Question

Identify the correct reasons for cutting and clearing of Amazon rain forest?
(A) Cultivating soyabeans
(B) Growing wheat and maize
(C) Setting up industries
(D) Conversion to grasslands for raising beef cattle
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

• A. (A), (B) and (D) only
• B. (A) and (D) only
• C. (B) and (C) only
• D. (A) and (C) only

Hint:

Standard NCERT reference:
The Amazon rainforest is cleared mainly for:
1. Cultivating soybeans.
2. Conversion to grasslands for raising beef cattle.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept:
Habitat loss and fragmentation is considered the most significant cause of the global extinction of animal and plant species, critically impacting tropical rainforest biomes.

Step 1: Environmental Drivers of Amazonian Deforestation:
The Amazon rainforest in South America is often referred to as the 'lungs of the planet' because it accounts for a massive proportion of global terrestrial photosynthesis and oxygen release.
Despite harbouring millions of species, vast tracts of this rainforest are cleared and fragmented at alarming rates.
According to ecological studies and NCERT records, the two main anthropogenic drivers for clearing the Amazon rainforest are:
1. Clearing lands for the large-scale commercial cultivation of soybeans (Statement A).
2. Converting the cleared forested land into grasslands and pastures for raising beef cattle (Statement D).

Step 2: Evaluating the Given Statements:
- Statement (A) is correct: Intensive soybean farming is a primary reason for deforestation.
- Statement (B) is incorrect: Large-scale wheat and maize agriculture is not the primary driver cited for clearing the tropical rainforest.
- Statement (C) is incorrect: Setting up industrial plants is not the principal direct cause of the massive clearing of the Amazon basin compared to commercial agriculture and livestock ranching.
- Statement (D) is correct: Pasture conversion for cattle ranching is the largest direct driver of deforestation in the Amazon.

Step 3: Final Selection:
The valid pair of reasons is (A) and (D).
Hence, Option (B) is correct.