Rainforest Destruction The Amazon Essay Research Paper

Rainforest Destruction, The Amazon Essay, Research Paper

Rainforest Destruction:

The Amazon

“We as humans have the capability of either preserving of destroying the rainforest. But whatever we decide, good or bad, will affect us all” (Author unknown). In the above quote, the saying is very true and hopefully a strong connection between this report and the quote will be noticed. This report talks about rainforest destruction towards the largest rainforest on earth, the Amazon. The destruction of this vast biome should be something that the public should know about since everyone gets affected. The importance of preserving the rainforest should be taken seriously as there are many disadvantages that will affect the unique biome itself, lives of the natives, an economy that is doomed, and in turn kill the human race.

Background Information

Facts about this Biome

What makes a rainforest biome unique depends on two things. One being its location in the tropics and the other being the amount of rainfall it receives. It is hard to generalize rainfall in the Amazon since the numbers vary greatly. Some two to eight meters rain annually, however it has been recorded before of reaching 13 meters. Also, the rainforest is the Earth’s oldest living ecosystem. Fossils date back 70 to 100 million years ago.

Facts on the Diversity that Exist in the Rainforest

Tropical rainforests cover only six percent of the Earth’s land, but they contain over half of the plant and animal species on Earth. It is really fascinating when inside four square miles of rainforest there may be as many as 1500 species of flowering plants, 750 species of trees, 125 mammals, 400 birds, 100 reptiles, and 60 amphibians. In addition, in one square meter of ground soil where the leaves decompose, up to 50 species of ants can exist. Most of the biodiversity that is found in the rainforest comes from insects. It is estimated that tens of thousands of them exist here.

Importance

Economical

This is a sensitive subject to talk about. Many environmentalists think ‘too-westerly’ about certain topics and arrogantly believe that their way of thinking is the most correct. Why then is there an economy which destroys the rainforest. Well, the people do have a right to their natural resources and that in turn helps their economy grow. Besides, did Canada and other developed countries not do the same thing. So by the westerners telling developing countries to stop cutting down their rainforests, it sounds very hypocritical. Economically, rainforests provide jobs for loggers, miners, farmers, and rubber-tappers. Things such as collecting nuts and rubber does little damage while clear cutting, mining, and building dams are devastating to the rainforest. According to the Rainforest Action Network, one can make $6,820 annually if rainforest is sustained and harvested for fruits, latex, and timber. If the rainforest is not nourished, then one can make $1,000 for timber that is clear-cut. People that are into cattle ranching gain approximately $148. (These are American dollars mentioned here.)

Environmental

The rainforest is very important as it provides 25% of today’s medicines. Who knows what kind of hidden cures are lurking secretly inside the diverse forms of vegetation. There are already plants that are helpful for illnesses like cancer, Hodgkin’s disease, and leukemia. This is one reason why rainforests are urgently needed for further research before they are gone. Another reason why rainforests are needed is to help maintain a balance in our biosphere. The plants in the rainforest store huge numbers of carbon inside themselves. When they are burned, the carbon is released as carbon dioxide and when burned at alarming rates the balance in Earth’s atmosphere tips and helps support the greenhouse problem develop further.

Towards the Natives

The natives that live in the Amazon face one major problem, which is losing their homeland. Natives have little impact on the rainforest and they take only what they need. If their home is destroyed, then they cannot live under their traditional way of life. Rivalry between rubber tappers and cattle ranchers has gotten dangerously ugly. The rubber tappers want their homeland preserved so that they can harvest rubber and nuts while ranchers cut down the forest to put the land into productive use. Death threats and killings has happened between these two.

Destruction of the Rainforest

Effects

Habitat destruction is caused by logging, cattle ranching, mining, oil extraction, hydroelectric dams and farming. Many disadvantages are to follow due to ignorance of mankind. The extinction of species will take a rising toll, infertile soils will be left behind full of iron and aluminum oxides, the economy will die off as there will be no more rainforest to cut down, the greenhouse effect will take place, and the natives will lose their culture. Sadly, scientists say that most of the tropical rainforest ecosystems will be destroyed by the year 2030 unless something is changed.

Reasons

Brazil

Brazilian Government

The Brazilian government is in trouble, financially wise. They are 143 billion dollars in debt and cannot keep up with their payments. The reason why they are in heavily debt is for them attempting to develo

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