Rain Forest Facts
by Alejandro
Indonesia Rain Forest
Rain forests only cover 2 percent of the globe. All the rain forests in the world cover only 5.5 million square kilometers.
80 acres of forest are cut down every minute. Unless deforestation is drastically reduced most possibly the rainforest will be gone by the end of this century.
Scientists have counted about 280 kinds of animals in one 2 1/2 acre area of South America.
More kinds of amphibians, birds, insects, mammals, and reptiles live in the rain forest than anywhere else.
Rain forests are home to more than a thousand still living tribes of Indian peoples. Native people are growing crops in the rain forest area. The government is telling farmers to make farms there.
We use products from the rain forest when we read a book, drive a car, drink coffee, put deodorant on, eat chocolate or take a pill. The United States imports almost billion dollars worth of rain forest products a year.
Rain forests have more kinds of trees than any other place in the world. Seventy percent of the plants identified as having anti-cancer properties are found in the rain forest.
The tallest trees in rain forests can grow up to 200 ft. The tops of other trees make a covering of leaves about 100 to 150 ft. above the ground. All the tops of the trees shade the forest floor so that it gets only one percent of the sunlight as the trees in the canopy.
Wood is energy for millions of people. Wood for fuel gathering destroys 5 million acres of rain forest every year.
They're cutting the rain forests to make room for public roads and houses. A lot of trees are being cut down just to make room for big shopping malls.
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