Brazil is a land of remarkable beauty and unsurpassed biological diversity. For this reason, deforestation in the Amazon is especially troubling. While environmental losses and degradation of the rainforests have yet to reach the point of collapse, the continuing disappearance of wildlands and loss of its species is disheartening.
Biodiversity makes life on Earth livable for other species. By extinguishing hotbeds of biodiversity like the Amazon rainforest we are destroying a part of ourselves. Biodiversity will recover after humanity is gone, but in the meantime, the continuing loss of our fellow species will make Earth an awfully crowded, but lonely place.
Past extinctions have shown it takes at least 5 million years to restore biodiversity to the level equal to the level before the exstintion. Our actions today will determine whether Earth will be biologically sound for the 500 trillion or more humans that will likely inhabit the earth in the future.
The extinction event that is going on as we speak rivals other extinctions caused by natural disasters such as global ice ages, planetary collisions, atmospheric poisoning, and variations in solar radiation. The difference is that this extinction was conceived by humans and subject to human decisions. We are the last, best hope for life as we prefer it on this planet.
Monday, April 26, 2010
HABITAT AND SPECIES REHABILITATION:
There is still time to save some of the most threatened species and ecosystems that have been pushed so close to extinction that they will perish unless we intervene. In Brazil, tremendous progress has been made in restoring the population of the Golden Lion Tamarin which resides in the dwindling Atlantic forest. According to the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, the species has recovered "from a low of 200 wild animals recorded in the early 1970s to its 1,000th wild birth in March 2001."
The restoration of entire ecosystems is most possible in regions where parts or at least remnants of the original forest still remain and there are few human population pressures. Small clearings surrounded by forest recover quickly and large sections may recover in time especially if we provide some assistance in the reforestation process. After several years, a once barren field can once again support vegetation in the form of pioneer species and secondary growth. Although the secondary forest will be low in diversity and poorly developed, the forest cover will be adequate for some species to return(assuming they still exist). In addition, the newly forested patch can be used for the sustainable harvest of forest products and low intensity logging.
Tracts of replanted forest may have ecological returns in addition to economic ones. In the short term, forests absorb large amounts of atmospheric carbon and the more trees that are replanted, the more atmospheric carbon will be sequestered. Replanting and rehabilitating secondary forests around the world has tremendous potential for offsetting greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, rehabilitated forest lands can attract ecotourists and sustain some native forest wildlife.
There is still time to save some of the most threatened species and ecosystems that have been pushed so close to extinction that they will perish unless we intervene. In Brazil, tremendous progress has been made in restoring the population of the Golden Lion Tamarin which resides in the dwindling Atlantic forest. According to the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, the species has recovered "from a low of 200 wild animals recorded in the early 1970s to its 1,000th wild birth in March 2001."
The restoration of entire ecosystems is most possible in regions where parts or at least remnants of the original forest still remain and there are few human population pressures. Small clearings surrounded by forest recover quickly and large sections may recover in time especially if we provide some assistance in the reforestation process. After several years, a once barren field can once again support vegetation in the form of pioneer species and secondary growth. Although the secondary forest will be low in diversity and poorly developed, the forest cover will be adequate for some species to return(assuming they still exist). In addition, the newly forested patch can be used for the sustainable harvest of forest products and low intensity logging.
Tracts of replanted forest may have ecological returns in addition to economic ones. In the short term, forests absorb large amounts of atmospheric carbon and the more trees that are replanted, the more atmospheric carbon will be sequestered. Replanting and rehabilitating secondary forests around the world has tremendous potential for offsetting greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, rehabilitated forest lands can attract ecotourists and sustain some native forest wildlife.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Some Interesting Rainforest Facts
Rainforest once covered 14% of the Earths surface, now they cover a measly 6%. experts say that the last remaining rainforests could be completely consumed in as little as 40 years.
Almost half of the worlds species of plants, animals, and microorganisms may become extinct or endangered during the next quarter century because of the destruction of their natural habitats due to deforestation.
There were an estimated ten million Natives living in the Amazonian Rainforest five centuries ago. Today there are less than 200,000.
In Brazil alone, European colonists destroyed more than 90 indigenous tribes since the 1900's. With those tribes have gone centuries of knowledge of the medicinal value of rainforest plant species. As their homelands continue to be destroyed by deforestation, rainforest tribes and culture are being destroyed with it.
More than half of the world's estimated 10 million species of plants, animals and insects live in the tropical rainforests, and one-fifth of the world's fresh water lies in the Amazon Basin.
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has identified 3000 plants that are active against cancer cells. 70% of these plants are found in the rainforest. Twenty-five percent of the active ingredients in today's cancer-fighting drugs come from organisms found only in the rainforest.
A single pond in Brazil can sustain a greater variety of fish than is found in all of Europe's rivers.
A 25-acre plot of rainforest in Borneo may contain more than 700 species of trees - a number equal to the total tree diversity of North America.
A single rainforest reserve in Peru is home to more species of birds than are found in the entire United States.
One single tree in Peru was found to harbor forty-three different species of ants - a total that approximates the entire number of ant species in the British Isles.
The number of species of fish in the Amazon exceeds the number found in the entire Atlantic Ocean.
Almost half of the worlds species of plants, animals, and microorganisms may become extinct or endangered during the next quarter century because of the destruction of their natural habitats due to deforestation.
There were an estimated ten million Natives living in the Amazonian Rainforest five centuries ago. Today there are less than 200,000.
In Brazil alone, European colonists destroyed more than 90 indigenous tribes since the 1900's. With those tribes have gone centuries of knowledge of the medicinal value of rainforest plant species. As their homelands continue to be destroyed by deforestation, rainforest tribes and culture are being destroyed with it.
More than half of the world's estimated 10 million species of plants, animals and insects live in the tropical rainforests, and one-fifth of the world's fresh water lies in the Amazon Basin.
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has identified 3000 plants that are active against cancer cells. 70% of these plants are found in the rainforest. Twenty-five percent of the active ingredients in today's cancer-fighting drugs come from organisms found only in the rainforest.
A single pond in Brazil can sustain a greater variety of fish than is found in all of Europe's rivers.
A 25-acre plot of rainforest in Borneo may contain more than 700 species of trees - a number equal to the total tree diversity of North America.
A single rainforest reserve in Peru is home to more species of birds than are found in the entire United States.
One single tree in Peru was found to harbor forty-three different species of ants - a total that approximates the entire number of ant species in the British Isles.
The number of species of fish in the Amazon exceeds the number found in the entire Atlantic Ocean.
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