For example, quinine is a plant extract found in the Tropical rainforest. Native tribes paralyze animals with darts dipped in quinine. We call this natural store of medicines the gene pool. Genes are building blocks of life found in the cells of plants and animals. The rauvolfa shrub found in Asian and African forests is used to cure high blood pressure and mental illness. Rainforests and the native populations who discovered these medicines could hold the cure too many more diseases if we would only nurture the forests and allow their people to show us.
Other important forest products
Many foods we consume today such as nuts, bananas, coffee and spices, and industrial products such as rubber, resins and fibers, were originally found in tropical rainforests.
Unsustainable Management of the Tropical Rainforest
The destruction of Amazonia
The rainforest’s ever-wet climate provides excellent conditions for optimum plant growth, and thee biodiversity of trees, vines, shrubs and plants reaches almost unbelievable levels.
However, the Amazonia is under threat. The rainforest is suffering from degradation- it’s character and quality are being constantly lowered- caused by human actions. The rate of forest clearance reached record levels. Even though deforestation is known to be a major cause of climate change, countries like Brazil have still cut down 100,000 square kilometers of forest each year.
Forest Clearance
Huge areas of forest have been for commercial agriculture- especially mahogany and teak, which has been occurring for centuries, fuelled by demand among the world’s rich for tropical hardwood furniture and flooring. Major crops such as soya beans are grown on old rainforest soils in Brazil. In neighboring Costa Rica, around one-third of all cleared rainforest land is used for cattle ranching.
Migration of farmers
Landless farmers migrate into Amazonia along the new roads. They cut down forest for firewood or clear land to grow crops on. As a result the pattern of deforestation often follows the road network.
Construction
The construction of new roads, for transport and communications, such as the Trans-Amazon Highway, leads to forest loss. Lastly the building of hydro electric dams along the Amazon’s tributaries flooded forest valleys.
The Grande Carajas development programme brought iron mines and aluminum plants to places where virgin forest once stood in Brazil. Use of wood as fuel led to further clearances.
