The Geography Expert - Destruction of Rainforests

How does the destruction of rainforest affect the rest of the world?

Wildlife:

A lot of the worlds plants, trees, animals and insects are only found in the rainforest. So, as we cut them down to make room for farming and construction, we are killing a lot of the worlds wildlife. If major predators die, their intended prey will overpopulate certain areas. Plus, they are important research tools and we can tell a lot by studying them.

Medical Purposes:

More medical resources than people realize are taken from the rainforest. So when we cut down rainforest we are losing important ingredients. One hundred and twenty one prescription drugs sold world wide come from plant sources in the Amazon.


People:

A lot of people do not realize that when we cut down rainforest, we are also actually killing people. Large communities of natives can be found in the rainforest, who, there entire lives, have only known that environment and would have no idea how to survive somewhere else.