Missing Charts Rainforest Depletion: Adverse Effects on the Environment Introduction The depletion of tropical rainforests by third world countries, as well as by American industry, has been a growing area of concern for many environmental organizations. Animal rights activists are livid at the frightening rate in which species are becoming extinct in these regions. Conservationists argue that the foliage is disappearing at rates that replanting programs will never be able to compete with. Environmentalists and Meteorologists fear that the elimination of enormous quantities of acreage will result in a long list of problems, including global warming, abnormal precipitation patterns, and unpredictable weather systems, just to name a few. While many of these adverse effects to the regional ecosystems and to the planet as whole may not be evident right away, studies show that if the rate at which these forests are harvested or burned continues as is they will happen eventually. The intent of this paper is to focus on some of the environmental concerns with regard to their causes, the long term effects, and what can and should be done to prevent them. What is a “Tropical Rain Forest”? A forest can be categorized in several ways. To be considered a Tropical Rain Forest, the region must: 1. Lie between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. 2. Maintain a temperature between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit year round. 3. Have between 80 and 400 inches of rainfall annually. This map shows the regions meeting these criteria (highlighted in green): Rainforests can be further broken down into categories depending on how far above sea level they are, but for our purposes we will focus on al... ... middle of paper ... ...e. A number of organizations are devoting their time and effort into increasing awareness and fighting the industry who through their thoughtlessness continue to scavenge the resources that the rainforests have to offer. Despite their efforts, the destruction of these vital ecosystems continues at an alarming rate. More and more species are dying off each day, and we continue to pump vast quantities of harmful gases into the atmosphere, leaving no natural means to cleanse the air we breathe. River basins are drying up because precipitation levels are falling with the absence of the foliage that stimulated them. Some may argue that the short term benefit to those utilizing the forests for survival outweigh the potential long term hazards. Whatever the case, the possible outcomes certainly are disturbing and should warrant more attention than they are presently given.
Tropical rainforests are an extremely unique and diverse ecosystem that are located around the earth’s equator. They once covered roughly 7% of the world, but due to human encroachment that has dwindled to just 2%. It is a highly moisture rich environment that typically receives anywhere between 60 and 400 inches of rainfall annually and average humidity ranges from 70 to 90%.
The rain forests are incredible places. They only cover 6 % of the world’s surface however they have more than ½ the world’s plant and animals species. A rain forest can be described as tall and thick jungles. There is a reason behind the forest being called a “Rain forest” and it is because the high rainfall it gets per year. On average, 50 to 260 inches of rain falls yearly. The temperature in a rain forest rarely gets higher than 34 ºC or drops below 20 ºC. The average humidity in a rainforest is between 77 to 88%. Rainfall is often more than 100 inches a year.
Nowadays deforestation is the one of the most important and controversial environmental issues in the world. Deforestation is cutting down, clearing away or burning trees or forests. Particularly tropical rainforests are the most waning type of forests because of its location in developing countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, India, central African countries and Brazil. Deforestation rate in those regions is high enough to worry about, because of large economic potential of forest areas. As the result of causes such as agriculture land expansion, logging for timber, fire blazing and settling infrastructure there might be serious impacts in future. For instance, extinction of endemic species of animals and plants which will be feral, increase of greenhouse gas emissions which may lead to global warming and consecutive catastrophes, destruction of home for indigenous residents which is considered as violation of human rights. Some people can argue with these drawbacks telling that deforestation have more valuable benefits such as growth of economics, production of food and providing better opportunities for life for poor families. However, these benefits are quite temporary and government of that countries and world organisations tries to halt deforestation proposing several solutions. Deforestation problem is especially acute in the Brazilian Amazon, where its rate is much high comparing with other regions. This paper will describe world-wide rainforests, causes and effects of deforestation, and evaluate possible solutions of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.
With all the technological advancements, the rain forest has been greatly effected. Not only have the trees been cut down but also there have positive aspects to the technology concerning this precious resource. Peter White, a chief writer for National Geographic magazine once said, " The tropical rain forest may well be nature’s chief liberty of experience from which all of humanity can learn, not only how to do things but also what a vast variety of things may be possible"(24). We all can learn from this for, the rain forest is a key to our environment and with all the technology destroying it and barely replacing it we all should think about what is happening and what can be done to save it. With the great progression of technology
Rainforests once covered 14% of the worlds land surface, however now it only covers a mere 6%. It is estimated that all rainforests could be consumed in less than 40 years. Trees are becoming more needed and used everyday. We need them cut down for many reasons such as paper and timber, while also needing them ‘untouched’ for other reasons like oxygen, we have to ask ourselves, which is more important? At the current rate, most of the rainforests are being cut down for resources like paper and timber, but less importance is being placed on main resources like oxygen.
In South America lies the largest and most wondrous rainforest in the world, the Amazon Rainforest. This 1.4 billion acre forest represents over half of the planets remaining rainforests, and comprises the largest and most bio-diverse tract of rainforest in the world. Ten percent of all known species on the planet are found in this rain forest, most of which have yet to be discovered. For the past century, the Amazon has been gradually decreasing in size due to agricultural expansion, ranching, infrastructure projects, energy exploration and illegal logging. At its current state, the Amazon is losing land equal to the size of the state of Delaware every year. The destruction of this forest releases 340 million tons of carbon per year according to the World Wildlife Foundation, or WWF, which in turn cause climate changes everywhere around the world. Undiscovered species can hold the key to curing a plethora of diseases, but if those species become extinct those keys are lost forever. If nothing is done to prevent this, the world’s treasure trove of bio-diversity will cease to exist, creating irreversible damage to not only the South American people but also the rest of the world.
The Disappearing Rainforests Conserving the rainforest is a global issue of great importance. Tropical rainforests provide a habitat for animals, a unique ecosystem for vegetation, and an abundance of resources for humans, yet they are being destroyed at an astonishing rate. Experts estimate that if these endangered territories continue to be consumed in this manner, no more will be standing in forty years (Rainforest). Examining the social, environmental, and economic costs of the continued destruction of the Earth's tropical rainforests will prove that deforestation for short-term profit is ultimately not viable.
The destruction of our earth’s rainforest is very depressing. Last semester I took Ecol 1000 and this class deals with all of the horrible things humans do to our planet. I didn’t realize that the rainforests were being destroyed at such a dramatic pace. People use a technique called “slash and burn” which enables them to clear plots in order for cattle or for other agricultural purposes. The rainforest provides a habitat for a wide array of species. This is not fair for people to go in and take over there homes. The destruction of the rainforests has intense adverse affects on lots of differing things. Rainforest not only house a great number of species of insects and trees but it also holds cures for diseases. The destruction of the rainforest has not really been proven how it will affect us because there is so much information to be gathered. We do not know all of the consequences that we will endure once all of the trees are gone and all of the wild life has been destroyed.
Rainforests are Earth’s most intriguing and important biome due to its species’ diversity, the many benefits it yields, and the unfortunate degradation that has been thrust upon it. While being home to the most complex variety of both plants and animals, the rainforest also houses imperative products needed for everyday life including food and medicine. The forest, although it provides so much for man, is sadly facing devastation, mostly due to man. It is left to the world’s population to restore the health and beauty the rainforest once was so it may continue to live and thrive on for an eternity.
The rainforests are disappearing acres per minute, a number that grows so quickly it would be impossible to cite here because it would be outdated within a week. The rainforests are home to over half of the entire species of the world, which are being destroyed with the rainforests. Unlike the rainforest itself, which may appear to grow back, it will never be the rainforest it once was, and the species that were killed will never return again. Many of the species that have not yet been discovered may very likely cure cancer, AIDS, and many other diseases and viruses of today. If the rainforests disappear so will most of the population of the world. By the end of my paper the reader will know more about the horrifying destruction of the rainforest and how we can all work together to stop it.
Halting the destruction of the rainforests has been identified by the World Wildlife Organisation as one of the most urgent and yet cost effective ways to keep the world out of danger from runaway climate change. They also report forest loss contributes to over 20 percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. It is the trees that absorb greenhouse gases and carbon emissions, therefore at the very least the more we protect the rainforests the less contribution to global warming. xxxxx has stated "Despite conservation efforts, global deforestation continues at an alarming rate - 13 million hectares a year, or 36 football fields a minute" (xxxxxxxx) Protecting these forests from further destruction and finding solutions is critical . Not everyone agrees about the main causes, some evidence suggests it is the private landholders who hold significant sway while others believe it is purely market forces that are the main concern. This essay therefore aims to cover this issue by first evaluating causes and follows with a look at proposed solutions. Finally the conclusions are drawn from the evidence to offer a practical direction to maximise forest preservation.
“The world’s rainforests could completely vanish in a hundred years at the current rate of deforestation.” Says National Geographic. The world’s forests play an important role in providing everyday necessary benefits such as food, water, shelter, clothing, traditional medicine, and most importantly, they maintain an equilibrium in the world’s environment, which if drastically altered, can negatively affect its surroundings. The two main causes that contribute to the deterioration and or extinction of the world’s forests are deforestation and illegal logging. Deforestation is the eradication of vast forests without replacing the lost trees by simultaneously planting new ones. Not all deforestation is intentional.
Morano, Marc. “The Amazon Rain Forest is Not in Danger of being Destroyed.” Rainforests. Ed. Haisong Harvey. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2002. At Issue. Rpt. From “Q: Is the destruction of the Amazon’s Rainforest an Eco-Myth?’ Insight on the News (2000). Opposing views points in context. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
Can you picture our earth without forests? Many of us can’t. Forests cover approximately one fifth of the worlds land surface and play an important role in our everyday lives (Dudley 4). Forests provide us with many products and services from helping maintain erosion to providing jobs for our citizens. Humanity depends on the survival of a healthy ecosystem and deforestation is causing many social, economic and ecological problems. One ecological problem is Global warming witch is caused when carbon is released into the air after the burning of forests. Governments and industries must become more aware of these consequences of their activities and change accordingly. They need to cooperate with forest management and work towards a future that benefits all. Humans need to be educated about the current issues of the forests in order for us to save, preserve or sustain these places that provide us with so much.
Most people don’t even know that rainforests are being harvested as quickly as they are, while some aren’t even aware about it at all. “About one half of the forests that covered the Earth are gone. Each year, another 39 million acres disappear” With this high amount of forests being burned or logged for wood, half of the current rainforests will be gone by 2025, leaving not much to the imagination. Our environment will change substantially up to that point, and what trees are left will soon become precious commodities.