Rainforests — Beauty of the Planet
I missed our long walks with Ted, being homebound really did get to me, I mean why won’t it? If I could, I’d throw away all of these devices and take a vacation far away! I miss the beaches, the cool breeze, and most of all the peace these serene places gave us. Nature has always been our escape.
I was reading an article that said our environment affects our senses. It went on to say that environments like forests heighten our senses. It astonished me, how these places have a connection with us humans. I went on to read a little more about forests and discovered the beauty of ‘Rainforests’.
Home to the most fascinating species on earth, rainforests are the oldest habitat on the planet. Few of them can trace their origin up to 70 million years, back to the time when dinosaurs roamed. While the giant reptiles have disappeared, how many species exist in these forests is unknown. The numbers run into millions and new species are discovered every week.
Rainforests cover just 6% of the world’s area, yet about 40% of the world’s breathable air comes from the rainforests. They are the ‘Lungs of the World’.
They are classified into two types, Tropical and Temperate.
The Tropical rainforests are primarily found in warmer climates between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn. Tropical Rainforests of India, are found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Western Ghats, and the greater Assam region in the north-east, small remnants of rainforest are found in Odisha state.
The Temperate rainforest is mainly found in the mid-latitudes, often near cooler, coastal mountainous regions. Rainfall in these forests is produced by warm, moist air coming in from the coast and being trapped by nearby mountains.
They receive up to 33 feet of rainfall per year, making them the wettest place on earth. This precipitation plays a critical role in creating an exceptionally lush and biologically diverse habitat.
The Amazon rainforest is the world’s largest tropical rainforest. It is home to around 40,000 plant species, nearly 1,300 bird species, 3,000 types of fish, 427 species of mammals, and 2.5 million different insects.
The Congo Basin acts as the planet’s second lung, the counterpart to the rapidly dwindling Amazon. There are approximately 10,000 species of tropical plants and 30% are unique to the region.
Rainforests help to stabilize the Planet’s climate by two simple methods
1. Absorbing maximum sunlight — solar radiation.
2. Absorbing carbon dioxide and then converting to oxygen during their essential process of photosynthesis.
3. Rainforests also help maintain the world’s water cycle, helping regulate healthy rainfall around the planet.
We are losing tropical forests at a rate of nearly 15 million hectares every year, humans are invading for multiple reasons…
- Poaching — Illegal wildlife trade, is a huge business. Not all wildlife trade is illegal. Wild plants and animals from thousands of species are caught or harvested from the wild and then sold legitimately.
- Mining — The demand for minerals and metals such as oil, Al, Cu, gold, and diamonds means that rainforests are destroyed to access the ground below. Often large roads are built through untouched forests in order to build pipelines and extract the oil.
- Logging is believed to be the second-largest cause of deforestation. Timber companies cut down huge trees such as mahogany and teak and sell them to other countries to make furniture.
- Unsustainable Agriculture — The forests are cut down to make way for vast plantations where products such as bananas, palm oil, pineapple, sugar cane, tea, and coffee are grown.
- Cattle ranching — with ranching the soil will not sustain crops for long, and after a few years, the farmers have to cut down more rainforest for new plantations. Many rainforests have been burnt down to make way for cattle farming, which supplies beef to the rest of the world.
- Dam-building — This is often viewed as renewable ‘clean’ energy, but it can involve flooding vast areas of rainforest. Dams built in rainforest areas often have a short life because the submerged forest gradually rots, making the reservoir water acidic, which eventually corrodes the dam turbines.
At the current rate, rainforests, which have survived for over 70 million years may completely disappear within the next century.
The consequences that follow the disappearance of these rainforests is frightening. When forests are destroyed, wildlife is thrust into closer contact with humans and that’s how animal pathogens jump to people and cause infectious disease and we all know that forests are an effective solution because they store carbon. So conserving forests is key to tackling two of the most daunting threats facing us today: pandemics and climate change. Worldwide, we have now destroyed over half of the forests that once flourished on the planet. Not only are we losing the animals that once lived in them, but we are also changing the climate of the entire globe.
The Amazon forest fires conspiracy
More than 20 percent of the Amazon rainforest is already gone, and much more is severely threatened as the destruction continues. It is estimated that the Amazon alone is vanishing at a rate of 20,000 square miles a year. The entire Amazon could well be gone within fifty years if the trend continues.
Australian forest fires
As of 9 March 2020, the fires burnt an estimated 18.6 million hectares destroyed over 5,900 buildings (including 2,779 homes), and killed at least 34 people. Over 1 billion animals feared dead.
Researchers have found that tropical forests are remarkably resilient. As long as some remnants are left when the forest is cleared to provide seeds and refuges for seed dispersers, tropical forests can grow back with astonishing speed.
Our Planet’s forests, if given the chance, are almost unbelievably resilient. It can be seen in one of our greatest disasters…
Chernobyl.
The fallout zone was declared uninhabitable for the next 20,000 years after a nuclear accident. Yet despite the radiation, there has been a remarkable recovery, within only decade vegetation began to germinate in the ruined city. As the forest re-established itself, animals began to appear. No unprotected human being can stay here for long without lethal risk. But in driving out, the radiation has created space for wildlife to return. If we choose to give forests time and space, they could reclothe the earth with rich and varied communities of animals and plants of which we have so recently robbed it. A future with more forests is key to the resilience of our planet.
What can we do to protect them?
- We need to come forward and support causes and raise voice against industries, government policies that are harming and clearing the forests. For example, giving our voice to the changes proposed in EIA Draft 2020 — India.
- It’s best to buy less. But when you do buy, choose companies that donate to environmental causes or contain ingredients from farms or forests that support the sustainable development of rainforests. For example Ecoasia
- Whether you have a backyard, balcony or window sill, it’s easy and fun! Just plant native saplings, bird and insect attracting flowers, or even just hang up a birdbath or birdhouse to help the migratory birds.
- Reduce your carbon footprint by taking public transportation, adjusting your home thermostat, or avoiding unnecessary air travel.
- Raise awareness among your friends, family & co-workers.
Thanks a bunch for reading the article, we, at The Climate Company, appreciate your love for the planet! ❤
We hope you like our series — Adventures with Ted.
Sources:
- Netflix Series — Our Planet
- http://www.srl.caltech.edu/personnel/krubal/rainforest/Edit560s6/www/where.html
- https://www.rainforestconcern.org/forest-facts/why-are-rainforests-being-destroyed
- https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/in-the-wake-of-chernobyl-plants-thrive/
- https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/rain-forest/#:~:text=Tropical%20Rain%20Forest&text=Rainforests%20are%20Earth's%20oldest%20living,just%206%25%20of%20Earth's%20surface.
