“The forest is a peculiar organism of unlimited kindness and benevolence that makes no demands for its sustenance and extends generously the products of its life activity; it affords protection to all beings, offering shade even to the axe-man who destroys it.”
-Gauthama Buddha
https://www.britannica.com/science/tropical-rainforest
The tropical rainforests lie in the tropical region, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. These forests receive more than 200 cm of rainfall per year, and they are wet forests throughout the year. Hence the name- Tropical Rainforests. The temperature in these rainforests is moderately high (25o C-30o C), and they are found in Asia, Africa, South America, Australia, Central America, Mexico, and some of the Pacific Islands.
The trees in the rainforests are different from the kind of trees you would find in temperate forests. These forests have many layers of trees, with thick trunks, and creepers climbing on them. The top layer consists of very tall trees which tower above a dense canopy layer. The canopy layer is the most beautiful layer, which contains the fruiting and flowering of the trees attracting various species of animals, birds, and insects. Below this canopy layer, are the smaller trees whose crowns don’t meet, below which are the herby shrubs, and the ground, where sunlight doesn’t reach.
A few years back, these rainforests contributed about 14% of land on the Earth. Now they are found in less than 6% are of the Earth. The loss of these rainforests plays a huge role in contributing to total global warming. These forests have many different varieties of trees and plants which we cannot see anywhere else in the world. They also have vast biodiversity and are home to many rare and beautiful creatures.
https://leafyplace.com/rainforest-animals/
By cutting down these trees, you are depriving these creatures of their home. Every year, many plant, animal, and insect species found in these tropical rainforests, go extinct. We are destroying the biodiversity of these forests. Many of these tropical trees are also used to make medicines, so if we cut the trees, we can’t continue doing that. Also, there may be new trees that could have some medicinal use, hidden away in these forests, and the peoples’ lack of knowledge may make them cut down these trees anyway.
We have all learned in our younger classes that trees and plants breathe in Carbon dioxide, and they breathe out Oxygen. In fact, almost one-third of the carbon dioxide emitted by humans is absorbed by the world’s forests. Tropical trees absorb more Carbon dioxide than their temperate counterparts. As you can probably understand, forests play a vital role in controlling global warming.
When we cut down trees, what we are doing is, you are releasing more Carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Cutting down one tree can prevent it from storing 1.5 tons of Carbon dioxide. Imagine what would happen if more trees were cut down. Deforestation is a sad reality, and it is most evident in the tropics.
https://the-tropical-rainforest.weebly.com/major-threats.html
Cutting down tropical forests is actually contributing to global warming increase because these trees could help control the greenhouse gas emission. When we ruin the balance of nature, it is sure to strike back. Earlier, there were enough trees in these forests which absorbed enough Carbon dioxide and controlled the temperature of the Earth. That is not the case now.
A lot of the trees in these areas are being cut down for their timber, or to have more area for farmlands. Uncontrollable population growth is not helping either. As the number of people increases, the demand for land to build houses increases. The only way to do that is by cutting down trees to get more land.
Trees are also being cut down to make pencils and paper which are a necessity for us. Many Industries burn trees to generate electricity. Even the government cuts down trees to make way for roads in between these forests. When you think about it, you may feel like there isn’t much you can do to help conserve these forests.
https://www.pachamama.org/effects-of-deforestation
All these are basic necessities for our developing world. But we can control the rate at which we destroy these forests. Don’t cut down huge areas all at once. The locals living near these tropical rainforests can make use of the vegetation found in the trees and plants in those forests for harvesting, or making medicines, instead of clearing large areas of the forests for agricultural land.
Another thing that you could do is plant more trees when you cut them down. We already know that when we cut down a tree, we are letting out Carbon dioxide. So for every felled tree, it is only right to plant 2 more trees in their place. This can be beneficial to us, as they provide more oxygen and we can use these trees for our purposes in the future.
There is another cause for deforestation- Natural disasters. It will be hard to control forest fires or hurricanes that can wipe out entire forests. There is nothing we can do to stop them. We can help out by planting new trees in these areas after cleaning what is left of them.
What we fail to realize in doing so, is that we are ruining our own future. We may think that it is just a tree. What harm can it do? That tree may be the difference between us getting oxygen in the future or dying.
This is the harsh reality we are faced with. Honestly, we can’t blame those who cut down these rainforests. They are not aware of the consequences of their actions. They haven’t seen the beauty that is held within the branches of these rainforests. It is our duty to make them more aware; to educate them on why these forests are important.
“A nation that destroys its soil destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.”
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-Sharon Ajith -13/05/2021
Tags: #carbon, #carbondioxide, #climate, #earth, #forests, #getgreengetgrowing, #globalwarming, #gngagritech, #greenhouse, #greenstories, #loss, #nature, #rain, #rainfall, #rainforests, #trees
