Question

Give reasons:The rainforests are depleting.

Answer 1

Hint: A rainforest is a region of tall, mostly evergreen trees with a high proportion of rainfall. Rainforests are Earth's oldest living ecosystems, with some existing in their present form for at least 70 million years.

Complete answer:
The green belt of rainforests dominates about 12-14% of earth's land surface. At present, the rainforests cover only about 2-6% of the earth's land surface. Now, a large number of rainforests have been depleted due to various human activities. The important reasons for the depletion of rainforests are as follows;

- Agricultural Expansion
The transformation of forests into agricultural plantations is the main cause of deforestation. The increase in the global need for commodities is propelling industrial-scale producers to clear forests at an alarming rate. Even when efforts are made to restore barren plantations, the depleted soil is unable to generate the same biodiversity it once was.

- Livestock Ranching
Forest clearing for livestock ranching is another cause of deforestation. Since 1990, Brazil, a prime exporter of beef, has lost a forest area that is three-fourths the size of Texas.

- Mining
 The need for minerals and metals such as oil, aluminium, copper, gold and diamonds means that rainforests are undermined to access the ground below. Developed nations relentlessly extract minerals and metals such as oil, gold and diamonds, which are often found in the ground of the rainforests.

- Infrastructure Expansion
Road construction can lead to deforestation by delivering an entryway to a formerly remote land. The road expansions often head towards logging and illegal logging, where trees are slashed down without any authorization from authorities. This empty land then attracts an influx of settlers and disturbs the stability.

- Overpopulation
 With overpopulation, there is a rise in global demands, directing to deforestation of valuable rainforests. The planet’s forests are being destroyed at an even rate with population growth.

Note: Indonesia, the largest producer of palm oil, was named as the “Fastest forest destroyer" in 2008 Guinness World Records. The Interoceanic highway from Brazil to Peru, is a matter of concern for conservationists as the road cuts a strip through the Amazon rainforest. The Amazon rainforest continues to burn even in 2020, despite the commitments to save it.