The forests are cut down to make way for vast plantations where products such as bananas, palm oil, pineapple, sugar cane, tea and coffee are grown. As with cattle ranching, the soil will not sustain crops for long, and after a few years the farmers have to cut down more rainforest for new plantations.
What reasons do people give in support of cutting down rainforests?
The forests are cut down to make way for vast plantations where products such as bananas, palm oil, pineapple, sugar cane, tea and coffee are grown. As with cattle ranching, the soil will not sustain crops for long, and after a few years the farmers have to cut down more rainforest for new plantations.
What are the three major causes of deforestation and which is the most significant?
The most common pressures causing deforestation and severe forest degradation are agriculture, unsustainable forest management, mining, infrastructure projects and increased fire incidence and intensity .
Why are rainforests important?
As well as the vivid beauty that comes with great diversity in plants and animals, rainforests also play a practical role in keeping our planet healthy. By absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing the oxygen that we depend on for our survival. The absorption of this CO2 also helps to stabilize the Earth's climate.
Why rainforests are important to Western medicine?
Explain why rainforests are important to Western medicine. Twenty-five percent of Western pharmaceuticals are derived from rainforest ingredients . ... Ecotourism is being used to show people the rainforest in its native state and to educate people about how they can help protect it.
What are the 10 causes of deforestation?
- Agricultural Activities. As earlier mentioned in the overview, agricultural activities are one of the significant factors affecting deforestation. ...
- Livestock Ranching. ...
- Illegal Logging. ...
- Urbanization. ...
- Desertification of Land. ...
- Mining. ...
- Forest Fires. ...
- Paper.
What are the 5 effects of deforestation?
The loss of trees and other vegetation can cause climate change, desertification, soil erosion, fewer crops, flooding, increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere , and a host of problems for indigenous people.
What are the 3 main reasons for deforestation?
Direct causes of deforestation are agricultural expansion , wood extraction (e.g., logging or wood harvest for domestic fuel or charcoal), and infrastructure expansion such as road building and urbanization.
What is the number 1 cause of deforestation?
1. Beef production is the top driver of deforestation in the world's tropical forests. The forest conversion it generates more than doubles that generated by the production of soy, palm oil, and wood products (the second, third, and fourth biggest drivers) combined.
Which forest is called as lungs of Earth?
Tropical rainforests are often called the “lungs of the planet” because they generally draw in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. But the amount of carbon dioxide they absorb, or produce, varies hugely with year-to-year variations in the climate.
How do rainforests benefit the environment quizlet?
What are some benefits that come from rainforests ? Rainforests help to regulate the temperatures around the world and the weather patterns as well . Rainforests help to maintain our supply of drinking water and fresh water, so they are critical in the sustainability of the earth.
What are the disadvantages of rainforests?
- 1 Weather. The weather in the tropical rainforest is always hot and humid. ...
- 2 Tropical Diseases. Tropical diseases thrive in the rainforest area because of the hot, humid climate. ...
- 3 Poverty. The populated areas surrounding tropical rainforests tend to be poor. ...
- 4 Isolation.
What would happen if there were no rainforests?
The air quality will drop and we will start inhaling more CO2 . ... If the Amazon rainforest does burn out, it will become a source rather than storage for carbon dioxide. Its potential destruction would mean that the rainforest will stop recycling CO2 into oxygen, and this would impact the air quality of the entire planet.
How does clearing of forest affect the climate?
Trees and other plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow. This is converted into carbon and stored in the plant's branches, leaves, trunks, roots and in the soil. When forests are cleared or burnt, stored carbon is released into the atmosphere , mainly as carbon dioxide.
Do we use rainforests for medicine?
Tropical forest species serve Western surgery and internal medicine in three ways. First, extracts from organisms can be used directly as drugs. For maladies ranging from nagging headaches to lethal contagions such as malaria, rainforest medicines have provided modern society with a variety of cures and pain relievers.
Which is the largest rain forest in the world?
The Amazon is the world's largest rainforest. It's home to more than 30 million people and one in ten known species on Earth. See some of this region's splendor in our new video.
