From the deepest of their layers and courses to the top of the tree crowns, our rainforests are the real champions in keeping our planet healthy and us, humans, alive. On that note, here are some of the reasons why rainforests are extremely important to all of us.
Rainforests are vitally essential for the well-being of our planet and the survival and continuation of the human race. Trees utilize their roots to extract water out of the ground then discharge it into the air in the form of water vapor. In other words, they attract the rain to grow food. If the rainforest were to disappear, there would soon be drought, starvation, and disease all over the world.
Trees also absorb a substantial amount of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere which helps global warming reach the point of no return, ’til our planet is inhabitable. What’s more, when trees use carbon, they release oxygen back into the atmosphere. Together, as an ecosystem, rainforests render the exact balance life needs to flourish.
Tropical rainforests are an excellent habitat for over 30 million species of plants and animals. Many of these are uniquely accustomed to their rainforest habitats and they would die and go extinct if it is destroyed. As well as plants and animals, rainforests are home to billions of microorganisms, an unimaginable 10,000 to 50,000 various types of bacteria, and 400 types of fungi are contained in just one spoonful of rainforest soil.
Over a quarter of modern medicines were incipiently originated from rainforest plants yet indigenous people understand considerably more about the marvels of rainforests than we do. Their culture, tradition, and spirituality are all connected to their rainforest habitat. They live in harmony in nature, they recognize that they must respect and protect their environment to preserve it for forthcoming generations.
Rainforests are a defense against erosion, landslides, and avalanches. In over a couple of thousands of years, humans have wiped out 80% of the planet’s original forest cover. For every vanishing forest, we lose the most important barrier against climate change. Not to mention the millions of rural people that depend on these rainforests to survive. In a forest, every tree has a vital role to play as does every animal, every plant, every living being. From the largest to the microscopically small ones.
The significance of rainforests can never be underestimated. Preserving our rainforests can begin with us. Help indigenous groups and organizations that help defend themselves against external pressures. We all need to be informed about reforestation and deforestation laws. Together, we can make a difference. We can all affect change.
