Threats to Biodiversity
Rainforests are perhaps the most endangered habitat on earth. Each year, some 140,000 sq km of rainforests are destroyed. For example, between 1991 to 2000, the amount of land cleared in the Amazon Rainforest rose from 415,000 to 587,000 sq km. This is close to the total land area of Spain or Madagascar.
As the world continues to industrialise and modernise, greater demands on natural resources are evident. Each minute, thousands of forest trees are being cut down. Some are used in buildings, constructions, furniture and flooring, and many are used for manufacturing paper.
With a rising population, rearing of cattle and other domestic animals and farming domestic crops are responsible for loss of rainforests all over the world. Also, tropical rainforests are cut down in order to mine for coal and fossil fuels. This involves digging up the soil to a certain depth and then extracting the fuels.
Once a forest is cleared completely, it takes many years to revegetate, and is never the same ecosytem that it was prior to clearing. If the current threats to rainforest continue at their same pace, these rich biodiversity areas will be completely destroyed within the next 100 years.
As the world continues to industrialise and modernise, greater demands on natural resources are evident. Each minute, thousands of forest trees are being cut down. Some are used in buildings, constructions, furniture and flooring, and many are used for manufacturing paper.
With a rising population, rearing of cattle and other domestic animals and farming domestic crops are responsible for loss of rainforests all over the world. Also, tropical rainforests are cut down in order to mine for coal and fossil fuels. This involves digging up the soil to a certain depth and then extracting the fuels.
Once a forest is cleared completely, it takes many years to revegetate, and is never the same ecosytem that it was prior to clearing. If the current threats to rainforest continue at their same pace, these rich biodiversity areas will be completely destroyed within the next 100 years.
Impacts of Deforestation
Deforestation has many negative effects on the environment. The most dramatic impact is a loss of habitat for millions of species of plants and animals. Seventy percent of Earth’s land animals and plants live in rainforests, and many cannot survive the deforestation that destroys their homes.
Deforestation also drives climate change. Rainforest soils are moist, but without protection from the canopy of trees they can quickly dry out. Trees are an important part of the the water cycle by returning water vapor into the atmosphere.
Trees also play a critical role in absorbing the greenhouse gases that fuel global warming. Fewer rainforests means larger amounts of greenhouse gases enter the atmosphere and will increase the speed and severity of global warming.
Deforestation also drives climate change. Rainforest soils are moist, but without protection from the canopy of trees they can quickly dry out. Trees are an important part of the the water cycle by returning water vapor into the atmosphere.
Trees also play a critical role in absorbing the greenhouse gases that fuel global warming. Fewer rainforests means larger amounts of greenhouse gases enter the atmosphere and will increase the speed and severity of global warming.
How You Can Help
Teach others about the importance of the environment and how we can all help to save rainforests.
Restore damaged ecosystems by planting trees on land where forests have been cut down.
Encourage people to live in a way that doesn't hurt the environment.
Establish parks to protect rainforests and wildlife.
Support companies that operate in ways that minimise damage to the environment, and support conservations organisations such as WWF and savetherainforest.org that endeavour to preserve and protect endangered ecosystems such as tropical rainforests.
It is important to conserve rainforests because many resources for things we use everyday come from the rainforest.
Restore damaged ecosystems by planting trees on land where forests have been cut down.
Encourage people to live in a way that doesn't hurt the environment.
Establish parks to protect rainforests and wildlife.
Support companies that operate in ways that minimise damage to the environment, and support conservations organisations such as WWF and savetherainforest.org that endeavour to preserve and protect endangered ecosystems such as tropical rainforests.
It is important to conserve rainforests because many resources for things we use everyday come from the rainforest.