Rainforests - Support systems and goods

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Life Support Systems:

Nutrient Cycle:

Forest leaf litter provides humus (very fertile soil)

Roots hold soil in place to prevent nutrients being washed away

Only covers 2% of earths surface but provides half of wild trees, plants, wildlife

Green Lungs:

More than 20% of the worlds oxygen is made in the Amazon rainforest

When trees are burnt they release CO2 they have absorbed and more

Hydrological Cycle:

Store water like a huge sponge

Amazon rainforest stores 1/2 of the world's rainwater

Roots protect soil from erosion. They feed rivers lakes and irrigation systems

Provision of habitats/biodiversity:

More fish in 1 lake than in all of Europes rivers

A 25 acre plot of rainforest has the diversity of that of the whole of North America

Losing 137 species a day due to deforestation

Recreation:

Attractive scenery for tourists

Education of the sustainability of rainforests

Sustainable education

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Goods:

Food:

Nuts

Coffee

Bananas

Spices

By harvesting rainforests natural food goods it has more economic value than timber/cattle

Medicines:

121 drugs come from plant sources

25% of anti cancer active drug ingredients come from the rainforest

Raw Materials:

More economic value comes from fruits, rubber etc than is deforested and used for cattle

Knowledge from indigenous tribes:

Less than 200,000 Indians living in tropical rainforests

Specific men have knowledge, if one dies its iike a library has burned down