rainforest
The Rainforest Introduction: Many people do not think about rainforest destruction. ... 04 million square miles of tropical rainforest that remain and 1. ... Every year as a result of the destruction of the rainforest we do not only lose trees but we are destroying our ecosystems upon which living things depend. Of the 30 million species estimated to live on the earth’s surface around 70 percent of them live in the rainforest. ... If our rainforest is being destroyed at such an alarming rate we will never be able to use these plants in our cure for different medical problems. ... Already more than 2,000 tribes of rainforest Indians are threatened. ... Small scale farming accounts for about 61 percent of all rainforest destruction - almost 33,000 square miles annually. The soil quality of the rainforest are usually thin, poor and inadequate for cattle ranching. ... Over 200,000 acres of rainforest are burned every day. ... More tropical forest burned around the world in 1997 than at any other time in recorded history (WWF, 1997) Other Sources of Rainforest Destruction: Small scale farming is not the only reason why fires are starting in all areas of the rainforest. ... Statistics have shown that when rainforest land is converted to cattle operations they yield approximately $60 dollars an acre for the farmer. When timber in the rainforest is harvested it yields approximately $400 dollars per acre. However if the renewable sources of the rainforest such as fruits, nuts and medicinal plants are harvested the land will yield approximately $2400 per acre. ... Logging in the Rainforest: Logging is another principal cause of rainforest depletion. Each year this industry destroys about 11,400 square miles of rainforest. Often logging rainforest timber is a large economic source and in many cases the main source for fuel, wood and charcoal. Logging rainforest timber is a large economic source and in many cases the main source of revenues for servicing the national debt of developing countries. ... In addition to logging for exportation rainforest wood stays in the countries for fuel wood and charcoal. ... Affects on the Earth: Humans will be affected as a result of the rainforest burning and becoming smaller. ... Researchers believe that tropical rainforest fires in South America, Africa, Thailand and Indonesia are causing a shift in storms that could partly explain why the ocean’s storms are worsening the storms in Northern Europe. ... It is estimated that we are losing 137 plant, animal and insect species every single day due the destruction of the rainforest. As the rainforest disappears so do many possible cure for life threatening diseases. ... Another 25 percent of western pharmaceuticals are derived from rainforest ingredients and less than 1 percent of these tropical trees and plants have been tested by scientists. ... 47 acres) of the rainforest alone there are over 750 types of trees and 1500 species of palms.