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Michael Cox
Rowan Johnson
English 121-019
February 20, 2009
Assignmen 2
!e"oresaion# why is i ha$$ening an% wha e""ecs is i ha&ing'
Rain"oress are &ery im$oran o his earh an% he $eo$le on i( Rain"oress are home o
many nai&e $eo$le, animals, an% $lans ha are &ery hel$"ul in he ma)ing o" $harmaceuicals(
*ne hecare o" "ores may conain o&er +,0 y$es o" rees an% 1,,00 s$ecies o" $lans( Aroun%
121 $rescri$ion %rugs being sol% worl%wi%e o%ay come "rom $lan-%eri&e% sources "rom
rain"oress -Rain"ores Facs.( /" so many resources come "rom he rain"ores, why %oes
%e"oresaion occur' !e"oresaion has many conse0uences ha $eo$le who su$$or
%e"oresaion can1 see or hey say are no "rom %e"oresaion( 2he "ollowing essay will ex$lain
why %e"oresaion is ha$$ening, he many e""ecs o" %e"oresaion, an% some ways $eo$le are
rying o $re&en %e"oresaion "rom ha$$ening(
!e"oresaion is a ma3or $roblem in A"rica an% 4ouh America, which su""ers "rom he
larges loss o" "oress worl%wi%e -Ronca 1.( / can be a ma3or $roblem o he enire worl% also(
!e"oresaion is a caalys "or global warming, causes soil erosion, an% )ills many organisms(
!e"oresaion is he remo&al o" rees "rom an area, generally wih re$lacemen by $asure or
cro$s -5ore $ar( 2.( Furhermore, a $rimary %ri&er "or %e"oresaion is o har&es imber "or
woo% $ro%ucs or "uel( Farmers also go o he "oress o clear he lan% o grow cro$s or gra6e
heir cale( 2o %o his, hey woul% use one o" many echni0ues( *ne echni0ue is he slash an%
burn echni0ue, where he "armer cus %own he rees an% hen burns hem( 7hen he soil
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becomes oo %egra%e% "or he cro$s o grow, hey mo&e on o anoher $ach( Mining is also a
cause o" %e"oresaion( !igging a coal, %iamon%, or gol% mine re0uires he remo&al o" "ores
co&er, no 3us "or he mines bu "or he ruc)s an% e0ui$men also -Ronca 2.(
*&er$o$ulaion is also a %irec cause o" %e"oresaion( 2he ra$i% $o$ulaion growh has
resule% in he con&ersion o" "ores areas o non-"ores lan%s "or selemen an% "arming -4o$ he
!esrucion o" *ur 8eaui"ul Earh.( 7hen $eo$le come o buil% communiies in he rain"oress
hey ha&e o clear lan% o ha&e room o buil% houses an% oher &arious buil%ings o go along in
he communiy( 2his a)es a signi"ican loss o" "ores lan%s "or har&esing "ores $ro%ucs as more
$eo$le nee% more lumber o buil% heir houses( 7ih his increase in $o$ulaion comes an
increase in $ro%uce consum$ion( 2hus, rain"oress are %esroye% an% con&ere% o cale $asure
o su$$ly he burgeoning %eman% "or mea -4o$ he !esrucion o" *ur 8eaui"ul Earh.(
!e"oresaion has a &ariey o" oher e""ecs( For exam$le, soil erosion a""ecs bio%i&ersiy
an% climae change( /n he rain"oress here are o&er 1,,00 s$ecies o" $lans( /" %e"oresaion
coninues o occur a a high rae, many o" hese $lans may be los -Rain"ores Facs.( Also, 121
$rescri$ion %rugs come "rom $lan-%eri&e% sources "rom he rain"ores -Rain"ores Facs.(
!e"oresaion o&er large areas can cause re%ucions in rans$iraion, clou% "ormaion an% rain"all,
an% increase% le&els o" %rying( !uring he %rough $erio%s o" he "ores, logging can allow se&ere
"ires -9ansen.( 2hese se&ere "ires swee$ hrough he "ores )illing e&erybo%y an% e&eryhing in
is $ah(
!e"oresaion also has i e""ecs on bio%i&ersiy( 2he 7orl% 7il%li"e Fun% -77F. %e"ines
bio%i&ersiy as :he wealh o" li"e on Earh, he millions o" $lans, animals, an% micro-organisms,
he gens hey conain an% he inricae ecosysems hey buil% ino he li&ing en&ironmen:
-E""ecs o" !e"oresaion.( 2he rain"ores is one o" he mos biologically %i&erse regions o" he
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worl%( 2here are millions o" %i""eren s$ecies o" $lans an% animals ha are )nown o li&e in he
rain"oress an% millions o" hem are no classi"ie% ye( 2he uni0ue en&ironmen ha he rain"ores
has allows i o be so %i&erse( 2his $rocess o" %e"oresaion has many conse0uences o his
uni0ue en&ironmen( Many o" he $lans an% animals here are on he &erge o" exincion %ue o
%e"oresaion -E""ecs o" !e"oresaion.(
2he rain"ores $ro&i%es many resources "or he in%igenous $eo$le who li&e here( 2he
rain"ores is heir home, source "or "oo%, sheler, nourishmen, an% culure( 2he rain"ores
$ro&i%es hem wih many necessiies an% ameniies( <ecessiies li)e maerials "or heir homes,
woo% "or he "ires ha )ee$ hem warm %uring he nigh, "ish an% $lans o ea, an% many more
su$$lies( 2he non-in%igenous $eo$le ha li&e here o"en sell some o" he resources he "ores
$ro&i%es hem "or money( Alhough hey sell he resources, hey sell hem in limie% numbers o
$reser&e he "oress "or he "uure( E&en hough here are $eo$le who ry o $reser&e he "oress,
here are ohers who see i as a source o" money -E""ecs o" !e"oresaion.( 2hese $eo$le come o
he "oress "or many %i""eren reasons, bu mos o" hem wih he same ob3eci&e in min%( 2ha
ob3eci&e being cu %own rees o ma)e money( 4ome o" he $eo$le sell he imber hey cu %own(
*hers cu rees %own o ma)e room "or communiies, agriculure, hy%roelecric %ams, ec( 7hen
"armers come o he rain"oress o clear lan% "or agriculure an% cale gra6ing, hey use he lan%
unil he soil is o" no use o hem( 2hen hey imme%iaely mo&e on o anoher $ach o" "ores( 2he
lan% hey aban%on, i" unouche%, will e&enually re"ores, bu i will a)e many, many years "or i
o reurn o is original sae -Ronca 2.(
Among he many e""ecs o" %e"oresaion, he main e""ec is $erha$s he e""ec on he
climae( Rain"oress are im$oran in he carbon %ioxi%e exchange $rocess( 2hey are secon% only
o oceans as he mos im$oran :sin): "or amos$heric carbon %ioxi%e -E""ecs o" !e"oresaion.(
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7hen rees are burne%, a"er hey are cu %own, hey release carbon %ioxi%e an% %esroy
&egeaion ha has ser&e% as a carbon sin)( 4ome o" he carbon %ioxi%e may coninue o be
sore% in woo% $ro%ucs an% co&er cro$s, bu a large share o" "ores carbon reurns o he
amos$here hrough he %irec burning o" he rees( Many scieniss ac)nowle%ge ha
%e"oresaion is res$onsible "or he larges share o" carbon %ioxi%e release% o he amos$here
"rom lan% changes -5ore.( All o" his carbon in he air causes he climae o change( A
signi"ican change in he las "ory years o he Ama6on 8asin is a 20> increase in $reci$iaion
-Climae Changes 7eaher an% !e"oresaion.(
!e"oresaion also causes soil erosion an% "loo%ing( 2rees an% $lans ac as a naural
barrier o slow waer as i runs o"" he lan%( Roos bin% he soil an% $re&en i "rom washing
away( !ue o %e"oresaion, he absence o" &egeaion causes he o$soil o ero%e a a 0uic)er
rae( 2his in urn ma)es i %i""icul "or $lans o grow in he less nuriious soil ha remains( 2he
coasal &egeaion lessens he im$ac o" wa&es an% win%s associae% wih a sorm surge( 7ihou
he coasal &egeaion, he &illages on he coas are more susce$ible o %amaging "loo%s -Ronca
=.(
2hus, %e"oresaion has become a ma3or $roblem worl%wi%e( 2here are many reasons
why $eo$le coninue o use %e"oresaion o%ay( For exam$le, $eo$le use %e"oresaion o clear
lan% o "igh he ra$i%ly growing $o$ulaion( Furhermore, $eo$le clear he lan% o" he rain"ores
o grow cro$s an% gra6e cale o raise enough money o su$$or heir "amilies -Ronca 2.( Along
wih hese reasons come many e""ecs cause% by %e"oresaion( For insance, i" $eo$le coninue o
use %e"oresaion a high raes, $eo$le may lose he $lans ha can some%ay become a cure "or
many erminal %iseases, li)e A/!4 or cancer -Rain"ores Facs.( /n a%%iion, %e"oresaion is also
a""ecing global warming -Climae Changes 7eaher an% !e"oresaion.( /" %e"oresaion
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coninues o rise, he conse0uences o" %e"oresaion coul% become more %esruci&e han hey
alrea%y are(

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7or)s Cie%
:Climae Changes 7eaher an% !e"oresaion(: 5lobal En&ironmenal Change Re$or 1;(20 -*c
2?, 2001.# ,( Aca%emic *neFile( 5ale( @ni&ersiy o" 2ennessee a Chaanooga( 29 Jan(
2009 Ah$#BB"in%(galegrou$(comBixBsar(%o'$ro%/%CA*<ED(
:E""ecs o" !e"oresaion(: Earlham College E Richmon%, /n%iana( 19 Feb( 2009
Ah$#BBwww(earlham(e%uBF$olsB1+Fall9?Binnes)eBe""ecs(92MD(
5ore, Ross 7(, an% Ger&a6e A( 4hei)h( :2he 8ali agreemens an% "oress(-CR4 Re$or "or
Congress.-Re$or.(: Congressional Research 4er&ice -CR4. Re$ors an% /ssue
8rie"s( Congressional Research 4er&ice -CR4. Re$ors an% /ssue
8rie"s, 200H( <A( Aca%emic *neFile( 5ale( @ni&ersiy o" 2ennessee a Chaanooga( 29
Jan( 2009 Ah$#BB"in%(galegrou$(comBixBsar(%o'$ro%/%CA*<ED(
9ansen, An%rew J(, Ronal% R( <eilson, Iirginia 9( !ale, Curus 9( Flaher, Jouis R( /&erson,
!a&i% J( Currie, 4arah 4ha"er, Rosaman%e Coo), an% Garic) J( 8arlein( :5lobal Change
in Foress# Res$onses o" 4$ecies, Communiies, an% 8iomes(: 8io4cience ,1(9 -4e$
2001.# +?,( Aca%emic *neFile( 5ale( @ni&ersiy o" 2ennessee a Chaanooga( 2, Jan(
2009 Ah$#BB"in%(galegrou$(comBixBsar(%o'$ro%/%CA*<ED(
:Rain"ores Facs(: 7ealh o" he Rain"ores - Gharmacy o he 7orl% "rom Rainree <uriion,
/nc( 1? Feb( 2009 Ah$#BBwww(rain-ree(comB"acs(hmD(
Ronca, !ebra( :9ow !e"oresaion 7or)s(: 10 June 200H( 9ow4u""7or)s(com( 2+ January
2009(Ah$#BBscience(howsu""wor)s(comB%e"oresaion(hmD
K4o$ he !esrucion o" *ur 8eaui"ul EarhL( 4o$ 2he EarhMs !esrucion( 19 Feb( 2009
Ah$#BBwww(so$earh%esrucion(comBReason-For- !e"oresaion(hmlD(
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