Demolition of the Amazon : The human destruction of the Rainforest www.whattodoinpr.com/

The Rainforests of the world are home to more than half of the worlds plant, animal and insect species. It is said that every acre of land contains anywhere between 20 and 80 species of trees! A single pond in Brazil can sustain a greater variety of fish than is found in all of Europe's rivers. One single tree in Peru was found to harbor forty-three different species of ants - a total that approximates the entire number of ant species in the British Isles. The number of species of fish in the Amazon exceeds the number found in the entire Atlantic Ocean. - The Healing PowRainf orest er of Herbs (Square One Publishers, Inc. Garden City, NY 11040, © Copyrighted 2004) By Leslie Taylor Species and Diversity http://www.nigeldennis.com/stock/images/reptiles/chameleons/25532.jpg

The Rainforests of the world are home to more than half of the worlds plant, animal and insect species.

It is said that every acre of land contains anywhere between 20 and 80 species of trees!

A single pond in Brazil can sustain a greater variety of fish than is found in all of Europe's rivers.

One single tree in Peru was found to harbor forty-three different species of ants - a total that approximates the entire number of ant species in the British Isles.

The number of species of fish in the Amazon exceeds the number found in the entire Atlantic Ocean.

- The Healing PowRainf orest er of Herbs (Square One Publishers, Inc. Garden City, NY 11040, © Copyrighted 2004) By Leslie Taylor

Tropical Rainforests consist of four main layers. At the top, emerging trees shoot sometimes more than 60 meters up from the ground, these trees can be hundreds, even thousands of years old. Beneath the emergent tree level lays the canopy, home to thousands of different species of animals. The canopy is composed of trees and vines up to 45 meters high which rid the forest floor of almost all of it's sunlight. The leaves on these tree's can sometimes be seven meters across! The Understory, located beneath the canopy is made up mostly of trunks from bigger trees, and slow growing hardwoods. Since the ground does not receive much sunlight, plant life is sparse. Shrubs and ferns, along with bushes make up most of the plant-life on the forest floor. The forest floor is also home to the majority of the insect and reptile population in the rainforest, and is often covered in thousands of different types of fungi. Plant Life in the Rainforest

Tropical Rainforests consist of four main layers. At the top, emerging trees shoot sometimes more than 60 meters up from the ground, these trees can be hundreds, even thousands of years old. Beneath the emergent tree level lays the canopy, home to thousands of different species of animals. The canopy is composed of trees and vines up to 45 meters high which rid the forest floor of almost all of it's sunlight. The leaves on these tree's can sometimes be seven meters across! The Understory, located beneath the canopy is made up mostly of trunks from bigger trees, and slow growing hardwoods. Since the ground does not receive much sunlight, plant life is sparse. Shrubs and ferns, along with bushes make up most of the plant-life on the forest floor. The forest floor is also home to the majority of the insect and reptile population in the rainforest, and is often covered in thousands of different types of fungi.

Rainforest Animal Life Tropical Rainforests are said to be home to over half of the earths plant/animal species. Birds of all shapes and sizes hover over the forest looking for fruiting trees to feed on. Orangutans and spider monkey gangs climb through the tree-tops making territorial calls all day long to insure the protection of their food sources. Boa constrictors and other jungle reptiles eagerly search the forest looking for prey to satisfy their hunger. Insects of all different colors and shapes flutter and stir as they nibble away at plant life and smaller insects. Large predators like this very rare newly discovered Clouded Leopard (seen to the left) search stealthily for bird and other prey. http://www.latitude8lodge.com/ http://www.greendiary.com/images/

Tropical Rainforests are said to be home to over half of the earths plant/animal species.

Birds of all shapes and sizes hover over the forest looking for fruiting trees to feed on.

Orangutans and spider monkey gangs climb through the tree-tops making territorial calls all day long to insure the protection of their food sources.

Boa constrictors and other jungle reptiles eagerly search the forest looking for prey to satisfy their hunger.

Insects of all different colors and shapes flutter and stir as they nibble away at plant life and smaller insects.

Large predators like this very rare newly discovered Clouded Leopard (seen to the left) search stealthily for bird and other prey.

Food From the Rainforest At least 80% of the developed world's diet originated in the tropical rainforest. http://cairnswildernesswalks.com/images/ I ts 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, tumeric, coffee and vanilla and nuts including Brazil nuts and cashews. http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.gmushrooms.com/Posters/LExTropFruit.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.gmushrooms.com/Posters/ExFruitSet.htm&h=149&w=99&sz=101&tbnid=g2L0YNdXGf0J:&tbnh=149&tbnw=99&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=1&ct=image&cd=1

At least 80% of the developed world's diet originated in the tropical rainforest.

I ts 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, tumeric, coffee and vanilla and nuts including Brazil nuts and cashews.

http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm

Rainforest's Medical Benefits Mulaca is a plant found in many rainforests and has many uses. It is used as treatment for Cancer (leukemia),hepatitis B., Bacterial infections, mycoplasma and mycobacteria infections, dermatitis, psoriasis, skin infections and viral infections. Mullaca's steroids show powerful immune system support. The plant extract was also shown to reduce the size of cancerous tumors in mice with lymphocytic leukemia. The Madagascar periwinkle (a plant originally found in the madagascar rainforest but now extinct in the wild), has increased survival rates for children with acute childhood leukemia from 20 percent to 80 percent. Scientists estimate only 1% of the plants in the rainforest have been studied. -http://www.tropilab.com/mulacatincture.html http://www.apjohncancerinstitute.org/images www.tropilab.com/mulacatincture.html

Mulaca is a plant found in many rainforests and has many uses. It is used as treatment for Cancer (leukemia),hepatitis B., Bacterial infections, mycoplasma and mycobacteria infections, dermatitis, psoriasis, skin infections and viral infections. Mullaca's steroids show powerful immune system support. The plant extract was also shown to reduce the size of cancerous tumors in mice with lymphocytic leukemia.

The Madagascar periwinkle (a plant originally found in the madagascar rainforest but now extinct in the wild), has increased survival rates for children with acute childhood leukemia from 20 percent to 80 percent.

Scientists estimate only 1% of the plants in the rainforest have been studied.

-http://www.tropilab.com/mulacatincture.html

Why We Are Destroying It Rainforests contain thousands of beneficial consumer products which don't require destruction of the rainforest including fruit, nuts, dyes, and medicines. Unfortunately, most of these products take too much time and effort to harvest so forests are logged for any wood that is salvageable, and then burned so that cattle can graze in the remaining field Logging is the number one cause of the destruction in the rainforest. Exotic hardwoods such as rosewood, mahogany, teak and jatoba are chopped down, milled and then sent to richer countries. Japan is the number one importer of exotic hardwoods. Most of the profit is made by the logging companies which are usually multinational, locals sometimes get paid only 2 dollars per acre of land. Thousands of acres of land are cleared every year for mining roads, creating a barricade for many animals too cautious to cross. http://a.abcnews.com/images/International http://www.realestatetwincities.ne t

Rainforests contain thousands of beneficial consumer products which don't require destruction of the rainforest including fruit, nuts, dyes, and medicines. Unfortunately, most of these products take too much time and effort to harvest so forests are logged for any wood that is salvageable, and then burned so that cattle can graze in the remaining field Logging is the number one cause of the destruction in the rainforest. Exotic hardwoods such as rosewood, mahogany, teak and jatoba are chopped down, milled and then sent to richer countries. Japan is the number one importer of exotic hardwoods. Most of the profit is made by the logging companies which are usually multinational, locals sometimes get paid only 2 dollars per acre of land. Thousands of acres of land are cleared every year for mining roads, creating a barricade for many animals too cautious to cross.

Consequences According to experts, if we continue to destroy the rainforest in the same fashion as today, the rainforests will all be completely depleted in less than 50 years. More than 20 percent of the world oxygen is produced in the Amazon Rainforest, which is valuable in today's society. Logging companies and other multinational companies use one-fifth of the world's fresh water which is in the Amazon Basin. Previously, the rainforest provided homes for an estimated ten million natives, today there are less than two-hundred thousand living in the forest, many were forced to leave when logging companies “purchased” the land they had been living on for hundreds of years. With over 137 plant, animal and insect species disappearing every single day, it is possible that many plants and bacteria that could possibly have hidden uses such as cures for life threatening diseases, will be lost . www.salemcountyava.org/Earth_Day.htm news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/world/americas/6513117.stm

Consequences

According to experts, if we continue to destroy the rainforest in the same fashion as today, the rainforests will all be completely depleted in less than 50 years.

More than 20 percent of the world oxygen is produced in the Amazon Rainforest, which is valuable in today's society.

Logging companies and other multinational companies use one-fifth of the world's fresh water which is in the Amazon Basin.

Previously, the rainforest provided homes for an estimated ten million natives, today there are less than two-hundred thousand living in the forest, many were forced to leave when logging companies “purchased” the land they had been living on for hundreds of years.

With over 137 plant, animal and insect species disappearing every single day, it is possible that many plants and bacteria that could possibly have hidden uses such as cures for life threatening diseases, will be lost .

Statistical Consequences Years Deforestation in Square Miles Deforestation of the Rainforest.

Years

Deforestation in Square Miles

Deforestation of the Rainforest.

Alternatives Many companies such as Home Depot and Lowe's have incorporated policies which were designed to phase out the use of endangered wood species from rainforests. Tools and building materials which were made from rainforest products were replaced with local woods like poplar. Instead of supporting the logging companies by buying exotic hardwood flooring products, laminate and cork flooring are easily manufactured using renewable resources and usually cost less than the exotic hardwoods. Experts say that if forests were used to harvest oils, fruit, nuts and seeds, the land would make the land owner five times more money than if they were chopped or burned down. The man on the left has developed a way to dry up coffee beans using solar energy as opposed to burning wood from the rainforest. http://images.wri.org/photo_solartrade_print.jpg

Many companies such as Home Depot and Lowe's have incorporated policies which were designed to phase out the use of endangered wood species from rainforests. Tools and building materials which were made from rainforest products were replaced with local woods like poplar.

Instead of supporting the logging companies by buying exotic hardwood flooring products, laminate and cork flooring are easily manufactured using renewable resources and usually cost less than the exotic hardwoods.

Experts say that if forests were used to harvest oils, fruit, nuts and seeds, the land would make the land owner five times more money than if they were chopped or burned down.

The man on the left has developed a way to dry up coffee beans using solar energy as opposed to burning wood from the rainforest.

What We Can Do Each and every person can help to create a consumer market and demand for sustainable rainforest products. By purchasing sustainable rainforest products and resources we all can be part of the solution, and the rainforests of the world and their inhabitants can be bettered. The internet also gives us access to hundreds of organizations put together to raise awareness and help aid rainforest destruction. Here are a few of these websites: http://www.amazonrainforest.org/ http://www.therainforestsite.com/ http://www.savetherainforest.org/ http://www.amazon-rainforest.org/ www.saveourwaterwaysnow.com.au/.../MottCreek.jpg

Each and every person can help to create a consumer market and demand for sustainable rainforest products. By purchasing sustainable rainforest products and resources we all can be part of the solution, and the rainforests of the world and their inhabitants can be bettered.

The internet also gives us access to hundreds of organizations put together to raise awareness and help aid rainforest destruction. Here are a few of these websites:

http://www.amazonrainforest.org/ http://www.therainforestsite.com/ http://www.savetherainforest.org/ http://www.amazon-rainforest.org/