| Abstract: |
| Today we are losing earth's greatest biological treasures just as we are beginning to
appreciate their true value. Rainforests once covered 14% of the earth's land surface; now
they cover a mere 6% and experts estimate that the last remaining rainforests could be
consumed in less than 40 years (Taylor, 2010). Tropical rainforests are disappearing from the
globe; they continue to be destroyed at exceeding 80,000 acres (32,000 hectares) per day.
Along with them, the planet looses as many as several hundred species to extinction because
the tropical rainforests are incredibly rich ecosystems that play a fundamental role in the
basic functioning of the planet. There are home to probably 50 % of the world's species,
making them an extensive library of biological and genetic resources. In addition, rainforests
help maintaining the climate by regulating atmospheric gases and stabilizing rainfall, protect
against desertification, and provide numerous other ecological functions. Deforestation of
tropical rainforests has a global impact through species extinction, the loss of important
ecosystem services and renewable resources (Butler, 2010). |
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