Sunday, November 14, 2010

what i've learned

          The collection of existing tropical rain forests, have been threatened by the increasing amount of deforestation.  If preserved correctly, it is considered one of humanity's greatest renewable resources.  This irreplaceable forest is full of endless opportunities for mankind. Our air and water are becoming contaminated because of pollution, which causes great damage to the environment. And if we keep harming these natural filters (rain forests) with pollution, then deforestation will soon follow.  They absorb pollutants, fight erosion and provide oxygen for humans to breath.  Even though these forests can be destroyed for valuable commodities, it causes irreversible damage to the environment and humanity as it affects the biodiversity.  This results in drained nutrients from the soil, while enhancing the greenhouse gas emissions.  The forests floor is very vunerable to erosion due to the soil, and exposed by the elements.
          I understood when i first began researching this topic that the these tropical ecoysystems were soon to be extinct, if commercial logging companies continues destroying them.  And the local areas also cause damage to the forest by abusing the use of  all the natural resources.  So i was interested in understanding why these rain forests were considered such a valuable resource in many aspects of life.  Pollution, loss of the renewable resources it provides, which creates more carbon dioxide in the air.   The research that i found made it very obvious as to what was causing such terrible air pollution, and loss of millions of plant species that still are used for many medicines.  Scientist believe that their are still plants that have not been discovered yet, which contain substance that might have an effect on the cure of cancer.  The effects of Global Warming should have scared our countries enough to realize what the effects this will have on future, and for what? agricultural technology advancements and new land are what driving this deforestation to such a terrible level.  the government needs to really take charge with the overpopulation and bring the deforestation to an end.
           I have gained a greater level of respect for the pristine ecosystem, along with all the benefits and life that it provides. My understanding of what is currently happening, is that everybody who are scientists or the people who truly respect the forests, are just damaging the forest and the climate it generates.  My opinion on what needs to happen next is still up for debate between population, pollution, and climate(global warming).  I understand that all of these issues can be just as important as the next, but i would hope that if we did resolve one of the more reasonable issues, it would need to be controlled by someone like the people in he government that care about these issues more than most.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Are improvements in agricultural technology protecting or endangering the rain forests?

       The researchers and economists working with the Center for International forestry Research, believe that using the resources within the forests are more reliable and more efficient for the environment in many ways.   The medicine, food, and oxygen provides more for the economy than fields of overproduced crops do.  http://www.adpartners.org/.  This video explains why there should be absolutely no deforestation.
       Enviromental and agriculture research communities have strong opinions that more advanced agriculture technology will provide more food on the land that was occupied by the tropical forests.  http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1579/0044-7447-35.1.9?prevSearch=&cookieSet=1

Thursday, November 4, 2010

sustainable solution

The most sustainable solution that will have various benefits for tropical deforestation is to start controlling overpopulation, and the poverty that occurs because of it.  Its hard to control the deforestation, when a large part of our population depends on the resources that rainforest provides.  As the population increases, and poverty continues to grow, the more of an effect it will have on the rain forests.  Many people located around rain forests rely on the forests resources for survival.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

history of tropical rain forests

This terrestrial biome has very little land in the world where they can actually maintain the conditions needed to properly preserve thousands of species.  Since the equator is the only region to receive full energy form the sun, tropical rain forests must be as close as possible for the most reliable environment.  Rain forests that are located farther away contain only a small remnants of topical forests.
Removing these forests without properly restoring them, has resulted in a damaged habitat and biodiversity.   And the purity of the air is no longer sustainable for the plants and animals.  There are various methods of deforestation, some of which can retain the natural rain forest's habitat. Slash and burn agriculture is when the vegetation is cut and then later burned to release the minerals into the soil.  This is a technique the farmers used in order to provide rich soil for their crops.  If selective logging is done right,  which is when only certain trees are chosen and the ones surrounding it are left standing, then in less than 50 years the rainforest with be able to regrow.  Perenial shade agriculture is when a patch of trees are left standing in order to provide shade for the farmers crops, such as coffee and chocolate.  This regrowth takes arounds 20 years, but is still the quickest method.  There used to be methods like these that were properly used, but today we are using the clear cut method, which will damage the forest forever.

Monday, October 4, 2010

background of tropical rain forests

            The tropical rainforest are located in warm areas near the equator, where they receive around 400 inches of rain per year and has a constant supply of precipitation  supports the 1000's of different plant and animal species throughout the forest.  They once covered over 10 billion acres of land, but has reduced to less than 20 million acres.  These perfectly balanced ecosystems bring quality and life to global ecosystems which millions of different species are struggling to maintain the life that the rain forests used to provide.  25 percent of medicine comes from the rain forest, and many more undiscovered cures for diseases as serious as cancer will never behind revealed due to deforestation.  The cleaner air that thousands of species breath and need to survive are provided from the protection of the rainforest trees.  The trees are what regulate and determine the earths climate and services that are directly linked to the support of trees, such as landslides  and other types of erosion.  Leaving these forests untouched will only help the future of pollution, the atomosphere and  the remaking of rich and fertile areas.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

tropical deforestation

The loss of a rainforest is more extreme than merely the destruction of a beautiful area.  We have been chopping down the rain forests at a large scale for centuries; damaging these pristine ecosystems  cause problems for many people, and many species.  If the current rate of deforestation occurs, then our rain forests will vanish within the next 100 years and the result of global climate and the various plants and animal species is unknown.  The demand for this product comes from the agricultural purposes, which is to graze cattle and plant crops.  The dense rain forests have an abundant supply of rainfall all year.  The devastating consequences that the locals suffer are unheard of until the global effects start to play a part in social conflict for many reasons.