Rainforest Impacts from Humans

The human impact on rainforests, have severely disrupted the jungles (rainforests) of the world. Between 19 and 50 million acres (7 to 20 million hectares) are lost each year to mainly farming, logging, and mining. In Central America, cattle ranching and cultivation have wiped out an estimated two thirds of the region's rain forests. Since rainforests contain poor soil, habitants only use the land for a short period of time and eventually do clear more and more land. Timbering and crop clearing may eliminate the jungle forests of most of Africa soon. In Asia and Australia most of the natural rain forests have disappeared or are severely disrupted due to logging and clearing land for rubber plantations and farming.

I'd say that out of all rainforests, the Amazon, is probably the largest untouched forest. Although some developing countries, including Chile, China, and Kenya, have attempted reforestation, the damage is progressing at a rate such that the final effect on the ecosystem cannot be estimated. Parts of rainforests that exist, are trying to be protected, from what remains.

Within the last century, most of the timbering and clearing of jungle habitat throughout the world has occurred. These activities have caused unnatural breaks in the ecological system.

Above: shows an example of how the rainforest looks like when it is being either used for lumber or farming.

The fact is, a tropical jungle is a delicate biological network with numerous fragile webs and chains. The disruption of a key species in one part of the system can affect other species and create an imbalance in jungle ecosystems. These same species, however, can also work together in such a way that, if left to themselves, they could in time recover to become once again a highly diverse jungle habitat.

Here's the FACTS

Global Rates of Destruction
Area Of Land	How Long It Takes To Destroy
2.47 acres (1 hectare)	Per second: equivalent to two U.S. football fields
150 acres (60 hectares)	Per minute
214 000 acres (86 000 hectares)	Per day: an area larger than New York City
78 million acres (31 million hectares)	Per year: an area larger than Poland

Species Extinction
Distinguished scientists estimate an average of 137 of species of life forms are driven into extinction every day, or 50 000 each year.

If deforestation continues at current rates, scientists estimate nearly 80-90 percent of tropical rainforest ecosystems will be destroyed by the year 2020.