animal in the rainforest

Life in the Rainforest

It is believed that over 50% of the world's species of plants and
animals are found in the rainforest. Amazingly, only cover 6 -
7% of the total land surface on Earth is covered by rainforest.
On average, there are between 20 to 80 different species of
trees per acre. There is also a wide variety of animal life found
in the rainforest. Many of the animals have special adaptations
that allow them to live in the tropical conditions, but they would
not survive outside of this ecosystem. These animals include
but are not limited to Toucans, Parrots, Resplendant Quetzals,
Sloths, Orangutans, Gorillas, Queen Alexandra Birdwing
Butterflies, and Lemurs.

There are also indigenous cultures of people that live in and
depend on the rainforest. Some of the tribes that can be found
here include the Yanomami and Kayapo tribes of the Amazon,
the Huli of Papau New Guinea, and the Pygmies of Central
Africa. Some tribes have had little, if any, contact with outside
civilizations, while others seek to legally protect the lands on
which they live. These cultures have adapted to the conditions
of the rainforest, and have a deep understanding of the
ecosystem. They often have knowledge of medicinal herbs and
plants, and understand how to cultivate rainforest land without
upsetting the balance of nutrients in the soils.

Deforestation

Much of the world's rainforest has been severely impacted by
human activities. These activities usually include deforestation
for the purposes of logging, growing crops, urban settlement, or
raising farm animals such as cattle. As the population of the
world continues to increase, the amount of deforestation of the
rainforest may also continue to rise.

Unfortunately, we are losing many species of plants and
animals found in the rainforest due to these activities. Potential
medicines that have not even been discovered yet may be at
risk of never being found due to deforestation. Many rainforest
animals are endangered due to these activities. Cultures of
indigenous peoples are also at risk of losing their way of life.

There are currently many organizations working to protect the
rainforest. Some of them include the Rainforest Alliance, The
Nature Conservancy, and the Rainforest Action Network. These
sites provide information on ways we can all help to conserve
one of the world's most valuable and endangered ecosystems.

Summary

The rainforest is a vital lifeline of Earth, as well as one of the
most unique ecosystems of our planet. It contains a wide
variety of plants, animals and people, and all are important to
the balance of nature. While it is not too late to save the
rainforest ecosystems of the world, there is still much work to
be done if we will succeed in protecting this valuable resource.