Student worksheet
Tropical deforestation
Map URL: https://esriurl.com/enviroGeoInquiry6mv
Student name: ___________________________________________
ENGAGE
What is deforestation?
● Click the map URL link above to launch the map.
● Where is this odd landscape? What are all the squares and rectangles?
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● Click the left yellow marker to display a pop-up. Click the image in the pop-up.
● Describe the image that you see. What do the colors represent?
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● What is the relationship between the original green image and the red image?
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EXPLORE
How has tropical deforestation changed over time?
● Click Layers on the dark toolbar.
● Turn on the layer Forest Loss (World Land Cover) by clicking its eye icon in the
Layers pane.
● Describe the general patterns that you observe.
● What generalization can be made about forest loss by year, dating from 2001 to 2014?
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EXPLAIN
What are some causes and effects of deforestation?
● What are some possible causes of deforestation?
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● What are some possible effects of deforestation?
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● Using the evidence provided from the map layer, what is a possible outcome — positive
or negative — of increased deforestation?
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ELABORATE
Where is deforestation most severe today?
● Turn on and off the layers Rondonia Brazil Satellite Image 2000, 2004, and 2008.
● Record notes of the patterns that you observe from the satellite images over time.
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● What are some possible causes of these patterns?
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● What are some possible methods of deforestation? What evidence can you gather from
the satellite images?
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● How much land has been consumed by deforestation? Using the 2008 Rondonia image,
measure a rough estimate of the deforested area.
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EVALUATE
Why should we care about the loss of tropical forests?
● What are some ecological advantages provided by established tropical forests?
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● Turn on the layer Biomes.
● Describe the locations that you feel demonstrate the greatest number of species over a
given region.
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● Turn on the layer Biodiversity Hotspots.
● Refine the previous answers using information about locations of biodiversity hotspots.
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● What are some possible benefits of biodiversity?
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