The Importance of Protecting Rain Forests

Explain the Importance of Maintaining the Biodiversity of Tropical Rain Forests Biodiversity is the variation of plant and animal life in a certain habitat, in other words it is the variation of life forms within a particular ecosystem. All the living species depend on each other and this is where biodiversity comes into play. According to some research 90 percent of all plant and insect and animal species exists in the tropical rain forests. Biodiversity in tropical rain forests is vital since the large amount of species found there are so signi? cant.

Biodiversity helps maintain the ecological balance between species in the rain forests. Tropical rain forests such as the Amazon and the Congo Basin, are home to some 500 million people. These people are some of the least privileged groups in our international society. The locals depend on the forests for many important products and environmental services. The native and indigenous peoples rely on the rain forests for their way of life. They do not only meet their economic requirements for food and shelter but also form an integral part of the culture and spiritual traditions.

Tropical rain forests have a huge impact on the global climate. They moderate the daily range of air temperatures and maintain the atmospheric humidity levels. Tropical rain forests have been called the lungs of our planet. Forests absorb atmospheric carbon and refresh the oxygen in the air we humans breath daily. The Amazon produces a large 20% of the worlds oxygen. Additionally tropical rain forests provide timber as well as many products from animals such as varieties of meat and hides. Forests are also an important source of new pharmaceuticals used to ? ght cancer, AIDS, and other serious human diseases.

Lastly the Rain forests rich and unique biodiversity makes it a popular tourist destination. The tropical rainforest are being destroyed daily and at a fast rate. Different factors contribute to the wreckage of the worlds endangered forests. Large mining companies are causing serious environmental damage through releasing toxic waste products into the rain forests and its rivers. These wastes are not only threatening the forests themselves but also the health of the locals living there. Additionally tropical rain forests are disappearing quickly through deforestation. Humans clear the natural forests o make room for farms, to harvest timber, for construction, fuels, and global sales. Deforestation in the Amazon and other rain forests across the world has a devastating effect including the extinction of rare plants and animals, social con? ict and climate change. Lastly large oil companies such as the American company Texaco, now Chevron, are a huge contributor to the destruction of tropical rain forests. The oil extraction process results in the release of toxic byproducts from oil drilling into the local rivers and broken pipelines and leakage are the results of regular oil spills.

It is obvious that the great variety of forests products is important by economic standard, such as the rubber industry. The Amazon rainforest is one of the most signi? cant producers of natural rubber in the world. Thus making the Amazon rainforest among others a great economic importance. ! Worldwide the destruction of tropical rain forests accounts for more greenhouse gas emission than all the worlds planes, trains, and cars combined. It is crucial for the tropical rain forests to be conserved to stop climate change from getting even worse and to ensure that we can endure the impacts of global warming.

Tropical rain forests absorb and stock extensive quantities of carbon, thus helping to regulate temperature and to produce rain. When the forests are destroyed the carbon is released back into the atmosphere. Additionally they ? ght erosion and shield the underground water reserves. Keeping the rain forests standing is a critical factor in ? ghting climate change and modifying to a warmer world. Biodiversity plays an important role in our global eco system and our very existence. It has an immense value that is worth protecting regardless of its value to the human race.

The different varieties of species play an important role in the global ecological system. Different forms of live depend on each other for food and sustainability. An example would be snakes eat frogs, frogs eat insects, insects eat plants. This relationship is called the food chain and is extremely vital to stabilize our global eco system. If one species is terminated from the cycle, it will result in the collapse of other living species that depend on one another for their source of food.

Conserving biodiversity can also have other bene? ts. Many varieties of biodiversity species have the possibility to become a source of new pharmaceuticals or to provide protection against diseases. Biodiversity and a healthy natural eco-system are crucial for long term sustainability and for the reduction of the effects of climate change. Essay word count: 793 Works Cited 1900s, By The. “Rainforests – Explore the Rainforests of the World. ” The Nature Conservancy Protecting Nature, Preserving Life. Web. 04 Nov. 2010.