Ecological problems of humid tropical forests. Tropical Forest Loss Report

Measures to eliminate the damage caused by deforestation

In order to stop the process of deforestation, it is necessary to develop norms for the reasonable use of forest resources. The following directions must be followed:

• conservation of forest landscapes and its biological diversity;
• conducting uniform forest management without depletion of forest resources;
• skills training caring attitude to the forest;
• strengthening at the state level of control over the conservation and use of forest resources;
• creation of forest accounting and monitoring systems;
• improvement of forest legislation,

Replanting trees often does not cover the damage caused by logging. In South America, South Africa and Southeast Asia, forest areas continue to shrink inexorably.

In order to reduce the damage from felling, it is necessary:

• Increase areas for planting new forests
• Expand already existing and create new protected areas, forest reserves.
• Deploy effective measures to prevent forest fires.
• Conduct measures, including preventive measures, to combat diseases and pests.
• Conduct selection of tree species that are resistant to environmental stress.
• Guard forests from the activities of enterprises engaged in the extraction of minerals.
• Realize fight against poachers.
• Use effective and least harmful logging techniques. Minimize wood waste, develop ways to use it.
• Deploy ways of secondary processing of wood.
• Encourage ecological tourism.

What can people do to save forests:

• rational and economical use of paper products;
• buy recycled products, including paper. It is marked with the recycled sign;
• landscaping the area around your home;
• replace trees cut down for firewood with new seedlings;
• draw public attention to the problem of deforestation.

Man cannot exist outside of nature, he is part of it. And at the same time, it is difficult to imagine our civilization without the products that the forest provides. In addition to the material component, there is also a spiritual relationship between the forest and man. Under the influence of the forest, the formation of culture, customs of many ethnic groups takes place, it also serves as a source of livelihood for them.
The forest is one of the cheapest sources of natural wealth, 20 hectares of forest areas are destroyed every minute. And humanity should already now think about replenishing these natural resources, learn to competently manage forest management and the miraculous ability of forests to self-renew.

“We are cutting down valuable tree species at an unprecedented rate. Every two seconds, an area of ​​forest the size of a football field is cut down. A quarter of all forests have been destroyed in the last 30 years. Deforestation has a direct relationship with the biological diversity of the region. The current rate of extinction of plant and animal species is 1,000 times faster than when there were no humans. By 2050, the pace will already be 10,000 times faster.” This is what Greenpeace writes on its website. This collection contains photographs of forests in different corners of our planet, and while not all of them are at risk, all deserve attention.

(Total 16 photos)

2. The Daintree Great Rainforest has existed continuously for over 110 million years and is perhaps the oldest rainforest still in existence. The permanence of this rainforest is believed to be the result of random continental drift. After the collapse of the ancient supercontinent, part of the fragments shifted to the pole and later became Antarctica, which was very cold and disturbed by ocean currents. Other parts of the land have shifted to warmer and drier latitudes, favorable for the tropical forests growing on these fragments of ancient land. Relatively recently, species of trees considered extinct were discovered in the park.

3. national park Anavillanas, Brazil.

4 Redwood National Park with total area 23500 ha. Covered with ancient sequoia forests.

5. Rainforests national park Daintree in Australia.

6. Olympic National Park. Famous for its biodiversity. Due to the long-term isolation of the peninsula from the vast continental spaces, a peculiar flora and fauna has formed here. So far, 15 endemic animal species and 8 endemics from the plant kingdom are found here.

7. Destruction of the tropical forests of Indonesia for the sake of planting palm trees in their place. is a leader in the production of palm oil, which is used from the production of chocolate to bio-fuels.

9. Rainforest in Malaysia. Despite the protests of the indigenous population of Ulu Barama in Malaysia, predatory logging of this rainforest continues.

10. Rice terraces under pine forests in the Philippines.

11. Peatland in Indonesia. Forests located on a peatland are the best absorbers of greenhouse gases. Due to deforestation in Indonesia, the country has become a leader in carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

12. Anavillanas National Park, Brazil.

13. On the left, a swamp forest is visible, on the right, an area cleared of forest and prepared for planting acacia in Indonesia.

14. Plitvice Lakes (Croatian Plitvička jezera) is a national park in Croatia, located in the central part of the country, in the counties of Lika Sen (90.7%) and Karlovac (9.3%). The waters of the Korana River, flowing through the limestone, over thousands of years have eroded the barriers of the travertine, forming natural dams, which in turn have created a series of picturesque lakes, waterfalls and caves.

15. Everglades National Park is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. With the exception of the main visitor center and a small staff, the park lacks any economic activity and 5.246 km² of the park are considered a zone of absolutely wild nature.

16. The virgin rainforest of Indonesia is adjacent to palm plantations.

About half of all forests on our planet are tropical forests (hylaea) that grow in Africa, Southeast Asia, South and Central America. Tropical forests are located between 25°N and 30°S, where heavy rainfall is common. The rainforest ecosystem covers less than two percent of the Earth's surface, but 50 to 70 percent of all life forms on our planet are found here.

The largest rainforests are found in Brazil (South America), Zaire (Africa) and Indonesia (Southeast Asia). Also, the rainforest is found in Hawaii, the islands Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean.

Rainforest climate

The climate in the rainforest is very warm, characterized and humid. From 400 to 1000 cm of precipitation falls here annually. The tropics are characterized by a uniform annual distribution of precipitation. There is practically no change of seasons, and the average air temperature is 28 degrees Celsius. All these conditions have significantly influenced the formation of the richest ecosystem on our planet.

Soil in the rainforest

The soil of the tropics is poor in minerals and nutrients, - there is a lack of potassium, nitrogen and other trace elements. Usually it has a red and red-yellow color. Due to frequent rainfall, useful material absorbed by the roots of plants or go deep into the soil. That is why the natives of the rainforests used a slash-and-burn agricultural system: in small areas, all vegetation was cut down, it was subsequently burned, then the soil was cultivated. The ash acts as a nutrient. When the soil begins to turn infertile, usually after 3-5 years, the inhabitants of tropical settlements moved to new areas for farming. Agriculture. It is a sustainable farming method that ensures that the forest is constantly regenerated.

rainforest plants

The warm, humid climate of the rainforest provides the perfect environment for a vast abundance of amazing plant life. The rainforest is divided into several tiers, which are characterized by their own flora and fauna. Most tall trees tropics, receive the largest number sunlight, as they reach a height of over 50 meters. Here, for example, include the cotton tree.

The second tier is the dome. It is home to half of the rainforest's wildlife - birds, snakes and monkeys. This includes trees with a height of less than 50 m with wide leaves, hiding sunlight from the lower floors. These are philodendron, poisonous strychnos and rattan palms. Lianas usually stretch along them towards the sun.

The third tier is inhabited by shrubs, ferns and other shade-tolerant species.

The last tier, the lower one, is usually dark and damp, since the sun's rays hardly penetrate here. It consists of overripe foliage, fungi and lichens, as well as young shoots of plants of higher tiers.

In each of the regions where tropical forests grow, there are different types trees.

Tropical trees of Central and South America:

• Mahogany (Sweitinia spp.)
• Spanish cedar (Cedrella spp.)
• Rosewood and Cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa)
• Purple tree (Peltogyne purpurea)
• Kingwood
• Cedro Espina (Pochote spinosa)
• Tulipwood
• Gaiacan (Tabebuia chrysantha)
• Pink tabebuya (Tabebuia rosea)
• Bokote
• Jatoba (Hymenaea courbaril)
• Guapinol (Prioria copaifera)

Tropical trees of Africa:

• Bubinga
• Ebony
• Zebrano
• Pink tree

Tropical trees of Asia:

• Malaysian maple

In the rainforest, they are widespread, which feed on caught insects and small animals. Among them, it should be noted nepentes (Pitcher Plants), sundew, oilwort, pemphigus. By the way, plants of the lower level, with their bright flowering, attract insects for pollination, since there is practically no wind in these layers.

Valuable crops are grown in the places of clearing of tropical forests:

• mango;
• bananas;
• papaya;
• coffee;
• cocoa;
• vanilla;
• sesame;
• sugarcane;
• avocado;
• cardamom;
• cinnamon;
• turmeric;
• nutmeg.

These cultures play an important role in cooking and cosmetology. Some tropical plants serve as raw materials for medicines especially anti-cancer.

Adaptation of tropical plants for survival

Any flora needs moisture. There is no lack of water in the rainforest, but often there is too much of it. Rainforest plants must survive in areas where there is constant rainfall and flooding. Leaves tropical plants help fight off raindrops, and some species are armed with a drip tip designed to quickly drain rain.

Plants in the tropics need light to live. The dense vegetation of the upper tiers of the forest transmits little sunlight to the lower tiers. Therefore, rainforest plants must either adapt to life in constant twilight or grow rapidly upwards in order to "see" the sun.

It is worth noting that in the tropics trees grow with thin and smooth bark, which is able to accumulate moisture. Some types of plants in the lower part of the crown have leaves wider than at the top. This helps to let more sunlight through to the soil.

As for the epiphytes themselves, or air plants that grow in the rainforest, they get their nutrients from plant debris and bird droppings that land on their roots and do not depend on the poor soil of the forest. In tropical forests, there are such air plants as orchids, bromeliads, ferns, large-flowered selenicereus and others.

As mentioned, the soil in most rainforests is very poor and lacks nutrients. To capture nutrients at the top of the soil, most rainforest trees have shallow roots. Others are wide and powerful, as they must hold a massive tree.

rainforest animals

Animals of the rainforest amaze the eye with their diversity. It is in this natural area that you can meet the largest number of representatives of the fauna of our planet. Most of them are in the Amazon rainforest. For example, there are 1800 species of butterflies alone.

In general, the tropical forest is the habitat of most amphibians (lizards, snakes, crocodiles, salamanders), predators (jaguars, tigers, leopards, cougars). All animals of the tropics are brightly colored, as the spots and stripes are the best camouflage in the dense thicket of the jungle. The sounds of the rainforest are provided by the polyphony of songbirds. In the forests of the tropics, the world's largest population of parrots, among other interesting birds, there are South American harpies, which belong to one of the fifty species of eagles and are on the verge of extinction. No less bright birds are peacocks, the beauty of which has long been legendary.

More monkeys also live in the tropics: arachnids, orangutans, chimpanzees, monkeys, baboons, gibbons, red-bearded jumpers, gorillas. In addition, there are sloths, lemurs, Malay and sun bears, rhinos, hippos, tarantulas, ants, piranhas and other animals.

Tropical forest loss

Tropical timber has long been synonymous with exploitation and plunder. Giant trees are the target of entrepreneurs who use them for commercial purposes. How are forests exploited? The most obvious use of rainforest trees is in the furniture industry.

According to the European Commission, about one-fifth of EU wood imports come from illegal sources. Every day, thousands of products from the international wood mafia pass through store shelves. Tropical wood products are often labeled as "luxury wood", "hardwood", "natural wood" and "solid wood". Usually these terms are used to disguise tropical wood from Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The main tropical tree exporting countries are Cameroon, Brazil, Indonesia and Cambodia. The most popular and expensive types of tropical wood that goes on sale are mahogany, teak and rosewood.

Inexpensive species of tropical wood include meranti, ramin, gabun.

The consequences of deforestation in the rainforest

In most tropical rainforest countries, illegal logging is common and a serious problem. Economic losses reach billions of dollars, and environmental and social damage is incalculable.

Deforestation results in deforestation and profound ecological changes. Tropical forests contain the largest in the world. As a result of poaching, millions of species of animals and plants are losing their habitat and, as a result, disappear.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List, over 41,000 plant and animal species are threatened, including great apes such as gorillas and orangutans. Scientific estimates of lost species vary widely, ranging from 50 to 500 species per day.

In addition, logging equipment used to remove timber destroys sensitive topsoil and damages the roots and bark of other trees.

Mining of iron ore, bauxite, gold, oil and other minerals also destroys large areas of tropical forests, such as in the Amazon.

Importance of the rainforest

Tropical rainforests play an important role in the ecosystem of our planet. Cutting down this particular natural zone leads to the formation of a greenhouse effect and, subsequently, to global warming. The largest tropical forest in the world, the Amazon forest, plays the most important role in this process. 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to deforestation. The Amazon rainforest alone stores 120 billion tons of carbon.

Tropical forests also contain vast amounts of water. Therefore, another consequence of deforestation is a disturbed water cycle. This in turn could lead to regional droughts and changes in global weather patterns, with potentially devastating consequences.

The rainforest is home to unique flora and fauna.

How to protect tropical forests?

To prevent the negative consequences of deforestation, it is necessary to expand forest areas, strengthen control over forests at the state and international levels. It is also important to raise people's awareness of the role forests play on this planet. It is also worth encouraging the reduction, recycling and reuse of forest products, environmentalists say. Switching to alternative energy sources such as fossil gas can in turn reduce the need to exploit forests for heating.

Deforestation, including tropical deforestation, can be carried out without harming this ecosystem. In Central and South America and Africa, trees are cut down selectively. Only trees that have reached a certain age and thickness of the trunk are cut down, and the young ones remain untouched. This method causes minimal damage to the forest, because it allows it to recover quickly.

The stunning vast forests, the lungs of our planet, producing most of the Earth's oxygen, are tropical forests. In this thread Interesting Facts about these forests, as well as bewitching photographs

The most beautiful and lush rainforests in the world, the “lungs of our planet”, are found in Costa Rica, South America, Malaysia and Australia. The Amazon rainforest, most of which is located in Brazil, is the world's largest natural resource (1.2 billion acres) but is rapidly disappearing, along with other patches of jungle around the world.

We decided to pay attention to the problem of the disappearance of tropical forests in honor, as this is one of the most serious factors affecting global climate change. In future releases, we will continue to pay attention to other global issues humanity

Whereas just 50 years ago they accounted for 15% of the Earth's surface, today this number is only 6%. It is easy to imagine what this percentage will be in 10 years with the current dynamics of rainforest deforestation.

It is a proven fact that if deforestation continues at the same rate, by 2020 we will lose as much as 90% of all tropical forests. Every day, 200,000 acres of these precious oxygen generators, our planet's natural filter, are destroyed.

Along with the deforestation of rainforests, hundreds of thousands of species of rare birds, plants, and animals are disappearing, many of which are already on the verge of extinction.

In the rainforest, you can immerse yourself in the wonderful world of biological diversity, where exotic plants, trees, flowers and vines thrive in harmony with insects, snakes, monkeys, birds, butterflies, frogs, spiders and even jaguars

The history of these forests is very rich, hundreds of tribes of Indians once lived here. Five centuries ago, the number of Indians living in the rainforests was more than 10 million people, now there are less than 200,000. Since 1900, the colonists have destroyed more than 90 unique and distinctive tribes

At present, shaman healers still live here, keeping the secrets of their tribes. They have many healing secrets, but most of them are over 70 years old. The death of such a shaman can be compared to a burned-out library - their knowledge is so valuable

One hectare of rainforest can contain over 750 species of trees, and 1,500 species of various plants. These forests are home to over 3,000 various kinds fruits, only 200 of which are known in Europe. Indians eat 2000 of them

The easiest way to visit the rainforest is to take part in a specially organized eco-tour, or become a volunteer of an organization to save the rainforests

The destruction of these forests is a real crime, comparable to the pollution of the world's oceans.

Tropical forest destruction, destruction natural landscapes every year leads to a decrease in the species diversity of the Amazon and Central Africa. But these forests are not only a refuge for many species of animals, but also the lungs of the planet. Their predatory felling also leads to shallowing of rivers, salinization of soils, and desertification. Already exist various programs for the protection of forests, however, the situation has not changed significantly yet. Population growth in the developing countries of South America and Africa is the main reason for the extinction of a mass of tropical plant and animal species, environmentalists say.

They developed strategies based on the US experience in wildlife conservation. The projects involve reducing deforestation to a minimum, however, to date, the implementation of these plans seems unlikely due to the low environmental awareness of indigenous peoples and the negative attitude of the leaders of some states (for example, Venezuela) to US and EU policies. However, scientists are not going to give up, proposing measures that, they believe, are a kind of golden mean - allowing you to save forests, while at the same time not slowing down the pace of urbanization. They hope that their models will save the richest flora and fauna of the equatorial forests.

water scarcity

The total volume of water on Earth is approximately 1400 million cubic meters. km, of which only 2.5%, that is, about 35 million cubic meters. km, falls on fresh water. Most of the fresh water resources are concentrated in multi-year ice and snows of Antarctica and Greenland, as well as in deep aquifers. The main sources of water for human consumption are lakes, rivers, soil moisture and relatively shallow groundwater reservoirs. The operational part of these resources is only about 200 thousand cubic meters. km - less than 1% of all fresh water reserves and only 0.01% of all water on Earth - and a significant proportion of them are located far from populated areas, which further exacerbates the problems of water consumption.

The renewal of fresh water supplies depends on evaporation from the surface of the oceans. Every year, the oceans evaporate about 505 thousand cubic meters. km of water, which corresponds to a layer 1.4 m thick. Another 72 thousand cubic meters. km of water evaporates from the land surface.

In the water cycle, of the total amount of precipitation falling on the Earth, 79% falls on the ocean, 2% - on lakes, and only 19% - on the land surface. Only 2,200 cu. km of water per year permeates underground reservoirs.

Globally, about two-thirds of all precipitation returns to the atmosphere. In terms of water resources, Latin America is the richest region, accounting for a third of the world's runoff, followed by Asia with a quarter of the world's runoff. Then come the OECD countries (20%), sub-Saharan Africa and the former Soviet Union, they account for 10%. The most limited water resources are in the countries of the Middle East and North America (1% each).

About a third of the land area is occupied by arid (arid) belts. In the arid zone of the Earth, water shortage is acutely felt. Here are the most water-shedding countries, where per capita is less than 5 thousand cubic meters. m of water.

The largest consumers of water (by volume) are India, China, USA, Pakistan, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Mexico and the Russian Federation.

Figures for the total amount of water consumed range from 646 cubic meters. km/year (India) to less than 30 cu. km/year in Cape Verde and the Central African Republic.

99% of 4 thousand cubic meters. km/year of water used for irrigation, domestic and industrial consumption, energy production comes from underground and surface renewable sources. The rest are from non-renewable (fossil) aquifers, this applies mainly to Saudi Arabia, Libya and Algeria.

According to the United Nations (UN), rising freshwater consumption, driven in particular by demographic growth and population mobility, new needs and increased energy demands, combined with the tangible effects of climate change, is leading to growing water scarcity.

Nearly 80% of diseases in developing countries, which kill nearly 3 million people every year, are related to water quality. So, 5 thousand children die every day from diarrhea, that is, every 17 seconds a child dies. Overall, almost 10% of the world's diseases can be avoided through improved water supply, water purification, hygiene and efficient water management.

Fresh water consumption has tripled over the past half century, and irrigated areas have doubled over this period, this is primarily due to demographic growth. According to estimates, the world's population today is 6.6 billion people, with an annual increase of 80 million. This means an annual increase in the need for fresh water in the amount of 64 million cubic meters. At the same time, 90% of the three billion people on the planet who will be born by 2050 will increase the population of developing countries where water is already scarce today.