Tropical deforestation.

Essay by xolyssxo January 2006

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All of the world's rainforests will be gone in about 100 years because of deforestation. Deforestation is the clearing out of forests. If there weren't rainforests it would cause unknown effects on the world climate. It would also kill most animal and plant species.

There are different types of deforestation. One type is called "Slash and burn" agriculture. This is when poor farmers chop down a small area in a rainforest and burn the tree trunks. Another type of deforestation is called commercial logging. Commercial logging is when you cut down trees for sale as pulp or timber. Shade agriculture is when trees are cut to give shade to crops such as coffee or chocolate. There is also clear cutting. Clear cutting is when the land is commercially clear cut and all of the trees are removed.

Most of the time deforestation happens for farming purposes such as planting crops and grazing cattle.

Peasant farmers cut down trees for self subsistence, and for their need of food. In some countries farmers don't have money to buy necessities and depend on raising crops for food and to sell. Deforestation also occurs to construct towns, streets and dams that flood large areas. Deforestation for construction is only a very small part of the total deforestation.

7 percent of the dry surface on earth is covered by rainforests. 5 to 8 million species of living things are found on the planet. Half of those species live in rainforests. It is estimated that up to 137 species disappear each day all over the world. This is because many plants and animals that require a special habitat live in small areas. This makes them really at risk to extinction when it comes to deforestation. If their...