Threats to the Tropical Rainforest Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Threats to the tropicalal Rainforest - Essay ExampleThe potential impact of these threats on biodiversity of equatorial forest is difficult to assess, due to the fact that the threats could be interlinked and each precipitates either direct or mediate effects. Regardless of the uncertainties associated with threat evaluation and impact assessment, the fact that these forests are subject to radical ecological changes, thus degradation is indubitable. For these reasons, it is imperative for conservationists and the spherical populations, to monitor, comprehend, and prevent the negative impact of these threats at all costs. Background instruction Most studies in Earth systems reveal the fact that Tropical rainforests represent unmatchable of the Worlds oldest and uninterrupted ecosystems. For instance, fossil records indicate that atomic number 16-east Asias humid forests turn over been in existence for surrounded by 70 and 100 million years, without much alteration to their or iginal form. Tropical rainforests make up nearly of the worlds haven for species, since they could have more than 1000 different species within an area of one square kilometer (km2). This is a very large proportion of both floral and faunal species, in proportion to that found in temperate forests, which harbor a meager 100 species within a same spatial area. Tropical rainforests cover an estimated 2% area of Earths surface, which amounts to approximately 2000 million hectares (Ha). These forests come up their name Tropical from their location within the tropics, that is, the Tropic of Capricorn about 23 degrees south and the Tropic of Cancer about 23 degrees north of the Equator (Primack and Corlett 15). Given the strategic location of Tropical rainforests within the tropics, they drag across most of the worlds continents, including Africa, Asia, Northern Australia, and South America. These forests are also found in many of the tropical islands within these areas (Wright 554-5 55). The Amazon Rainforest is the largest of the Tropical rainforests in the world. Found in South America, the Amazon forest covers eight nations including Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, Suriname and Ecuador. This huge forest covers a 2 million square miles area. Studies have shown that Tropical rainforests play a significant post in regulating local, as well as, global climatic conditions, in addition to regulating the crucial carbon cycle. The forests regulate the carbon cycle by absorbing and storing large amounts of carbon, while releasing much needed oxygen to the environment. This happens when the vast number of plants takes up carbon during photosynthesis, thus incorporating it into stored biomass. Even though there is no agreement as to whether preserved rainforests institute the principal sink or source of carbon, negative influences of excessive deforestation are clearly known. Additionally, the role of deforestation in negating the carbon cycle is indubitable (Fearnside 681). Over the last several years, discussions regarding the links amongst forests