Forests are the elixir of life. You may be thousands of kilometres away from one, but the air you breathe in or the comforts you enjoy in your room are more or less connected with or controlled by these jungles.
Rainforests are not just trees standing together. It is a spectacular ecosystem of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, invertebrates, bacteria, and even abiotic elements such as soil, air, and water.
Better living conditions and advancements in the health sector have resulted in a longer lifespan and increased birth rates. Man, and his constant demand for space, food, and other comforts, put an equal demand upon raw materials, a majority of which are found only within these rainforests. Hence, forest trees are felled for timber or destroyed for gaining access to mining.
Other major reasons behind deforestation are, increased population in rainforest areas, excessive demand for tropical hardwoods, cattle grazing, palm oil, and soya plantations, and construction of hydroelectric dams.
The destruction of the rainforests directly affects other ecosystems throughout the world. The latter part of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st have witnessed about half of the world’s total rainforest areas being wiped away because of deforestation.
However, media coverage on grave issues such as global warming and climatic changes has raised better awareness of sustainable practices to ensure forest conservation.
Picture Credit : Google
