Why is protecting the rainforest important?
Protecting the tropical rainforests is one of the most important challenges of the 21st century. The following facts support this conclusion: • Rainforests are the most diverse ecosystems on the planet containing more species of plants and animals than all the earth’s other ecosystems combined – possibly as many as 30-40 million species – two-thirds of the entire world’s wildlife species. • Tropical forests are the Earth’s oldest ecosystems. Fossil records show that the forests of South-East Asia have survived in their present form for at least 70 million years. • A single hectare of tropical rainforest may contain 200 tree species. The same area of temperate forest typically contains only 10 to 15 species. • Rainforests act as giant reservoirs of moisture and warmth, releasing water throughout the year as the perennial streams and rivers that support the lives of billions of people, meeting the needs of 40%of the farmers in the developing countries. • Rainforests worldwide are home to
