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Rain Forest Deforestation

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Michele Graham
Biology 102

The Overall Impact of Massive Rainforest Deforestation
Tropical rainforests are an invaluable resource to wildlife and humanity. The level of biodiversity is unlike anywhere else in the world. A plethora of unknown species of plants and animals thrive in tropical rainforests, and many of them may offer medicinal benefits to humans; however, with the rapid deforestation of these areas, the Earth is losing some of the most precious resources. Logging, agriculture, and cattle-ranching are the main forces that drive deforestation and heavily contribute to the resulting environmental issues. By developing sustainable methods of forest usage and eliminating excess deforestation efforts, the Earth’s tropical rainforests can continue to hold the treasures of wildlife.
Forests make up thirty percent of the Earth’s land surface. Wildlife is abundant and plant life is so diverse that many species are still unknown. With forests areas the size of Panama being wiped away each year, in one hundred years the world’s rainforests could completely vanish (National Geographic). Countless trees are cut down every year by the logging industry, which supplies the world with paper and wood products. Its effects extend beyond the loss of trees. For example, several indigenous tribes of Papua, New Guinea have lost huge portions of their land to government-backed logging operations (Shearman, Phil, and Jane Bryan). For tribal peoples who subsist on the land, it is a major misfortune for them. Agriculture and cattle-ranching are the two additional forces behind massive deforestation. As a result of increased consumer demand, farmers cut forests to make room for crops and grazing livestock (Roberts, Michael). Cattle-ranching supports a huge industry. Fast food restaurants, for example, require tons of beef. Hundreds of acres of forest lands are invaded in

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