Rainforests

Paper Summary:

For several decades, many Americans have been aware that the rainforests of Central and South America are shrinking as well as the fact that the lost of significant amounts of rainforest could well have a negative effect on the entire world as well as the immediate areas in and near the former forests. This paper examines how the environmental issue of rainforest loss, with its accompanying soil erosion, contamination of the water table and loss of biodiversity, is caused by many factors that interplay with each other.

Outline
Introduction
Deforestation
Cultural Contributions
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Consideration of humankind's impact on the rainforests should begin with the people who have the longest histories there. The indigenous peoples of these rainforest lived for millennia without doing unrecoverable ecological damage (Barnham & Coomes, 1997), even though "slash and burn" farming was a traditional way of life. In "slash and burn" agriculture, the people simply cut down the wooded area and/or burn the vegetation off so they can use the land for their own agricultural purposes (Morrison, 2001). When these groups of people farmed in this manner, however, they moved on to new areas when the land became depleted. Gradually, the rainforest reclaimed the disused farmland, reducing the impact of this farming approach (Morrison, 2001). "

More papers on Rainforests :

• Analytical Essay # 101704 : "Destruction of Rainforests"
• Essay # 63471 : "Rainforests"
• Term Paper # 137053 : "North American Rainforests"
• Research Paper # 28555 : "Peruvian Rainforest"

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