Rainforest Depletion

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that tropical rainforests are arguably the most precious natural resource on the earth and constitute the world's most diverse biological eco-system. The writer points out that unfortunately, rainforests are being destroyed at an alarming and unsustainable rate and may even disappear completely within a few decades if the present rate of their depletion continues. In this paper the writer discusses the causes of rainforest depletion and the potential catastrophic effects of their rapid destruction.

Outline:
Causes of Rainforest Depletion
Direct Causes
Underlying/ Indirect Causes
Potential Effects of Rainforest Depletion
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Commercial Agriculture is different from slash-and-burn farming and refers to large-scale farming of cash crops such as sugar, palm oil, natural rubber, coffee, cacao, and tropical fruits by business corporations. Such large-scale farming contributes to deforestation in a number of ways. The very meaning of 'cash crops' means that the commercial agriculture in only interested in maximizing his profits by using modern machinery, fertilizers and pesticides and is not bothered about the environment. A specific example of commercial agriculture is the palm-oil plantations in the South East Asian countries that have replaced vast tracts of tropical rainforests, especially Indonesia in the recent past. Widespread use of agrochemicals by commercial agriculture companies results in contamination of crops, soils, and ground water and the occupation of choicest land by influential corporations force the subsistence farmers further out into the forests leading to indirect deforestation."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Butler, Rhett A. "Logging." Mongabay.com. 2006. November 16, 2007. <http://rainforests.mongabay.com/0807.htm>
• ----------------. "Local and National Consequences." Mongabay.com. 2006. November 16, 2007. <http://rainforests.mongabay.com/0902.htm>
• The Causes of Rainforest Destruction. Rainforest Information Center Educational Supplement. n.d. November 16, 2007. <http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/background/causes.htm>
• Roper, John and Ralph W. Roberts. "Deforestation: Tropical Forests in Decline." Canadian International Development Agency. January 1999, revised January 2006. November 16, 2007. <http://www.rcfa-cfan.org/english/pdf/Deforestation%20-20Tropical%20Forests%20in%20Decline.pdf>
• Lindsey, Rebecca. "Tropical Deforestation." NASA Earth Observatory. March 30, 2007. November 16, 2007. <http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/Deforestation/>

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