Rainforests filter and regulate the flow of water. Trees release water from their leaves during a process called evapotranspiration. This water, after entering the atmosphere, contributes to cloud formation and eventually makes its way to the rivers. Water from the rivers then moves into the oceans, regulating the circulation of ocean currents and influencing overall climate.
They host an expansive array of plants and animals, many of which are still unknown to science. Without our rainforests, we lose some of the most iconic species on Earth, as well as the potential for discovery of countless new ones. Rainforests provide homes and natural resources that support livelihoods for over 1.
They serve as the ancestral homeland to indigenous communities who rely on them for food, water, medicine and shelter. Many of these communities do not have legal rights to their land, so they could stand to lose both their land and access to resources.
The preservation of our rainforests is the best, most cost-effective defense we have against the loss of biodiversity and the current climate crisis. When these tropical forests experience rapid deforestation, harmful greenhouse gases are released back into the atmosphere.
In addition to impacting billions of people and countless threatened species, this contributes to an unpredictable global climate, leaving the future of the planet uncertain. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Read More. Do not sell my personal information. More in Our Impact. Here are 5 key reasons to help save our rainforests: 1.
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Trees help the land to retain water and topsoil, which provides the rich nutrients to sustain additional forest life. Without forests, the soil erodes and washes away, causing farmers to move on and perpetuate the cycle. The barren land which is left behind in the wake of these unsustainable agricultural practices is then more susceptible to flooding, specifically in coastal regions.
As large amounts of forests are cleared away, allowing exposed earth to whither and die and the habitats of innumerable species to be destroyed, the indigenous communities who live there and depend on the forest to sustain their way of life are also under threat. The loss of forests has an immediate and direct effect on their lifestyle that we in the highly industrialized parts of the world, despite our own dependency on what the rainforest provides, will never know.
The level of immediacy is exponentially greater for indigenous peoples. The governments of nations with rainforests in their borders often attempt to evict indigenous tribes before the actual clear-cutting begins. This is one of the pre-emptive effects of deforestation.
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