Rainforests are incredibly diverse and complex ecosystems, with each layer having unique characteristics and functions.
Rainforests are areas of tall, mostly evergreen trees and an exorbitant amount of rainfall. They cover about 6% of the earth’s land surface, but they are home to more than half of the world’s plant and animal species.
Types of Rainforests
Tropical rainforests
They are found near the equator, where it is warm and wet all year round. They receive an average of 80-400 inches of rain per year. Tropical rainforests are home to the greatest diversity of plant and animal life on Earth.
Temperate rainforests
They are found in the cooler coastal areas of the world, such as the Pacific Northwest of the United States, the coast of Chile, and New Zealand. They receive an average of 60-100 inches of rain per year. Temperate rainforests are home to a variety of plants and animals, including trees such as redwood, maple, and Douglas fir.
Why Are Rainforests Important?
Rainforests are important for several reasons. They help to regulate the earth’s climate, provide a home for a wide variety of plants and animals, and produce important medicines.
However, rainforests are also under threat from deforestation, logging, and climate change. It is important to protect rainforests so that they can continue to provide the many benefits that they offer. Here are some reasons why:
- By absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, they regulate climate. They also influence rainfall patterns and temperatures across the globe.
- Rainforests provide us with many everyday products such as food, medicine, timber, rubber, and more. A quarter of the ingredients in modern medicines come from rainforest plants.
- Rainforests support the livelihoods and cultures of millions of people, especially indigenous and local communities, who depend on them for their survival.
- Rainforests host a stunning array of wildlife, from colourful birds and butterflies to majestic elephants and jaguars. Habitat loss endangered many of these species and poaching.
Threats to Rainforests
Rainforests are facing many threats from unsustainable industrial and agricultural development such as logging, mining, oil drilling, cattle ranching, palm oil plantations, and more.
These activities destroy or degrade the rainforest habitat, causing deforestation, fragmentation, pollution, soil erosion, and biodiversity loss. They also contribute to climate change by releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), we are losing 18.7 million acres of forests annually, equivalent to 27 soccer fields every minute. The Amazon rainforest alone has lost about 17% of its original extent in the past 50 years.
How to Protect Rainforests
There is still hope for rainforests if we act now. We can all play a role in protecting these invaluable but fragile ecosystems by taking action for nature. Here are some ways we can help:
- Support organisations that work to conserve and restore rainforests such as the Rainforest Alliance.
- Choose products that are certified as sustainable or organic by credible labels such as the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal, which ensures that farmers and companies follow environmental and social standards that protect forests and people.
- Reduce your carbon footprint by using renewable energy sources, driving less, recycling more, and eating less meat and dairy products.
- Educate yourself and others about the importance of rainforests and the threats they face. Share your knowledge and passion with your friends, family, and community.
