources of wood, medicines and energy. b) It interferes with essential ecological functions such as species balance, soil formation, and greenhouse gas absorption. c) It reduces productivity of ecosystems. d) It destabilizes ecosystems and weakens their ability to deal with natural disasters such as floods, droughts, and hurricanes, and with human-caused stresses, such as pollution and climate change.

 Sewage Construction of hotels, recreation and other facilities often leads to increased sewage pollution. Wastewater pollutes seas and lakes surrounding tourist attractions, damaging the flora and fauna. Sewage runoff causes serious damage to coral reefs because it contains lots of nutrients and it stimulates the growth of algae, which cover the filter-feeding corals, hindering their ability to survive. Changes in salinity and transparency can have wide-ranging impacts on coastal environments. And sewage pollution can threaten the health of humans and animals

 Marina development: Development of marinas and breakwaters can cause changes in currents and coastlines. Furthermore, extraction of building materials such as sand affects coral reefs, mangroves, and hinterland forests, leading to erosion and destruction of habitats. In the Philippines and the Maldives, dynamiting and mining of coral for resort building materials has damaged fragile coral reefs and depleted the fisheries. Overbuilding and extensive paving of shorelines can result in destruction of habitats and disruption of land-sea connections (such as sea-turtle nesting spots). Coral reefs are especially fragile marine ecosystems and are suffering worldwide from reef-based tourism developments. Evidence suggests a variety of impacts to coral result from shoreline development, increased sediments in the water, trampling by tourists and divers, ship groundings, pollution from sewage, over-fishing, and fishing with poisons and explosives that destroy the coral habitat.

Climate change Climate scientists now generally agree that the Earth's surface temperatures have risen steadily in recent years because of an increase in the so-called greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which trap heat from the sun. One of the most significant of these gases is carbon dioxide (CO ), which is generated when fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas are burned (e.g. in industry, electricity generation, and automobiles) and when there are changes in land use, such as deforestation. In the long run, accumulation of CO and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere can cause global climate change a process that may already be occurring. Global tourism is closely linked to climate change. Tourism involves the movement of people from their homes to other destinations and accounts for about 50% of traffic movements; rapidly expanding air traffic contributes about 2.5% of the production of CO . Tourism is thus a significant contributor to the increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

 Disruption of Hydrological cycle Changes in forest cover alter catchment water balances and stream flows. Water quality and yield are also affected by tree harvesting. Flooding seems to increase as result of broad - scale deforestation in catchment zones. Indiscriminate tree felling in hilly areas reduces the ability of soil to absorb water thereby inducing high volume of run off. The removal of forest cover during tree harvesting predisposes the environment to destructive actions of wind and rainstorm. Devastating destruction of farmland and houses have been reported in areas where indiscriminate tree felling had taken place