Rainforests are essential resources for our planet,
providing us with valuable medicines, foods, and natural insecticides. They
are also a habitat for millions of animal, plant, and insect species, many
of which are yet to be discovered. The destruction of rainforests through
logging, colonization, and cattle ranching is resulting in the loss of
species, erosion of fertile land, and decline in the world's oxygen supply.
The first cause of mass destruction of rainforests is logging. The need for
commercially valuable trees such as mahogany and tropical cedar leads to
bulldozing roads through the forest, taking down other trees in the process.
When one commercially valuable tree is cut down, on average, 17
non-commercially valuable trees also fall. The logging industry can
eradicate 30% of a rainforest where only a few commercially valuable trees
were cut down, and this rate can lead to the clearing out of entire
rainforests in a few years.
The second cause of rainforest destruction is colonization. Roads created by
loggers allow farmers to enter the rainforest to plant crops and clear land
to establish ownership. Families clear more land than they need, and the
practice of selling land to commercial companies is common due to the poor
quality of the soil after clearing. Population growth leads to the influx of
more people, and the cycle of clearing and selling continues. Rainforest
land loses nutrients quickly after it has been cleared, and it becomes
infertile and eroded, leading to more clearing.
The final cause of rainforest destruction is cattle ranching, which is an
inefficient use of land. Cattle ranching yields low amounts of beef, and the
land becomes infertile after five to ten years, forcing ranchers to look for
more land to clear. This cycle of clearing and burning leads to fewer job
opportunities and an increase in people migrating to the rainforest.
The destruction of rainforests is resulting in the loss of millions of
animal, plant, and insect species. The world is losing approximately 1,000
species per year due to the clearing of rainforests, and this rate will rise
to 10,000 species per year if current destruction rates continue. The loss
of species and destruction of fertile land has a significant impact on the
world's oxygen supply. Rainforests are responsible for a significant portion
of the world's oxygen, and the destruction of rainforests ultimately leads
to the destruction of our own oxygen supply.
In conclusion, the rainforest is an essential resource for our planet and
contains many undiscovered possibilities. However, the destruction of
rainforests through logging, colonization, and cattle ranching is leading to
the loss of millions of species, eroded and infertile land, and a decline in
the world's oxygen supply. It is essential that we take action to save
rainforests to protect our planet and prevent further damage to the
environment. |