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Rainforest Destruction:
Causes and Effects
Enda Tuomey

The tropical rainforests of West Africa, Brazil, Latin America and Southeast Asia are some of the most important environmental regions of the world. They hold millions of unique plants, animals, and people. However, they are being destroyed rapidly for agriculture, mining and logging. This essay will examine the causes of this destruction and outline its effects on our lives.
Introduction
Causes

A complex web of factors is contributing to the destruction of the rainforests.

Causes 1
One of the main causes of is logging for timber. Millions of hectares are cut down every year, often illegally. The most valuable wood is taken and not replaced. Landless people move in along the new logging roads.
Causes 2

Mining companies are responsible for much deforestation. They cut down trees to extract gold and other minerals. Their activity often causes pollution.
Causes 3
However, one of the biggest contributors to rainforest destruction is that they are often located in developing countries. As a result, the forests lack protection and are in danger from wealthy developers, companies and from poor landless people.
Effects
Rainforest destruction has many catastrophic effects.
Effects 1
A tragic effect of the loss of the rainforest is the extinction of plants and animals that could provide us with food, medicine or valuable products. Thousands of species disappear each year. This leads to a poorer world with less biodiversity.
Effects 2
One surprising result of the destruction of the rainforest is that soils and nutrients are washed away. When the trees are cut down, the soil is exposed to the heavy rain and quickly becomes infertile and useless. The forest cannot grow again, and the people who used the land have to move on.
Effects 3
One of the most serious effects is global warming. When the trees in the rainforest are cut down, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. This carbon dioxide acts as a blanket, trapping the sun’s heat and warming the planet. This can have huge consequences for the world’s climate.
Conclusion
In summary, the rainforests are important for the environment because they produce oxygen, store carbon and have huge stores of timber, minerals, medicinal plants and food. They are potentially a huge source of genetic material. Human activities are damaging this treasure.
If we do not take action now, this vital part of our heritage will be lost forever.
Sources
http://www.geography.learnontheinternet.co.uk/topics/rainforest.html#where
http://www.davesite.com/rainforests/review2.shtml
http://www.savetherainforest.org/savetherainforest_006.htm
http://www.msu.edu/user/urquhar5/tour/slide0.html
http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/rforest/where.htm
Rainforest Destruction:
Causes and Effects
Enda Tuomey