Tropical rainforests are found in areas of land close to the equator. They are hot and humid, have lots of annual rainfall and have lots of biodiversity. These beautiful places are being affected by human deforestation which contributes to the global issue of global warming. Human population is growing and expanding into these areas, cutting down forest to do so and taking away its biodiversity.
Before we talk about pressing issue with the rainforests, let 's get a better idea of what they are. Rainforests have some of the highest annual rainfall on the planet, hence the name rainforest. With the combination of plenty of moisture, sunlight and warmth, rainforests are also some of the most biodiverse places on earth. They are estimated to hold up to 50% of the planet’s terrestrial plant and animal species, while only taking up to 6% of the planet’s land. With all of this biomass living in one area, you may assume the soil would be very rich in nutrients. Surprisingly, the soil is poor in nutrients because all the rainfall washes it away.
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As our population grows, we need more and more land to either live on or grow food on. This means we have to start cutting down forests to make room. The plants in the forests are what make the oxygen that we breath through photosynthesis which is a part of the carbon cycle. The more we cut down, the more we interfere with that cycle and the more the rest of the forest is affected. This interfering with the carbon cycle is also a contributor to the issue of global warming. Plants help clean up the extra carbon dioxide in the air that causes global warming, so if we cut them down, the problem will only get