Every hour loggers cut down 6000 acres of rainforest. That mean about 100 acres of rainforest are cut down a minute and 1 2/3 acres are cut down every second. It might not seem like much but it adds up fast. If we were to keep up the pace, the rainforest will all be cut down in a matter of years. Some organizations are taking donations so they can buy up acres of rainforest to preserve. Cutting down the rainforest helps global warming. If we cut down the rainforests of the world the trees would not clean the air any more, making it harder for us to breath. Also it would contribute to global warming because there would be fewer trees to clean the air. Over half of the world’s species of animals live in the rainforests and if we were to destroy the rainforests, plants and animal species we have not found yet will become extinct. Also they won’t yet have found the species, therefore we will not be able to write down the information, so we will not know they were there. If we cut down the rainforests we will pay with global warming. The bottom line is the fragile diversity will be destroyed, making the rainforests “different”.

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What is Tropical Rainforest?

When you think of a rainforest you first would think monkeys, and bananas because they are found in the rainforest. There is a lot more to a tropical rainforest then it would seem. Over half of the world’s species of plants and animals live here, most we have not even discovered yet. The rainforest rain average is over 100 inches every year. Only around 1/3 of all rain reaches the ground level. When old trees fall there is always trees to take its place. On the ground of the forest most of the ground is always covered with shade; very few plants grow on the floor. With only about 3% of all light shining down on the rainforest reaches the ground level. Also because there is so little light, when the old trees fall the young trees grow very fast in order to be able to become the trees before them. And because there are a lot of fungi the old fallen trees are usually decomposed within a week; because the fungi eat the trees so quickly very little nutrients are throw away. Because most of the light does not get to the ground, most animals are tree dwellers, like monkeys or baboons. Since most species of animals live in trees, most of them are herbivores. When it starts to rain the rain goes from sprinkle to pouring in less than 30 seconds. (1)

Who is destroying the rainforest?

Loggers, ranchers, and even we are destroying the rainforest. Loggers chop down the rainforest to sell the timber for money and we contribute to deforestation by buying a new dresser, or a desk. The thing is that you can stop that, just don’t buy it new, one it cost you less money, and you can help save the rainforest a bit. Ranchers, you might be thinking “huh?” but they are the real problem; they burn the land and have cattle graze on it. Or farmers burn the land and grow crops, but after a couple of years the land does not grow good crops, and the crops die. Some people think that because you can profit from more money by selling the fruits, loggers should sell the fruit, instead of selling the logs altogether. Governments also help by clearing the rainforest for hi-ways.

Why is the rainforest being destroyed?

Loggers are destroying the rainforest and a lot of other people, like ranchers, they all see the rainforest like money. And to get the money they have to cut trees or burn them down. Loggers cut to sell the logs, and ranchers burn the trees so they have space for their livestock to grow. Farmers see the rainforests as a place to grow their crops to make money. The ashes from the burnt trees allow the crops to grow for a while, but not for to long, making the land not applicable for growing plant use. They don’t think what will happen when the forests are all gone, they only think for short term, and that is why people are destroying the rainforests.

What is the rate of deforestation?

In some places like Brazil the rate of deforestation has gone down big time. And yet in other places like in Puerto Rico the deforestation has gone up. 9,000 miles in Brazil have been cut down or demolished. The government in Brazil says it was a good thing. It so happens the year before about a 1,000 more square miles were cut down. Brazil is still staying optimistic about the rainforest deforestation, and has given 140 million dollars to help prevent deforestation. Most poor people in Brazil depend on the rainforests for money, and food, so it could be a problem if they can’t find work, with out having to chop, or destroy trees. (3) (7)

What are the consequences of deforestation?

The consequences deforestation includes global warming, animal and plant extinction, and bad economy in rainforest areas. The important role of trees is that they store the carbon and release oxygen into the air. Therefore cleaning the air in our atmostsphere. When you take the trees out; they cannot clean our environment helping to cause global warming. And because it covers about one-third of all the land surface of the earth, that could mean disaster. Some scientists warn that by 2050 as many as one-half of all species now living on earth may become extinct. (9) (4)

What is the value of the Rainforest?

There is no true value for the rainforests. Thought the people see the real value as how beautiful it is. Most countries like Puerto Rico gain their money from the rainforests by tourists; the people come just to see the rainforests. And some use the rainforests to get wood to sell for money; others gather fruits and healing plants. The rainforests are spectacular places, but people are not thinking about conservation. The value of the rainforests is the truly breath-taking sights, only seen in the rainforests. (5)

What are some solutions to Rainforest Deforestation?

Some of the solutions we all could do to help prevent deforestation is we can buy up rainforest land, or by having a petition so the governments make rules that prohibit destruction of the forests. These rainforests are the key to our survival in the future. The rainforests are beautiful and amazing places. With out the rainforests it is going to be hard to live. That’s why we need to stop deforestation. (8)

Citation Page

1. Sweeny “Rainforests” “Science Weekly” Nov. 26, 1999 N.P. Sirs Discoverer

2. “Causes of Deforestation” Pie Sirs 10/14/08

3. Elassal “Rainforest disappearance slows” April 9-16, 2004 N.P. Sirs

4. Univ. corps. For Atmospheric Research “Another Way To Look At Our Forests” “Science Now” May 1994 N.P. Sirs Discoverer

5. Britannica “Puerto Rico” “Encyclopedia Britannica” 2006 N.P. Sirs Discoverer

6. Silber “ Tropical Rainforest Animals” “Rainforest Action Network” 2001N.P. Sirs Discoverer

7. Velton “Indigence Peoples of Rainforests “Rainforest Action” July 1996 p.g. 1-2 Sirs Discoverer

8. Animal “Rainforests Importance Uphold” “Animal Magazine” Jan/Feb 1996 p.g. 6 Sirs Discoverer

Bibliography

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Vergoth, Karin – Endangered Species by Karin Vergoth & Christopher Lampton; revised edition. Published 1988 by Franklin Watts, a division of Grolier Publishing