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Impact of The Rain Forest Destruction on the Environment

Hypothesis

Rain Forest and Its Value

The rain forest has a great value related to humankind and society development. The destruction of the rain forest will have an adverse effect on health, the environment and the economy.

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General Rain Forest Information

Introduction

What are the rain forests? The following is a brief description of  rain forests, their great diversity and  locations over the world.

 

 

Rain forests are characterized by lush vegetation and comparatively high temperature and rainfall throughout the year. Rain forests are the world’s most biologically diverse ecosystems.  They account for less than 7 percent of the land surface on Earth, but contain more than 50 percent of its plant and animal species.

 

To be classified as a rain forest, a forest must have a closed canopy, in which the treetops, or crowns, touch each other creating a shaded forest interior. Temperature and rainfall must be high and relatively even throughout the year. Forests that meet these criteria are found flanking the equator in South and Central America, Asia, Africa, and Australia. In South America, a vast forested area of the Amazon River basin in Brazil and neighboring countries is by far the largest rain forest in the world. It encompasses more than 3.5 million sq. km (about 1.4 million sq. mi)—about half of the total global rain forest's cover. The larger of two large rain forests in Asia is centered along the Malay Archipelago, including the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, and the Republic of the Philippines. The other main rain forest in Asia is found primarily on the island of New Guinea and in northern Australia. In Africa, most of the rain forest is concentrated along the Atlantic coast and the Congo River Basin.

 

Rain forests have a critical role in global climate regulation by absorbing carbon dioxide, a gas known to be responsible for global warming. Tropical rain forests absorb more carbon dioxide than any other ecosystem on earth. Scientists have proved that by absorbing some of the gas, rain forests play a crtical role in reducing carbon dioxide's impacts.

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Rain Forest Characteristics

 

Tropical rain forests belong to a broader forest category called tropical moist forests, of which there are many different types. Forest scientists characterize rain forests by these factors:  temperature, rainfall, length of dry season, and altitude.

 

1.      Temperature: Rain forests are typically hot and steamy—the average annual temperature is 25° C (77° F). Temperature near the equator varies little over the course of a year, so rain forest temperatures are about the same year round—the average minimum monthly temperature in a rain forest is a balmy 18° C (64° F). The daily temperature variation affects forest ecology, and true rain forests typically are not found above 1,000 m (3,280 ft).

 

2.      Rainfall: Rain forests can average as little as 1.8 m (6 ft), or as much as 9.0 m (30 ft), of rainfall a year. There are no dry seasons. Every month, typically more than 100 mm (4 in) of rain falls. If a rain forest does have dry periods, they are usually short and unpredictable. In the rain forests, nearly 50 percent of the precipitation comes from local evaporation. The warm, humid air surrounding a rain forest forms a microenvironment that permits little water to escape.

 

3.      Rain Forest Structure: Rain forest structure is different from most other types of forests because of their many layers of vegetation, referred to as strata. 

 

The lowest stratum is the understory, composed of palms, herbaceous plants (such as wild ginger), and tree seedlings and saplings. About 2 percent of the sunlight penetrates the many above layers, so the understory plant species have developed special characteristics to cope with low light levels.

 

The overstory is the canopy, in which the tree crowns form a continuous layer that captures the bulk of the rainwater and sunlight hitting the forest. The height of the canopy varies from region to region and forest to forest, ranging from 20 to 50 m (65 to 165 ft).

 

The highest stratum of the rain forest is made up of the emergent trees that stick up above the forest canopy. Emergent trees, which do not form a continuous layer, are usually the giants of the forest, with heights of 35 to 70 m (115 to 230 ft) or more, and trunk girths of over 2 m (6.6 ft) in diameter. Less than one percent of the trees in the forest reside in this layer.

 

The ordered strata of the rain forest, including the continuous layer of the canopy, are regularly disturbed by naturally occurring events, such as falling trees. Trees in a rain forest canopy are often interconnected by vines, and a falling tree may pull as well as push other trees down with it, producing a domino effect of falling trees. The resulting opening in the forest canopy enables light to pour onto the forest floor. New plants and animals then move into the area and begin to grow.

 

4.      Plant and Animal Life: Rain forest ecosystems contain more plant and animal species than virtually any other habitat in the world. Although their range has contracted and expanded with climate changes over the last several million years, in general, rain forests are some of the oldest ecosystems on Earth. As a result of this continuity, rain forests boast millions of different species, many of which are endemic, or unique, to rain forest habitats.

 

5.      Plant: Although they contain numerous species, rain forests are remarkably uniform in their general appearance. Most trees have tall, slender trunks that do not branch until near the crown. Many, such as kapok trees, are supported by thick buttresses that can stretch out 10 m (33 ft) or more. These buttresses provide needed support for rain forest trees, top heavy because nutrient-poor rain forest soils lead to fragile, shallow root systems. Rain forest tree bark tends to be thin and smooth. Notable exceptions are palms, which are common in some rain forests and virtually absent in other types of forests.

 

6.      Animal: Almost 90 percent of the rain forest animal species are insects, and of these, most are beetles. A single rain forest tree can host more than 150 species of beetles.  To this day, scientists are unsure how many animal species exist in the world, largely because they have identified just a small fraction of the millions—some estimate as many as 30 million—of insects that live in the rain forest.

 

In 15 sq. km (6 sq. mi) of rain forest, as many as 100 different mammal species may be found. Most rain forest mammals are nocturnal (active during the night) or crepuscular (active during the twilight of dusk or dawn), and they spend the heat of the day sleeping. In fact, almost half the mammals of the rain forest are bats, flying mammals notorious for their nighttime activity. Some rain forest mammals, including gorillas, elephants, tapirs, agoutis, and wild pigs, are ground-dwellers, but most, like their insect counterparts, live high in the treetops in the forest canopy.

 

7.      Plant and Animal Interaction: Many plants and animals of the rain forest depend on each other for survival. For example, 90 percent of the trees depend on animals to spread their seeds. These plant and animal relationships are often mutualistic—that is, both the animal and plant benefit from the relationship. Some animals protect a plant species against plant-eating enemies, while the host plants provide lodging. In some cases, the plant and animal species are so dependent on each other that they cannot live independently.

 

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Importance of the Rain Forest

Important Facts and Information about the Rain forests

 

According to the National Forest Association of Forest Industries (1996), "there are about 4 billion hectares of forest in the world, of which about 25 percent is tropical rainforest."

 

The rain forest is full of diversity when it comes to the plants and animals that inhabit it.  Many of them are found no where else on Earth.  These species have extremely valuable medical properties and the only known cure for certain diseases come from species of the rain forest.

 

An example of the rain forest's diversity, "a single hectare in Kenya's Kakamega Forest may host between 100 and 150 different tree species, compared to only about 10 different species in a hectare of forest of North America." (Allo, 1996)

 

The diversity of rain forest species applies to much more than just trees.  "Although insects represent only 62 percent of the 1.4 million named organisms on the planet, scientists estimate that the total number of arthropods to number between 8 million and 80 million." (Allo, 1996)

 

Only 20 percent of the nutrients of the rain forest are in the soil; 80 percent of the nutrients remain in the trees and plants.  The rainwater of the forest is recycled by evaporation.  Clouds above the forest's canopy help reflect sunlight which keep temperatures within the forest relatively stable.⁴

Rain Forest Value

Rain forest - The Lung of the Earth

 

The Amazon Rainforest, the world's greatest remaining natural resource, is the most powerful and bio-actively diverse natural phenomenon on the planet. It has as been described as the "Lungs of our Planet" because it provides the essential environmental world service of continuously recycling carbon dioxide into oxygen. It is estimated that over twenty percent of earth's oxygen is produced in this area.   

 

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Rain Forest Wealth

 

·        The Amazonian Rainforest covers over a billion acres. If Amazonia were a country, it would be the ninth largest in the world.

 

·        The Amazon Rainforest has been described as the "Lungs of our Planet" because it continuously recycles carbon dioxide into oxygen. More than 20 percent of the world oxygen is produced in the Amazon Rainforest.

 

·        More than half of the world's estimated 10 million species of plants, animals and insects live in the tropical rainforests. 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 1500 species of higher plants.

 

·        At least 80% of the developed world's diet originated in the tropical rainforest. Its bountiful gifts to the world include fruits like avocados, coconuts, figs, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, bananas, guavas, pineapples, mangos and tomatoes; vegetables including corn, potatoes, rice, winter squash and yams; spices like black pepper, cayenne, chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, sugar cane, coffee and vanilla and nuts including Brazil nuts and cashews.

 

·        At least 3000 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.   

·        Rainforest plants are rich in secondary metabolites, particularly alkaloids. Many alkaloids from higher plants have proven to be of medicinal value and benefit.

 

·        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

 

·        Vincristine, extracted from the rainforest plant, Periwinkle, is one of the world's most powerful anticancer drugs. It has dramatically increased the survival rate for acute childhood leukemia since its discovery.

 

·        In 1983, there were no U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturers involved in research programs to discover new drugs or cures from plants. Today, over 100 pharmaceutical companies and several branches of the US government, including giants like Merck and The National Cancer Institute, are engaged in plant research projects for possible drugs and cures for viruses, infections, cancer and even AIDS.  

 

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Projected Economic Value

Following is an estimated economic value of reasonable use of the rain forest without destroying the rain forest itself:

 

·        $6,820 per year, if intact forest is sustainably harvested for fruits, latex, and timber.

 

·        $1,000 if clear-cut for commercial timber (not sustainably harvested) .

 

·        $148 if used as cattle pasture.

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Concerns

Overview

Recent statistics related to the destruction of rain forests have been alarming to scientists, since the results impact the environment globally. Increases in carbon dioxide raise the green house effect which traps  long wave heat. As a result, global temperatures increase and polar glaciers melt, the sea level rises and more drought in some regions contrasts with more untimely storms at other regions.

Increased Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Carbon dioxide traps longwave radiation emitted by the earth surface. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased about 25 percent since the early 1800s, the beginning year of industrialization. An estimated increase of 10 percent since 1958 (burning of fossil fuels is the main cause of increased CO2). The increased amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere further increases the greenhouse effect, and prevent heat from escaping into space and thus warming the Earth's atmosphere.

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Global Warming

Increasing of carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere causes  global temperature increases, and as the earth gets gradually warmer polar ice melts, sea levels rises. Some areas, because of climate change get more rain, and other areas get more drought. That is what is happening to many regions on the earth nowadays.

 

According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the average annual top ten temperatures in degrees Fahrenheit in the U.S. were found to be:
 
1.      69.7........2000*
2.      69.4........1996*
3.      69.0........1994*
4.      69.0........1995*
5.      68.7........1989
6.      68.6........1997*
7.      68.5........1986
8.      68.3........1977
9.      68.2........1992*
10.    67.9........1980

 

This type of temperature increase could easily contribute to dryness and increased forest fires in the United States.

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Impact on the Environment

 

Destruction of the rain forests therefore have a huge impact on the environment, especially in the long run. The overall pattern of the earth climate has been constantly changing due to the effect on the Carbon cycle and the Water cycle system.

 

1.      Deforestation and the Global Carbon Cycle

 

Deforestation increases the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. The loss of forests has a great effect on the carbon cycle. From 1850 to 1990, deforestation worldwide released 122 billion metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere, with the current rate being approximately 1.6 billion metric tons per year. In comparison, fossil fuel burning (coal, oil, and gas) releases about 6 billion metric tons per year, so it is clear that deforestation makes a significant contribution to the increasing CO2 in the atmosphere. Releasing CO2 into the atmosphere enhances the greenhouse effect, and could contribute to an increase in global temperatures.

 

2.      Deforestation and the Hydrologic Cycle

 

Tropical deforestation also affects the local climate of an area by reducing the evaporative cooling that takes place from both soil and plant life. As trees and plants are cleared away, the moist canopy of the tropical rain forest quickly diminishes. Recent research suggests that about half of the precipitation that falls in a tropical rain forest is a result of its moist, green canopy. Evaporation and evapotranspiration processes from the trees and plants return large quantities of water to the local atmosphere, promoting the formation of clouds and precipitation. Less evaporation means that more of the Sun's energy is able to warm the surface and, consequently, the air above, leading to a rise in temperatures.

 

3.      Deforestation and Biodiversity

 

Worldwide, 5 to 80 million species of plants and animals comprise the "biodiversity" of planet Earth. Tropical rain forests-covering only 7% of the total dry surface of the Earth, but they hold over half of all these species. Of the tens of millions of species believed to be on Earth, scientists have only given names to about 1.5 million of them, and even fewer of the species have been studied in depth.

 

Many of the rain forest plants and animals can only be found in small areas, because they require a special environment in which to live. This makes them very vulnerable to deforestation. If their environment is destroyed, they might become extinct. Species are disappearing from the tropical rain forests as they are cleared. It is estimated that up to 137 species disappear worldwide each day.

 

The loss of species will have a great impact on the planet. We are losing species that might show us how to prevent cancer or help us find a cure for AIDS. Other organisms are losing species they depend upon, and thus face extinction themselves.¹⁰

Potential Permanent Losses

Overview

Rain forests take thousands of years to form and develop. They have played a vital role in regulating the earth's climate patterns. But now it takes only years for humans to destroy the earth's climate patterns. The impact is far greater than we could imagine, because the loss can't be recovered.

Global Rate of Destruction

 

Global rate of rain forest destruction has been recorded by scientists worldwide. Looking at these statistics, we could somehow imagine the rate of destruction.

 

·        2.4 acres (1 hectare) per second: equivalent to two U.S. football fields

·        149 acres (60 hectares) per minute.

·        214,000 acres (86,000 hectares) per day: an area larger than New York City.

·        78 million acres (31 million hectares) per year: an area larger than Poland.

 

 In Brazil (The country held the largest area of rain forest currently)

 

·        5.4 million acres per year (estimate averaged for period 1979-1990)

·        6 - 9 million indigenous people inhabited the Brazilian rainforest in 1500 In 1992, less than 200,000 remain.

 

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Rainforests and Species Extinction

 

Species on the earth are becoming extinct at an staggering rate. Scientists estimate that as many as 137 species disappear from the earth system each day, which means that 50,000 species are dying out annually, and of course the extinct species could never recovered. Therefore the potentiality of such species in the search for new medicine vanishes.  As the ecosystem shrinks, more and more species lose the resources that they need to survive. Following are the Number of Endangered and Extinct Animal Species, compiled from the IUCN's Red List, 1996

Class	critically endangered	endangered	vulnerable	total threatened	extinct
Mammals	169	315	612	1096	89
Birds	168	235	704	1107	108
Reptiles	41	59	153	253	21
Amphibians	18	31	75	124	5
Insects	44	116	377	537	73
Other animals	471	423	1194	2088	343

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Statistics and Maps

Statistics

Rates of Rain Forest Loss

 

COUNTRY (in sq km)	ORIGINAL EXTENT OF FOREST COVER	PRESENT EXTENT OF PRIMARY FOREST COVER	CURRENT AMOUNT OF ANNUAL DEFORESTATION (in sq km /% per year)
Bolivia (1,098,581)	90,000	45,000	1,500 (2.1%)
Brazil (8,511,960)	2,860,000	1,800,000	50,000 (2.3%)
C. America (522,915)	500,000	55,000	3,300 (3.7%)
Columbia (1,138,891)	700,000	180,000	6,500 (2.3%)
Congo (342,000)	100,000	80,000	700 (.8%)
Ecuador (270,670)	132,000	44,000	3,000 (4.0%)
Indonesia (1,919,300)	1,220,000	530,000	12,000 (1.4%)
Cote D'Ivoire (322,463)	160,000	4,000	2,500 (15.6%)
Laos (236,800)	110,000	25,000	1,000 (1.5%)
Madagascar (590,992)	62,000	10,000	2,000 (8.3%)

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Map

Global Forest Watch

What is Global Forest Watch?

	Frontier forests are the world's remaining large intact natural forest ecosystems - undisturbed and large enough to maintain all of their biodiversity. Original forest extent Current forest cover Remaining frontier forest

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Interactive Map

Make an interactive map using data from Global Forest Watch reports:

·         Canada

·         Central Africa

·         Indonesia

·         Venezuela

View regional and global data from the World Resources Institute's 1997 report on Frontier Forests (D. Bryant, et al., The Last Frontier Forests: Ecosystems and Economies on the Edge. World Resources Institute: Washington, DC, 1997):

·         Global

·         Africa

·         Asia

·         Eurasia

·         North America

·         South America

·         Oceania

Analysis

Rain Forest Fact

 

Rain Forest Facts

 

·        Experts agree that by leaving the rain forests intact and harvesting their many nuts, fruits, oil-producing plants, and medicinal plants, the rainforests have more economic value than if they were cut down to make grazing land for cattle or for timber.

·        The latest statistics show that rainforest land converted to cattle operations yields the land owner $60 per acre; and if timber is harvested, the land is worth $400 per acre. However, if these renewable and sustainable resources are harvested, the land will yield the land owner $2,400 per acre.

·        If managed properly, the rain forests can provide the world's need for these natural resources on a perpetual basis.

·        Promoting the use of these sustainable and renewable sources could stop the destruction of the rain forests. By creating a new source of income harvesting the medicinal plants, fruits nuts, oil and other sustainable resources, the rainforests are  more valuable alive than cut and burned.

·        Sufficient demand of sustainable and ecologically harvested rain forest products is necessary for preservation efforts to succeed. Purchasing sustainable rain forest products can effect positive change by creating a market for these products while supporting the native people's economy and providing the economic solution and alternative to cutting the forest.

 

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The Cause of Rain Forest Destruction

 

1.     Direct Causes

 

The main causes of total deforestation are agriculture, and wood collection. The main cause of forest degradation is logging. Mining, industrial development and large dams also have a serious impact. Tourism is becoming a larger threat to the forests. Following are the immediate causes:

 

Logging - Agriculture-Shifted Cultivators - Agricultures-Cash Crops & Cattle Ranching - Fuel wood - Large Dams - Mining and Industry - Colonization Schemes - Tourism

 

2.      Underlying Causes

 

According to the studies of intergovernmental agencies, poverty and overpopulation are the main causes of forest loss. They believe they can solve the problem by encouraging development and trying to control population growth. However, the developed and industrialized countries also directly contribute to the loss of rain forests, due to their excessive consumption practice.

 

Colonialism - Exploitation by Industrialized Countries - The Debt Burden - The Role of Poverty and Overpopulation.

 

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Who's Responsible?

Farmers and settlers are blamed for the rain forests destruction. However, a closer look reveals that some government schemes have encouraged the destruction. The small-scale farmers have been forced out of their own lands and into poorer forest areas by large agricultural companies.

In addition, multinational oil, mining and timber companies rarely adopt environmental policies when working in rain forest areas since they want to lower their cost for higher profit.

National governments have not forced them to respect their laws because they do not want to scare them away. Developing countries have enormous international debts and they are forced to follow economic policies - such as encouraging the activities of multinational companies and reducing expenditure on environmental protection - which can result in rain forest loss.

In addition, international development agencies, such as the World Bank and the European Commission have funded projects which have lead to the destruction of rain forests.¹⁷

Conclusion

Solution to the Problem

 

The solution for the problem of rain forest destruction is economic. The fact is that the rain forests are being destroyed to bring about income and profit to the companies and  to governments.

 

Could the rain forests be saved if there are economic solutions for all parties involved?  Such an economic alternative does exist. Many organizations have showed that if the medicinal plants, fruits, nuts, oils and other resources like rubber, chocolate were harvested reasonably, rain forest land has more economic value today and more long term income and profits than if just exploited for short term profit.

 

Statistics proved that rain forest land converted to cattle operations yields the land owner $60 per acre and if timber is harvested, the land is worth $400 per acre. However, if these renewable and sustainable resources are harvested, the land will yield the land owner $2,400 per acre. This value provides an income not only today but for future generations. These resources are the true wealth of the rain forests.

 

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Things You Can Do to Save the Rain forest

·        Reduce your paper and wood consumption.

·        Reduce your oil consumption.

·        Reduce your beef consumption.

·        Hold businesses accountable.

·        Invest in rainforest communities.

·        Support Rainforest Action Network.

 

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What the Statistics Have Revealed

 

Using the facts presented in this report, we are able to determine how fast each rain forest will disappear.  The problem is compounded since the loss of the rain forest will lead to species extinction.

 

For example, Brazil, the largest and most important rain forest area, has a 2.3% annual deforestation rate.  Using the decay formula, it will take no longer than 40 years to complete the deforestation.  Another major rain forest area, Indonesia, has a 1.4% annual deforestation rate.  It will take about 45 to 50 years to deforest this area.

 

The destruction of the rain forest will lead to dramatic increases in CO2.  One of the results will be a greater “green house” effect causing world temperatures to rise.  These increases have already been directly linked to adverse weather conditions such as “El Nino”.

 

Species extinction rate is another critical concern.  Currently, scientists believe that some rain forest species could provide potential disease curing substances.  Because tropical rain forests contain at least half the earth’s species, the destruction of the rain forest ecosystems will lead to the disappearance of up to 10% of the world’s species within the next 25 years.

 

Once the rain forest has been eliminated, it will take thousands of years to replenish itself if the correct environmental conditions exist.  Consequently, the rain forest may never reappear, and our opportunity to find life saving cures for numerous diseases will be lost