IMPORTANCE OF RAINFOREST ECOSYSTEMS

Tropical rainforests are incredibly rich ecosystems that play a fundamental role in the basic functioning of the planet. They produce much of the world's oxygen, stabilize rainfall, and protect against desertification. Incredibly, they are also home to over 50% of the world's species, making them an extensive and important library of biological and genetic resources.


Interesting rainforest facts:

• More than 20 percent of the world's oxygen is produced in the Amazon Rainforest and one-fifth of the world's fresh water is in the Amazon Basin.

• One hectare (2.47 acres) may contain over 750 types of trees and 1,500 species of higher plants.

• At least 3,000 fruits are found in the rainforests; of these only 200 are now in use in the Western World. The Indians of the rainforest use over 2,000.

• Currently, 121 prescription drugs currently sold worldwide come from plant-derived sources. And while 25% of Western pharmaceuticals are derived from rainforest ingredients, less than 1% of these tropical trees and plants have been tested by scientists.

• The U.S. National Cancer Institute has identified 3000 plants that are active against cancer cells. 70% of these plants are found in the rainforest. Twenty-five percent of the active ingredients in today's cancer-fighting drugs come from organisms found only in the rainforest.



OUR DISAPPEARING RAINFORESTS

Rainforests once covered 14% of the earth's land surface but currently cover only 6% and experts estimate that the last remaining rainforests could be consumed in less than 40 years.

It is estimated that over 80,000 acres of forests disappear each day and another 80,000 acres becomes degraded. These numbers add up to an area the size of England disappearing each year.

As the rain forests disappear, the planet loses numerous species to extinction, the vast majority of which have never been documented by science. Additionally, when forests are cut down, carbon is added to the atmosphere which impact climactic conditions and leads to topsoil erosion.

Deforestation is the result of a combination of things: timber, farming and ranching. In a majority of tropical countries, poor subsistence farmers who are encouraged to settle forest lands by government land policies are the leading cause of forest decline. However, in the Brazilian Amazon, cattle ranching is the leading cause of deforestation.