Rainforest+Conservation+Reference+Draft

**__Rainforest Conservation__**

1. Basic information – What constitutes tropical rainforests, where they are found, what is their extent (how much of the globe they occupy), what is in them.

Definition of rainforest - Forests that receive a __certain __amount____ of rainfall. Found along the equator. Found in every continent except Antartica. Home to many species of animals and plants - in fact __50%__ of Earth's biodiversity. Covers less than __2%__ of the Earth's surface.

2. Their uses – what part they play in ecology or the environment, what uses they have for Man.

Provides 30% of world's fresh water supplies Provides more than 50% oxygen (lungs of the world) Provides many natural products (examples - coffee, medicines - esp. anti cancer, wood, fertilisers, food) regulates world's temperature (how/why) Anchor's soil to the ground Ecological role?

3. The rate and extent of their destruction

1.5 acres (convert to understandable unit of measure) per day originally 6,000,000 sq miles (units), now 2.6 million sq miles left estimated 137 species of plants/animals/insects lost every day about 50,000 a year

4. What would possibly happen if they are gone

Affects Earth's climate - becomes unstable Food chain affect - animals will die off Undiscovered species will remain undiscovered - loss of possible resources, such as medicines and cures Increased CO2 - warming of Earth Water pollution - from soil erosion and landslides. Loss of fresh water

5. Why we must act now

Scientists predict that at current rate of deforestation, all rainforests will be gone in 40 years. Cite evidence that global warming is already happening Cite evidence that we are losing farmland and fertility on current farmland - talk about food shortage Cite evidence of loss of medicine opportunities

6. What actions we can take


 * To conserve / restore the rainforests (if they can be saved, if not, how we can stop the destruction)
 * What impact that has on our lives, and how we can/must adjust to it
 * How, as a student, we can do our part