The nature of the world: The planet's rainforests continue to disappear
23 March 2018 (2550 visits)Each year, more than 170,000 square kilometers of forest are removed worldwide, while deserts expand by over 60,000 square kilometers and an estimated 24 billion tons of topsoil are lost through erosion.
As the world’s rainforests are destroyed, thousands of species of plants and animals disappear along with their habitats whilst still completely unknown to science. In the beautiful, remote areas that have already given humankind coffee, rubber and countless medicinal plants such as quinine, it is estimated that less than one percent of all tropical plant species have been examined for their possible usefulness to mankind.
The rainforests are a global treasure that should be preserved for all humanity. But most rainforest countries are trapped in a cycle of poverty, with ordinary people and even governments tending to view with understandable disdain the insistence by industrialized nations that they should live in harmony with nature and not exploit their forests. After all, both Europe and North America destroyed great swathes of their own ancient woodlands hundreds of years ago.
Forest dwellers, those so-called primitive peoples who have lived among the trees for centuries, do not need to be taught about conservation. But, unfortunately, the majority of indigenous groups around the world have few rights even on their own land and, as second class citizens, are themselves menaced by the same forces that threaten their environment; namely the hordes of migrant workers who arrive via new roads carved through the forests, bringing with them logging, farming and the exploitation of oil, natural gas and precious metals.
Clearly, in a world driven by gain, it has to be shown that pristine rainforests are also capable of turning a profit.
A number of rainforest countries earn millions of dollars each year through the sustainable exploitation of forest products such as timber, flavorings and pharmaceuticals. Many, including Peru, have turned to tourism, having learned at last that pristine habitats encourage biodiversity, the magic word that can attract travelers seeking an ecotourism experience involving carefully controlled access to protected areas for limited numbers of visitors.
Tambopata National Reserve, the home of our Ecolodge, was created by the Peruvian government with the aim of conserving a vast tract of the Amazon basin for future generations. By coming to experience the biodiversity of this corner of South America’s tropical forests, you are helping to ensure they will be around for our grandchildren to enjoy.
While we need the rainforests to balance our planet’s water system and produce almost half the oxygen we and the rest of the world’s creatures breathe, the forests need us now if they are to survive at all.
