The clearing of rain forests not only reduces natures capacity to produce oxygen, it adds greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.

Clearing rain forests not only reduces natures capacity to produce oxygen, it adds greenhouse gases to the atmoshere.

As much as one fourth of the carbon dioxide that is in the air was released when rain forests were burned.   Fact:  Scientists believe that we're just beginning to uncover the number of plants, animals and insects that exist in this fascinating and diverse habitat. A person could walk for a mile through the rain forest and never find two trees of the same kind. Much of  this diversity is due to the special layering of plant life, the millions of species and insects and animals, the hot, humid climate and rich fertile soil.

Fact:  These lush green jungles circle the equator in a 3,000 mile wide belt running through parts of South America, Central America, Southeast Asia and Africa. The largest area, about 130 million acre, is in the Amazon region of Brazil. These forests of the Pacific Northwest once made up over 2,000 miles of lush green wilderness from northern California to Alaska

    For people who live in the rain forest, whose ancestors were the first to inhabit the area, have relied on their natural surroundings for their livelihood. Fruits and vegetables, nuts and  oils, tree saps, natural dyes, seeds and medicinal plants are some of the treasures stored in the rain forest.

    One interesting and successful rain forest project involves tagua, a nut which grows on South American palms. Tagua is also called a "vegetable ivory" or "ivory nut" because of its remarkable likeness to animal ivory and easily carved texture. Communities harvest and sell tagua nuts to be crafted into jewelry, buttons, and small carvings.

Fact:  Some common trees are the Douglas Fir, Sitka Spruce, and the Red Cedar. Farther south are the Sequoias or Redwoods that can reach a height of over 300 feet.

Fact : About 80% of the rainforests nutrients comes from trees and plants. That leaves 20% of the nutrients in the soil. The nutrients from the leaves that fall are instantly recycled back up inton the plants and trees. When a rainforest is clear-cut, conditions change very quickly. The soil dries up in the sun. When it rains, it washes the soil away.

Back