Biodiversity: The Amazon Rainforest
What's a species or two to me?
Um, What's Biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth and the way life is interconnected. Biodiversity can be a variety within a species, a variety of species, or a variety of ecosystems. Biodiversity in itself is crazy important! It provides us with a lot of important stuff like oxygen, clothes, medicine, and clean water.
Tropical Rainforests
There aren't a lot of tropical rainforest's around the world, but they're some of the biggest hosts for biodiversity!
The Amazon Rainforest
In fact the Amazon Rainforest contains 50% of the world's plants and animals!
Sneak Peak
Here's an idea of what the Amazon's like: filled with tree and constantly warm.
Okay, but what does that have to do with the Amazon Rainforest?
As I said earlier the Amazon Rainforest contains 50% of the Earth's species, and that's a lot! It's biodiversity provides us with a large amount of the things that biodiversity gives us (especially the medicines). But what you may not know is that this rainforest only takes up 6% of Earth's landmass, that's not a lot of landmass. It's small size means that if it was harmed it wouldn't take too long for all of it to be destroyed, which is what's happening.
Let's looks at some of the things happening to the Amazon.
Forests
Deforestation is not only taking away the homes of many different species but it's taking away the lives of the plants who once rooted themselves there.
Gold Mining
Gold mining in the Amazon not only leads to deforestation but pollution as well, leaving it with a lack of clean resources.
Cattle Ranching
Cattle ranching accounts for 80% of deforestation in the Amazon. Not to mention that it's drying out the land, making it more susceptible to fires.
Oh no! How can I help?
While you might not be able to go directly to the Amazon to help there are things you can do at home to help:
- Inform others. Letting others in on the problem helps create awareness, the more the merrier!
- Travel green. One of the many causes for deforestation is the extraction of fossil fuels, so using less is great! Try riding the bus, carpooling, or riding your bike.
- Say "no thanks" to Brazilian beef! As I said earlier cattle ranching is a huge reason for deforestation, so if you can don't get the Brazilian beef.