The Tropical Rainforests Of The World Essay — страница 7

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predators and brood parasites. As mentioned earlier, populations of brown-headed cowbirds, a brood parasite, have increased tremendously as a direct result of human activity, these birds have a negative impact on the nesting success of forest songbirds that nest near the forest edge. Studies show that while vegetational changes may extend from 300-600 meters into a fragment. This makes sense when one considers that although generalist predators such as raccoons, cowbirds, and chipmunks may concentrate their activity near the edge, they certainly also can frequent the forest interior, often to the damage of those species which rely exclusively on forest interior. To reduce how far edge effects penetrate into a natural habitat, a biologist Bernard Harris, proposed a system of

long-rotation islands, in which and old-growth center is surrounded by various age stands of timber. This system provides some edge for those species which benefit from it, while minimizing the amount of edge between the old-growth center stand and the surrounding stands. Now, to the final section of this term paper, the role that environmentalists play and some of the reasons that they are trying to save it. Rainforests cover less that two percent of the Earth?s surface, yet they are home to some 40 to 50 percent of all life forms on our planet, as many as 30 million species of plants, animals, and insects. The Rainforests are quite simply, the richest, oldest, most productive, and most complex ecosystems on Earth. As biologist Norman Meyers notes, ?Rainforests are the finest

celebration of nature as ever known on the planet, and never before has nature?s greatest orchestration been so threatned.?(4) His quote is quite true. The following facts listed are direct proof of how the Tropical Rainforests are being depleted. Global Rates of Destruction 2.4 acres per second: equivalent to two U.S. football fields 149 acres per minute 214,000 acres per day: an area larger than New York City 78 million acres per year: an area larger than Poland In Brazil 5.4 million acres per year 6-9 million indigenous people inhabited the Brazilian rainforest in 1500. In 1992, less than 200,000 Species Extinction Distinguished scientists estimate and average of 137 species of life forms are driven into extinction every day or 50,000 each year. While you were reading the

above statistics, approximately 90 acres of rainforest were destroyed. Within the next hour approximately six species will become extinct. While extinction is a natural process, the alarming rate of extinction today, comparable only to the extinction of the dinosaurs, is specifically human-induced and unpreceeded. Experts agree that the number one cause of extinction is habitat destruction. Quite simply, when habitat is reduced, species disappear. In the Rainforests, logging, cattle ranching, mining, oil extraction, and hydroelectric dams all contribute to rainforest destruction and produce many undesired effects in the environment such as global warming, depletion of the ozone layer, and depletion of the earth?s natural resources. But now, there may be some help for the

rainforest. Until recently, few vacationers would even dream of visiting a rainforest. But travelers are now abandoning the traditional beach vacation to visit remote, unspoiled areas all over the world. They try to avoid the fast pace and congestion of the traditional tourist centers, opting instead for more adventure, stimulation and a desire to learn while on vacation. This growing trend of travel has come to be known as ecotourism. Though there are many definitions of ecotourism, the term is most commonly used to describe any recreation in natural surroundings. The Ecotourism Society adds social responsibilities to define ecotourism as ?purposeful travel to natural areas to understand the culture and natural history of the environment, taking care not to alter the integrity

of the ecosystem, while producing economic opportunities that make the conservation of natural resources beneficial to local people?(5) However defined, ecotourism is a force shaping the use of the tropical Rainforests. This will be even more true in the future due to ecotourism?s rapid growth. Global tourism is one of the largest industry in the world and ecotourism is the fastest growing segment of the industry. Tourism is largely responsible for saving the gorillas of Rwanda from extinction. The gorilla was threatened by both poachers and local farmer, whose land clearing practices were destroying the gorillas? natural habitat. Rwanda?s Parc des Volcans, created by Dian Fossey as a wildlife preserve, has become an international attraction and the third largest source of