How to Protect Rainforests in English. How forests are saved in different countries. Floating forest in the Netherlands

The rainforest is home to many plant and animal species. But since, as before, the process of its destruction is underway, there is a danger that in the 21st century it will disappear from the surface of the Earth.

rescue action

In the Amazon, in some parts of Africa, in the territories of Guinea and the Congo, in the Malay Archipelago, from the western mountain ranges of India to the mountainous islands in the Pacific Ocean, in Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands.

What needs to be done

Almost 29 million hectares of tropical forests are being destroyed every year. If this rate of their destruction continues, then in 2035 there will not even be one square meter of tropical forests left. Earth satellite images showed that almost a tenth of the Amazon forests burned down in 1988. In fact, such large areas of rainforest were burning that planes at the airfield in La Paz - a city located in the Andes at an altitude of 1500 m - could not take off due to thick smoke. Observers could see a strip of fire several thousand kilometers long. Before this happened, it seemed that it would be impossible for a person to destroy such huge tracts of forest in such a short time.

What we can do
   Rainforests could be saved through agricultural reform, but such fundamental changes should have begun much earlier. On the other hand, forests cannot be made inviolable, because man still needs their riches. Therefore, it is necessary to find a way to restore the destroyed territories.
   It is necessary to support the actions of environmentalists based on pressure on the governments of individual states.
   By supporting fast-growing tree planting campaigns, we are saving entire tracts of tropical forests from being cut down.    You can also deliberately boycott hardwood from the rainforest.

Deforestation will not only lead to the death of thousands of animal species, but also to climate change on the globe, which can lead to disaster for all mankind.

WHAT IS A TROPICAL FOREST

   The rainforest covers an area of ten million square kilometers. It forms a multi-tiered living space, a complex collection of animal and plant communities living in the only one in a peculiar climate, which they also influence. Almost all life in the rainforest is concentrated at a height of 30 m above the ground.
   Construction timber: Approximately 4.5 million hectares of forest are cleared annually to meet the demand for mahogany, teak and ebony. Hardwood has been growing for hundreds of years. It is difficult to replace it with others or grow it on plantations.
   Livestock: there is a flexible international market for cheap beef. Most of it comes from South America. Entrepreneurs buy huge areas of tropical forests and burn them, thus obtaining fields for pastures. After a few years, the animals destroy all the vegetation and the livestock breeders move on.
   Mining: open pit mining of bauxite in Brazil has destroyed gigantic areas of forests and arable land. By law, these areas must be restored, but most firms ignore these requirements.
   Soil erosion: arable land at the site of uprooting the forest becomes barren after 10 years. Land devoid of trees does not accumulate rainwater and is easily washed away.
   River pollution: cutting down trees in the upper reaches threatens the existence of fish along the entire length of the river.
   Floods and diseases: The climate is changing as a result of deforestation. If the forest does not absorb water, the rains will change the river system and cause floods. But if there is no rain, then droughts will lead to an epidemic of typhus or cholera.

   What processes take place in the rainforest
   1. Leaves retain rainwater. Some plants are able to accumulate it.
   2. Water flows down the stems of trees and soaks into the ground.
   3. A small amount of water flows into streams and rivers, but most of it is absorbed by tree roots.
   4. The roots of trees absorb water, which rises through special vessels even to a height of 65 m.
   5. Water evaporates from the crowns of trees, and as a result, clouds appear in the sky containing up to a billion liters of water.

TROPICAL FOREST THREATS

Almost all tropical forests are located in third world countries. The locals consider the forest as a source of their income. Through the sale of industrial wood, hospitals and schools are financed, and the economic development of countries is also supported. The number of people on our planet is constantly growing. To survive, people need food and cultivated land, and they also need to use wood to build and heat their homes. Around each new settlement, forests are cut down, and land is given over to agricultural fields. As soon as the land ceases to be productive, people move further into the depths of the forests. 300,000,000 people annually destroy seven million hectares of forest.

LIFE IS AT RISK

   Man eats a small number of plants and animals that are found in the tropics. Science is trying to develop new species, and the rainforest gives it a wide genetic material.
   There are many plants growing in tropical forests that a person could consume, in addition, there is a large amount of natural raw materials that a person could use for his own purposes. Thus, a tenth of all medicines used by people are made on the basis of components extracted from tropical forests. However, we still know little about rainforest plants.
   The more important fact is that the atmosphere we depend on is, to a certain extent, produced by the exchange of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Such an exchange occurs in tropical plants, which convert sunlight into energy. Therefore, tropical forests are sometimes also called the "lungs" of the Earth.
   Tropical forests absorb the energy of the Sun in large quantities. Now that they are being destroyed en masse, the ability of the Earth's surface to reflect the sun's rays is changing. And this leads to a violation of heat exchange and leads to a change in atmospheric conditions and the rhythm of precipitation, which in turn affects climate change around the globe.
   In 1987, 200 thousand km of tropical forest were burned in Brazil. The measurements carried out showed that 500,000,000 tons of ozone and carbon dioxide got into the atmosphere.

The current state of the climate on the planet is changing day by day. More and more ozone holes appear in the atmosphere, which leads to the greenhouse effect. This is evidenced by all the increasing cases of skin cancer, changes in the ocean - an increase in its level and area, an increasing area of deserts.

Relationship between economic and environmental problems

In different regions of our planet, the volume of losses is different, but things are worst in desert and semi-desert areas. It is these regions that are most vulnerable from an environmental and economic point of view to climate change. In developing regions, agriculture is the main activity, and drought will be detrimental to food self-sufficiency.

The development of new lands and their processing is the main reason for the accumulation of dangerous gases in our atmosphere. It has been proven that a quarter of all harmful gases, including carbon dioxide, enter the atmosphere due to deforestation. Everyone has heard the saying more than once that forests are the lungs of our planet, their destruction leads to a decrease in the oxygen we need so much.

Geographically, tropical forests are located in a wide strip along the equator. The flora of such forests is very diverse and in many ways unique. O Usually tropical forests are divided into three levels:

upper level - consists of giant trees, up to 60 m high;
middle level - consists of trees up to 30 m high, the crowns of such trees are usually intertwined, forming a dense dome;
lower level - consists of trees up to 20 m high. This level has the hardest time to survive, since the minimum amount of light penetrates to it. In old forests, as a rule, the lower level is thinned out by man for the convenience of moving through the tropics.

But more than 60% of these rare forests have already been destroyed by small-scale farming. Land cleared in this way, unfortunately, gives a good harvest only for a while, so after a few years, farmers again have to cut down forests and adapt the land to their lands.

There used to be government-funded programs to help families develop tropical rainforest areas in countries like Peru, Brazil, and Bolivia. But now there is growing dissatisfaction with the large-scale disappearance of tropical forests, and from an economic point of view, such programs are very costly and ineffective.

There is an opinion that the preservation of the forest does not require large sums of money. But for developing countries that are in debt, that are themselves suffering from deforestation leading to fuel shortages, declining income from the sale of meat and timber, this is not the case. It is categorically unacceptable to throw a heavy burden of responsibility on economically weak countries, which geographically account for most of the tropical forests.

There is an exit

Only by joint efforts can wet forests be saved from complete extinction. It is necessary to plant new trees in place of those cut down, and in the Third World such work is practically not carried out. It is necessary to help them develop more effective tactics for forest management, find new ways to sell forest products: timber, fruits, nuts, meat.

First of all, developed countries could reduce import tariffs for the above-mentioned units. Such measures would allow developing countries to begin to establish a process of reforestation. After all, their safety is a global problem.

Another option for assistance may be the cancellation of part of the external debt of Third World countries. At the moment, this is already an impressive amount - about 1.5 trillion. dollars. It is impossible to engage in reforestation work with such a huge external debt.

And there are plenty of other problems associated with external debt. In developing countries, the birth rate is declining due to insufficient funds for health care and family planning programs. Poverty is growing, population density is increasing against the backdrop of an unfavorable environmental situation.

Solving all the problems mentioned above will certainly help stop the loss of rainforests. It is necessary to develop and implement long-term programs for the search and development of new schemes for harvesting forest material, including restoration processes. It is also necessary to increase the number of jobs so that local residents can get out of the shackles of poverty and stop cutting down forests for their meager economy in order to somehow make ends meet.

Unfortunately, long-term investments tend to incur losses at first, which in this case can further exacerbate the already deplorable economic state of the Third World countries. Thus, restoration work to conserve rainforests could lead to more poverty in these countries if they do not receive financial support from outside countries for environmental programs.

The current situation is such that it is beneficial for developed countries to preserve and restore tropical forests, but as long as they do not actively participate in this process, the situation with the disappearance of rare forests will only worsen.

Specific measures

To normalize the current situation, developed countries only need to make regular contributions in favor of the preservation of tropical forests. For Third World countries, there are several options to reduce the cost of restoring and protecting forests.

Rational and more efficient use of the remaining forest resources. Instead of burning trees to prepare land for agriculture, it would be more rational to process the wood and sell it. In such fires, very valuable wood dies. Brazil alone destroys more than $2.5 billion worth of valuable timber annually.

The situation could be changed if developing countries supplied wood for fuel or for export to other countries. Cut down older trees, and organize proper care for young ones.

It is also necessary to increase control over the cutting process: on bare, completely cut down areas of the forest, it is almost impossible to grow a new one. In this regard, it is proposed to revise the rules for issuing permits for such a type of work as logging. It is also recommended to improve the process of taxation of the holders of such permits, usually large companies or wealthy elites.

Sales of related products. It is necessary to establish in other regions the supply of such goods as: meat, fruits, nuts, resins, oils, etc., mined in the depths of forests. Such deliveries will be able to somewhat improve the economic situation of the Third World countries. A large number of the local population will be able to get a job, which will significantly affect their well-being and standard of living.

But for such a scheme to work, economically developed countries must allow developing countries to trade in their markets.

Easing debt pressure on developing countries. It is proposed to convert external debts into domestic obligations for the implementation of environmental protection measures, including the conservation of tropical forests. The funds accumulated and saved in this way can be used not only for environmental protection measures, but also for paying salaries and insurance to the population engaged in logging. In some regions, such programs are already operating, but their share is small.

Help for development. More developed countries could participate in the fight against poverty and landlessness among the poor. Such actions would eliminate the root cause of deforestation. It is also proposed to consider the issue of banks refusing to provide assistance to such areas of the economy that, by their actions, openly harm forests and the environment.

As we can see, there is a solution to the problem of preserving tropical forests. It is only necessary to understand that the disappearance of such unique forests from the face of the Earth is a tragedy. The tragedy is not only in the Third World countries where these forests are geographically located, it is a global problem. Global warming has already begun, the climate of our planet is changing faster and faster year by year. If we don't act now, it will soon be too late. In the face of a common tragedy, one should forget hostility, one should not shift responsibility to another. Preserving and restoring the lungs of our planet is possible only through joint efforts.

Tropical forests are disappearing very quickly. But the good news is that many people want to save the rainforests. The bad news is that saving rainforests is no easy feat. It will take the efforts of many people working together to ensure the survival of the rainforest and its wildlife for your children to appreciate and enjoy the fruits of our efforts.

Some ways to save rainforests and, more broadly, ecosystems around the world should focus on "TREES":
Teach others about the importance of the environment and how they can help save the rainforest.
Restore damaged ecosystems by planting trees on land where forests have been cleared.
Encourage people to live in a way that does not harm the environment
Create natural parks to protect rainforests and wildlife
Support companies that use practices that minimize damage to the environment
Education is the backbone of saving the world's rainforests. People need to see the beauty and understand the importance of these forests in order to want to protect them. It is necessary to give environmental education both in Western countries like the United States and in countries where there is a tropical forest like Bolivia and Madagascar.
In the United States, people need to understand their role in the destruction of the rainforest. For example, by buying some products like mahogany, a person contributes to the reduction of tropical forests in other countries. If we, as Americans, want to know something about the environment, we can understand what exactly we lose when the rainforest disappears. We may also make purchasing decisions and support companies and organizations that help the rainforest.
Locals in rainforest countries sometimes don't know why forests are so important. Through educational programs, these people can learn that forests provide basic resources (like clean water) and are home to plants and animals that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Few children in a place like Madagascar know that lemurs cannot be found in America. And they are very happy to know that lemurs live only in their homeland, in Madagascar.

An international team of ecologists and economists assessed the long-term development of the population engaged in deforestation of tropical rainforests. The poorest part of the population lives in these critical areas for the ecology of the planet. For them, the export of wood is almost the only way to quickly raise their standard of living. But, as it turned out, the further use of the agricultural areas cleared from the forest turns out to be unprofitable: farmers leave the already cultivated land, and the standard of living returns to its original low levels. It turns out that the very idea of raising the economy in forest areas is untenable not only from an ecological, but also from an economic standpoint.

Everyone knows that tropical rainforests are an irreplaceable reserve of the planet's biodiversity, a powerful climate factor, and an important participant in the global carbon cycle. At the same time, we must not forget that the rainforest is also just a place where people live. And it is quite natural that the inhabitants of this natural zone use the resources given to them for their own life support. It must be emphasized that people living in rainforest villages are usually the poorest part of the population, and their life expectancy is lower than that of the whole country. So the task of raising the standard of living in these areas is very urgent. And wood is now one of the most quoted resources on the world market. Therefore, the felling of rainforests with the subsequent export of timber has become the basic concept for raising the economy of these regions.

The territories vacated after deforestation are put under pastures and agricultural crops. It is believed that in this case, the initial rise in the economy and living standards is provided by income from the sale of timber. Then, having roads and a developed social infrastructure (schools, medical institutions, shops), residents must maintain the achieved high level through the development of agriculture. That's the theory. But how does this concept translate into practice?

Scientists from England - from the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, the University of East Anglia - France at the National Center for Scientific Research, Portugal and Brazil have calculated the economic benefits of deforestation in the long term. As an example, they looked at the economic performance of various regions of Brazil, where approximately 40% of all rainforests remaining today are located. For calculations, scientists used data on the social development of areas in which deforestation took place in different years. Naturally, the earlier logging work began, the larger the area of clearings. All areas were divided into groups depending on the area of cut forests. There were 7 groups in total. The very first group consisted of areas with primary forest where logging had not yet started, and the last group included almost completely deforested municipalities.

The standard of living of the population in these seven groups was compared according to three indicators: per capita income, average life expectancy, and the level of education (in fact, the number of schoolchildren). The index calculated on the basis of these three indicators was considered the main characteristic of the standard of living of the population (Human Development Index - HDI).

It turned out that in areas with the highest logging activity (C-E), the standard of living does increase in all three indicators. Roads are being built there, social institutions are being developed, teachers and medical workers are coming there with the appropriate support. The number of residents is also increasing, partly due to migrants attracted by high wages. What is happening is exactly what is expected according to the basic concept of economic development. But where logging stops (groups F and G), there is a decline in living standards.

fresh anecdote

The growth of agriculture in the territories freed from forests is recorded mainly in groups with active logging activities. But in the extreme group G, where logging stopped ten years ago, crop yields are gradually falling. This is probably due to a decrease in the fertility of the land, because yields are getting smaller despite the increase in sown areas. Even animal husbandry turns out to be unprofitable - instead of 4-5 heads of cattle, farmers end up with only one or two cows.

It turns out that the concept of economic development in forest areas is untenable. It is able to provide a quick, but short-term and unstable improvement. A rise is inevitably followed by a fall. Scientists still find it difficult to answer whether the economic failure is a natural consequence of the general theory of economic development, or whether it is a feature of the development of this particular area with rainforests. But in any case, the pointlessness of clear-cutting forests in the rainforest zone is obvious. The task for economists is also clear - to develop an alternative concept for increasing the standard of living of the population in forest areas.

I sometimes have mixed feelings about the spectacle when entire alleys are destroyed on a grand scale to lay some small urban communication. :(No one thinks about the fact that a tree is also life, on which, in fact, the fate of mankind depends ...

Why are tropical forests disappearing?

Most of these forests are located on the territory of the so-called third world countries. In principle, this is the key factor, because the local population not only considers the forest to be the main source of income, but even the minimum environmental standards are not observed at the state level. Almost the entire economy of such countries is tied to the export of timber, which finances the social sector. In addition, the human population is growing extremely rapidly, which entails clearing for settlements and agricultural needs. When the productivity of the site falls, new territories are released from the forest, and this is repeated every time. In general terms, we can distinguish the following negative factors that affect the "lungs" of our planet:

construction raw materials - the annual felling area is up to 5 million hectares;
animal husbandry - by burning forests, entrepreneurs get new pastures;
mining - sometimes a real treasure is hidden under the forest - rare metals and bauxites. For example, in Brazil, huge areas of forest were destroyed for this reason.

What needs to be done to save tropical forests

In my opinion, in view of the last point, it would be relevant to encourage those companies that, by extracting minerals, at least minimize the damage, and even better, restore damaged ecosystems. Secondly, it is necessary to promote the idea of saving forests all over the world. Humanity must know what it is losing and explain it to future generations. By the way, in some countries this has long been practiced, for example, in Bolivia and the Republic of Madagascar.

In addition, a World Organization should be created, whose tasks would include the development and implementation in practice of programs for the restoration of the tropical forest.

HOW CAN WE SAVE THE TROPICAL FORESTS?

Some ways to save rainforests and, more broadly, ecosystems around the world should focus on "TREES":

Teach others about the importance of the environment and how they can help save the rainforest.
Restore damaged ecosystems by planting trees on land where forests have been cleared.
Encourage people to live in a way that does not harm the environment
Create natural parks to protect rainforests and wildlife
Support companies that use practices that minimize damage to the environment