Topography of Sierra Leone. The land gets
higher and more mountainous the farther
it is away from the coast.
Geography of Sierra Leone. (2014, October 23). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Sierra_Leone_Topography.png
Annual rainfall in Sierra Leone by district. The coast gets a large annual rainfall, totaling more than 4,000 mm. Most of the interior of the nation gets between 2,001 and 3,000 mm.
Larbi, A. (2012, August 1). Sierra Leone. Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://www.fao.org/ag/agp/AGPC/doc/Counprof/Sierraleone/sierraleonepics/Figure 7.jpg
Sierra Leone's economic activity including agriculture, fishing, and mining. Palm oil agriculture is widespread throughout the country.
Larbi, A. (2012, August 1). Sierra Leone. Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://www.fao.org/ag/agp/AGPC/doc/Counprof/Sierraleone/sierraleonepics/Figure 4.jpg
Human:
Sierra Leonan boys search for diamonds which are very prevalent in throughout the country.
Waterfield, B. (2010, August 6). Naomi Campbell: Sierra Leone War. Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01692/sierra-leone_1692054c.jpg
Sierra Leonan boys search for diamonds which are very prevalent in throughout the country.
Waterfield, B. (2010, August 6). Naomi Campbell: Sierra Leone War. Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01692/sierra-leone_1692054c.jpg
Human:
Rice is cultivated on a large scale in Sierra Leone. This is a rice field with the information about the individuals plants themselves.
Sierra Leone: Dépasser l’agriculture de subsistance. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://www.fao.org/french/newsroom/photos/2011/SierraLeonePhotogallery-fr/data/images/24712_0281.jpg
Rice is cultivated on a large scale in Sierra Leone. This is a rice field with the information about the individuals plants themselves.
Sierra Leone: Dépasser l’agriculture de subsistance. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://www.fao.org/french/newsroom/photos/2011/SierraLeonePhotogallery-fr/data/images/24712_0281.jpg
Human:
These are the Yagala Old Town ruins, what used to be a mountaintop town built in the 18th century to escape slave traders. They serve as a reminder Sierra Leonans that they were freed.
Sierra Leone. (2012, April 27). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://www.wondermondo.com/Images/Africa/SierraLeone/Koinadugu/YagalaRuins.jpg
These are the Yagala Old Town ruins, what used to be a mountaintop town built in the 18th century to escape slave traders. They serve as a reminder Sierra Leonans that they were freed.
Sierra Leone. (2012, April 27). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://www.wondermondo.com/Images/Africa/SierraLeone/Koinadugu/YagalaRuins.jpg
Human:
The Oloshoro community in Sierra Leone is building their fishing economy. Fishing is one of the major industries in Sierra Leone.
AAPDEP Initiates Community Fishing Project in Oloshoro, Sierra Leone. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://www.indymedia.org.uk/images/2008/04/396480.jpg
The Oloshoro community in Sierra Leone is building their fishing economy. Fishing is one of the major industries in Sierra Leone.
AAPDEP Initiates Community Fishing Project in Oloshoro, Sierra Leone. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://www.indymedia.org.uk/images/2008/04/396480.jpg
Physical:
Tingi Hills in Sierra Leone is classified as an Important Bird Area. Sierra Leone is home to a large array of diverse wildlife.
Important Bird Areas. (2013, January 25). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://www.africanbirdclub.org/sites/default/files/Sierra-Leone-Tingi-Hills.jpg
Tingi Hills in Sierra Leone is classified as an Important Bird Area. Sierra Leone is home to a large array of diverse wildlife.
Important Bird Areas. (2013, January 25). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://www.africanbirdclub.org/sites/default/files/Sierra-Leone-Tingi-Hills.jpg
Physical:
Cocoa is one of Sierra Leone's most abundant natural resources. It is a prevalent crop in agriculture within the country.
Untapped Abundant Natural Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://www.firststepeoz.com/assets/hilites/pods-3fe7cf7dd7fe850999f25b9d273a8f8e.jpg
Cocoa is one of Sierra Leone's most abundant natural resources. It is a prevalent crop in agriculture within the country.
Untapped Abundant Natural Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://www.firststepeoz.com/assets/hilites/pods-3fe7cf7dd7fe850999f25b9d273a8f8e.jpg
Physical:
Coffee is a naturally abundant resource in Sierra Leone. The people cultivate it for export and internal use.
(n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://abspectrum.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/300px-Coffee_beansd.jpg
Coffee is a naturally abundant resource in Sierra Leone. The people cultivate it for export and internal use.
(n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://abspectrum.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/300px-Coffee_beansd.jpg
Physical:
The coast of Sierra Leone is a natural feature that allows people to fish not only for subsistence, but also for economic advancement.
Creole of Sierra Leone. (2012, July 28). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://www.kreolmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/sierra-leone-376-400x300.jpg
The coast of Sierra Leone is a natural feature that allows people to fish not only for subsistence, but also for economic advancement.
Creole of Sierra Leone. (2012, July 28). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://www.kreolmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/sierra-leone-376-400x300.jpg
Physical:
This is the Tingi Hills River.
Sierra Leone. (2013, February 6). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://www.africanbirdclub.org/sites/default/files/Sierra-Leone-Tingi-Hills-Ri.jpg
This is the Tingi Hills River.
Sierra Leone. (2013, February 6). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://www.africanbirdclub.org/sites/default/files/Sierra-Leone-Tingi-Hills-Ri.jpg
Biodiversity and Cultural Diversity
Biodiversity provides different ways for the cultures within various regions to live uniquely. It is especially important for indigenous populations that live on the life that the natural environment produces. The various life forms create a specific way of life for the indigenous peoples and even for people in structured, “civilized” societies. It determines what food sources people live on, the kinds of places that people live, their cultural ties to the environment and how they want to protect it to preserve their own culture. In Sierra Leone, the variety of life determines how Sierra Leoneans live their day to day lives and even the success or failure of the economy.
Sierra Leone is currently suffering from severe deforestation (Biodiversity, 2015). The country contains part of a very biologically diverse rainforest that is being depleted mostly due to the economy. Sierra Leone sustains itself on its agricultural crops through domestic use and as a source of revenue from exportation. Rice is the main crop in Sierra Leone, and it takes up so much space that it becomes necessary for people to cut down large parts of the rainforest. Rice is one of the major cultural foods for Sierra Leoneans because it is abundant, cheap, and provides sustenance for impoverished people. It is also exported along with coffee, cocoa, sweet potatoes, and more (FAO/GIEWS, 2015). Although the country knows that preserving the rainforest will help to preserve Sierra Leonean culture, it puts its economic stability and health before the conservation of biodiversity.
Sierra Leone culture promotes elephant poaching. The rainforest elephant once freely inhabited the rainforest in Sierra Leone, but they are in danger of extinction now due to poaching. Poachers take the ivory tusks from the elephant and sell them for profit in order to help their economy (Biodiversity, 2015).
Plant and animal life is not all that is included in biodiversity. The term also includes microorganisms. Microorganisms often cause disease, and massive outbreaks of disease change the way that people live their day to day lives. In Sierra Leone, Ebola, which is a hemorrhagic fever caused by microorganisms, is very prevalent. The first outbreak occurred in late May of 2015, and it continues to affect the nation today. Transmission is active in these districts: Bombali, Kambia, Moyamba, Port Loko, and the Western Area (See Figure 1)(Ebola, 2015). The spread of the virus is perpetuated in rural communities that have low sanitation. The culture of those communities is very community based. Everyone in the community works together to keep it functioning. Women from many different families help take care of children from families other than their own. They work together on small farms, and everyone socializes with each other. Due to the Ebola outbreaks, they are encouraged to isolate themselves from other people which is incredibly difficult in a community that relies heavily on cooperation and collaboration from each member.
Because Sierra Leone depends so highly on its biodiversity, it is important that all necessary actions are taken to conserve it, however while trying to obtain sustenance and a stable economy Sierra Leoneans generally take advantage of the biodiversity in a negative way. Despite the negative impacts that people cause to biodiversity in order to survive and make a stable economy, there are various programs are taking initiative to protect the biodiversity of Sierra Leone including the Environmental Foundation for Africa, Biodiversity Conservation and Renewable Energy Learning Centre, and conservation work in the Western Area Peninsula Forest Reserve. The Biodiversity Conservation and Renewable Energy Learning Centre is located in Freetown, Sierra Leone. It is an interactive education center that promotes conservation in the Western Area Peninsula Forest Reserve. It has a tree nursery, walking trails, and other things that will help people understand the need to conserve Sierra Leone’s biodiversity in order to preserve Sierra Leone’s culture (IUCN, 2015).
References:
Biodiversity. (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2015, from https://sites.google.com/site/mdpprojectsierraleone/biodiversity
Ebola. (n.d.). Retrieved April 10, 2015, from
https://www.internationalsos.com/ebola/index.cfm?content_id=397&language_id=ENG
FAO/GIEWS Special Report on Sierra Leone - 12/96. (n.d.). Retrieved April 10, 2015, from http://www.fao.org/docrep/004/w3985e/w3985e00.HTM
IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature. (n.d.). Retrieved April 10, 2015, from http://www.iucn.org/news_homepage/news_by_date/?9204/Biodiversity-Conservation-andRenewable-Energy-Learning-Centre