The rainforests are very important to the world for many reasons, most of them being very simple. One major reason is that the plants in the forest turn carbon dioxide into clean air, which helps us fight pollution. Also, by absorbing carbon dioxide, the rainforests help deter the greenhouse effect. The trees of the rainforest store carbon dioxide in their roots, stems, branches, and leaves. The plants and animals of the rainforest also provide us with food, fuel wood, shelter, jobs, and medicines.
“Image losing the potential cure for cancer or AIDS that might have been found in an undiscovered plant from the rainforest. Tropical Rainforest Coalition, 1996) “The vine Aucistrocladus koropensis may be effective in treating AIDS; we can only guess what other beneficial plants may be destroyed before we find them. ” (Allo, 1996) It is repeated often that the rainforest contains important plants that will cure the worst diseases of today. Although there is scientific proof of its value, the rainforest continues to disappear.
“In ever sense, a standing rainforest supplies more economic wealth then if it were cleared yet deforestation continues at an alarming rate. Tropical Rainforest Coalition, 1996) According to the National Forest Association of Forest Industries (1996), “there are about 4 billion hectares of forest in the world, of which about 25 percent is tropical rainforest. ” The rainforest is full of diversity when it comes to the plants and animals that inhabit it many of them are found no where else on Earth. These species have extremely valuable medical properties the only known cure for certain diseases come from species of the rainforest.
As an example of the rainforests diversity, “a single hectare in Kenyas Kakamega Forest may host between 100 and 150 different tree species, compared to only about 10 different species in a hectare of the forest of North America. ” (Allo, 1996) The diversity of rainforest species applies to much more than just trees. “Although insects represent only 62 percent of the 1. 4 million named organisms on the planet, scientists estimate that the total number of arthropods to number between 8 million and 80 million. Allo, 1996)
Only 20 percent of the nutrients of the rainforest are in the soil; 80 percent of the nutrients remain in the trees and plants. The rainwater of the forest is recycled by evaporation. Clouds above the forests canopy help reflect sunlight which keeps temperatures within the forest to remain more stable. Although rainforests take vast amounts of time to regenerate, young forests are more effective at removing carbon from the air than older forests. Older forests absorb carbon less efficiently, but have more total carbon stored within them.
The soil of the rainforests is only suitable for being rainforest soil, crops do not grow well in it. When forests are cut down, the soil erodes quickly and soon only a dry desert remains. Humans also inhabit the rainforests. Most of these people are indigenous, or Indian. It is estimated that there are over 1,000 or more indigenous groups around the world, but they are also becoming extinct. “In 1900, Brazil had one million Indians. Today, there are fewer than 200,000 in the Amazon. ” (Stevenson Press, 1996) There are two types of rainforests: tropical and temperate. Tropical rainforests are found in 85 countries around the world.
Ninety percent of these forests are concentrated into fifteen countries, each country containing over 10 million hectares each. ” (Malaysian Timber Council, 1995) Tropical rainforests are located near the equator, where temperatures stay above 80 degrees Fahrenheit year round. These dense, damp forests occur in Latin and South America, Africa, and in Southeast Asia. “Although they [tropical rainforests] cover just seven percent of the Earths surface, they can provide habitat for between 50 and 90 percent of its plant and animal species. In 1990, tropical rainforests totaled some 1. 7 billion hectares. Forest Alliance of British Columbia, 1996)
Half of the worlds rainforests lie within the borders of Brazil, Indonesia, and Zaire. A tropical rainforest has three layers: the forest floor, the understory, and the canopy. The forest floor has poor soil. Mainly insects live on this layer, although large mammals like gorillas and jaguars are also found there. Many smaller animals, including anteaters, lemurs, and tree kangaroos live in the understory. This is also where many small trees and shrubs are found. The canopy, or top layer, is made up of the tops of trees which can grow to be over 200 feet high.
Many tropical birds, monkeys, apes, snakes, and other animals live in the canopy. Temperate rainforests are much younger than their tropical relatives. Most temperate rainforests are less than 10,000 years old, compared to the tropical rainforests millions of years. The soil in temperate forests are full of much more nutrients than that of the tropics. Temperate rainforests are located along the Pacific coast of Canada and the United States, and are also found in New Zealand, Tasmania, Chile, Ireland, as well as Scotland and Norway. Temperate rainforests are much more scarce than tropical rainforests.
Some countries have both types, for example: “Australia has both tropical and temperate rainforests. Although Australia is mostly desert with little forest, it is recognized as a leader of the scientific understand of rainforests. ” (National Association of Forest Industries, 1996) The cause of the destruction of the rainforest was put very simply by the Forest Alliance of British Columbia (1996): “The global population has more than tripled this century, and will continue to grow for the next 50 years, particularly in developing countries. World population is expected to reach ten billion by 2050.
Because the number of people living on the planet increases every year, the number of forest products needed also increases, forcing temperate and tropical rainforests to be cut down. Almost half of all tropical deforestation has occurred in South America. “The rainforests of the world are disappearing at a rate of 80 acres per minute, day and night major climatic and other environmental changes will occur if this continues. ” (Costa Rica Rainforests Outward Bound School, 1996) The destruction of the rainforests cause carbon dioxide to be released, which in turn allows the greenhouse effect to occur.
The greenhouse effect raises the temperatures all around the world, and can cause ice caps to melt. When ice caps melt, the sea level rises, causing major flooding around the world. Traditionally there were three major causes of destruction to the rainforest: farming, ranching, and logging. Farmers in rainforest countries are often poor and cant afford to buy land. Instead, these farmers clear rainforest land to grow their crops. Because tropical rainforest soil is so poor in nutrients, farmers cannot reuse the same land year after year.
In following years, farmers just clear more land, destroying the forest piece by piece. Ranching also causes destruction of the rainforests. Ranchers clear large areas of rainforest to become pastures for their cattle. This land does not cost them very much, so they can sell cattle at low prices. Because it is very profitable, ranchers continue to clear rainforest land so they can raise and sell more cattle. “During the 1980s, about 16. 9 million hectares of tropical rainforest was cut down and replaced with farms and grazing land for cattle. Forest Alliance of British Columbia, 1996)
The third major traditional reason for destruction of the rainforests is logging. Trees from the rainforest are used for building houses, making furniture, and providing pulp for paper products, such as newspapers and magazines. Rainforest that was chopped down can grow back over time, but they will never have the same variety of plants and animals they once did. The Amazon rainforest still remains as it was years ago, with less destruction occurring than in many other forests, because it is very large and remote.
But the Amazon may not remain so peaceful for long. Transnational corporations are now targeting the Amazon and the other rainforests because of the latest problem of in rainforest destruction: Greed. Corporations have convinced many rainforest countries that it would improve their economies by allowing the companies to use the land, and now these countries economies have become dependent on it. Oil companies often attempt to trick and bribe the Indians into signing over to them the rights of the land.
But the people have begun to fight back, for example: “Occidental Petroleums use of coercion to get the native communities to sign away land rights violates Ecuadorian and international law protecting indigenous people, and runs counter to company policies that state Occidental will “protect the environment, health and safety of the communities in which we operate. “” (Wright, 1996) Although Occidental is attempting to fight local governments, the oil produced if Occidental were to win the land would only satisfy the petroleum needs of the U. S. r thirteen days.
The rainforests are disappearing rapidly, and mainly for correctable problems that should have been corrected years ago. “Tropical rainforests once covered more than 14 percent of the Earths land area they now amount to less than 6 percent. ” (Tropical Rainforest Coalition, 1996) The cause of the destruction of the rainforest was put very simply by the Forest Alliance of British Columbia (1996): “The global population has more than tripled this century, and will continue to grow for the next 50 years, particularly in developing countries.
World population is expected to reach ten billion by 2050. ” Because the number of people living on the planet increases every year, the number of forest products needed also increases, forcing temperate and tropical rainforests to be cut down. Almost half of all tropical deforestation has occurred in South America. “The rainforests of the world are disappearing at a rate of 80 acres per minute, day and night major climatic and other environmental changes will occur if this continues.
Costa Rica Rainforests Outward Bound School, 1996) The destruction of the rainforests cause carbon dioxide to be released, which in turn allows the greenhouse effect to occur. The greenhouse effect raises the temperatures all around the world, and can cause ice caps to melt. When ice caps melt, the sea level rises, causing major flooding around the world. Traditionally there were three major causes of destruction to the rainforest: farming, ranching, and logging. Farmers in rainforest countries are often poor and cant afford to buy land.
Instead, these farmers clear rainforest land to grow their crops. Because tropical rainforest soil is so poor in nutrients, farmers cannot reuse the same land year after year. In following years, farmers just clear more land, destroying the forest piece by piece. Ranching also causes destruction of the rainforests. Ranchers clear large areas of rainforest to become pastures for their cattle. This land does not cost them very much, so they can sell cattle at low prices. Because it is very profitable, ranchers continue to clear rainforest land so they can raise and sell more cattle.
During the 1980s, about 16. 9 million hectares of tropical rainforest was cut down and replaced with farms and grazing land for cattle. ” (Forest Alliance of British Columbia, 1996) The third major traditional reason for destruction of the rainforests is logging. Trees from the rainforest are used for building houses, making furniture, and providing pulp for paper products, such as newspapers and magazines. Rainforest that was chopped down can grow back over time, but they will never have the same variety of plants and animals they once did.
The Amazon rainforest still remains as it was years ago, with less destruction occurring than in many other forests, because it is very large and remote. But the Amazon may not remain so peaceful for long. Transnational corporations are now targeting the Amazon and the other rainforests because of the latest problem of in rainforest destruction: Greed. Corporations have convinced many rainforest countries that it would improve their economies by allowing the companies to use the land, and now these countries economies have become dependent on it.
Oil companies often attempt to trick and bribe the Indians into signing over to them the rights of the land. But the people have begun to fight back, for example: “Occidental Petroleums use of coercion to get the native communities to sign away land rights violates Ecuadorian and international law protecting indigenous people, and runs counter to company policies that state Occidental will “protect the environment, health and safety of the communities in which we operate. (Wright, 1996)
Although Occidental is attempting to fight local governments, the oil produced if Occidental were to win the land would only satisfy the petroleum needs of the U. S. for thirteen days. The rainforests are disappearing rapidly, and mainly for correctable problems that should have been corrected years ago. “Tropical rainforests once covered more than 14 percent of the Earths land area they now amount to less than 6 percent. ” (Tropical Rainforest Coalition, 1996) Worldwide boycotts are the most effective ways of stopping rainforest destruction.
Boycotting fast food restaurants that serve hamburgers that came from cattle raised on rainforest land could help prevent matters from getting worse. News such as “more than 25% of the forests in Central America have been cleaned for pasture land [and] most cattle produced in Costa Rica is exported to developed countries for use in fast food hamburgers” (Costa Rica Rainforest Outward Bound School, 1996) could have easily been prevented by boycotting the hamburgers.
It is believed by many ecologists that some tropical rainforests can be harvested without causing damage to the great variety of plants and animals that live there. “The key is careful planning, sensitive harvesting, and appropriate silvicultural regimes to ensure healthy new forests are regenerated. ” (Forest Alliance of British Columbia, 1996) One could help prevent destruction by not buying furniture products made from rosewood, mahogany, ebony, and teakwood, because they most likely came from the rainforests.
If one wishes to become more involved with protection of the rainforests, it is possible to adopt acres of rainforest land. “For only $45, you can “adopt” one acre of rainforest. Your contribution funds land acquisition, legal fees, and security costs to ensure that acre will be protected as part of a designated land preserve. ” (Tropical Rainforest Coalition, 1996) (See Appendix) Ecotourism programs are available for those who adopt so that they may see their land and experience the true beauty of the forests.
Tourism itself aids in protecting the rainforest, for example: “According to Guatemalas Minister of Culture, ecotourist traffic has kept away poachers, illegal wood harvesters and burners, and drug-runners with secret air strips in the north jungle. (Rembert, 1996) As mentioned earlier, boycotts can really help to protect the forest. Companies such as Mitsubishi, who are helping to fund oil pipeline projects that build pipelines directly through rainforest land, may consider stopping their actions if their customers show concern.