Executive Summary
Why are the rainforests so important to human and animal life? Scientists believe the rainforest are considered the “world’s lungs” and actually eliminates CO2 from the atmosphere and provides oxygen for every living creature. In addition, pharmaceutical companies are realizing the importance of the discovery of anti-cancer drugs that are only found in plants in the rainforest. We are not thinking of the consequences that deforestation of the rainforest will have on the Earth. We need to stop the deforestation and the destruction of the rainforest before it is too late.
It is said that Mother Earth has given many responsibilities to the trees. Without the trees in the rainforest, it could have global implications not just on life but the quality of life to all living things. Trees in the rainforest improve the quality of the oxygen that all creatures breathe by trapping carbon and other particles produced by pollution. Trees also determine rainfall and replenish the atmosphere. As more water is able to be put back in the atmosphere, clouds form and provide another way to block out the sun’s heat. Trees are what cool and regulate the earth’s climate in conjunction with other such valuable services as preventing erosion, landslides, and making the most infertile soil rich with life (Connor, 2009).
To be considered a rainforest, the forest must get at least 80 inches of rain per year. Most tropical rainforests get anywhere from 160 to 400 inches of rain a year; however, in some tropical rainforests, sudden downpours of rain can cause streams to rise 10-20 feet in a couple of hours (Jeantheau, 2006).
Rainforests create their own mini-climates; the water that evaporates from the forest forms clouds above the area and later falls as rain. Not all of the water stays local, of course, but in the Amazon rain forest, 50-80% of the water remains in