Value of Rainforests
- All ecosystems provide goods and services
- There are resources and opportunities provided by the rainforest both in its natural state and once it is cleared of rainforest
Goods
- Goods are tangible products which can be taken from the ecosystem
- Goods include:
- Building materials
- Existing food crops
- Wild meat and fish
- Water
- Medicines
- Energy
Services
- The services provided by ecosystems are essential for life to survive
- They include:
- Nutrient recycling
- Gas exchange
- Water cycle
- Climate regulation
- Soil quality
- Disease and pest control
- Leisure and recreation
- Cultural heritage
- Gas exchange is of particular importance on a global as well as local level
- Plants and trees absorb CO2 during photosynthesis and emitting oxygen
- The rainforest is often referred to as the lungs of the world
- The tropical rainforest is one of the largest global carbon sinks
Value to people
- Indigenous communities such as the Awá in Brazil depend on the rainforest for food, materials, fuel and medicines
- Resources such as gold, iron ore and other valuable minerals
- Many of the products we eat and use today have their origins in the tropical rainforest including:
- Sugar
- Nuts
- Rubber
- Perfumes
- Bananas
- Many of the modern medicines that we rely upon have come from rainforest plants including 25% of the ingredients used in cancer treatment drugs
- Hydroelectric power (HEP) is common due to the amount of available water
- There are many employment opportunities:
- Agriculture
- Logging
- Tourism
- Mining
- Construction
Value to the environment
- The tropical rainforest is an important source of freshwater - about 20% of the world's freshwater
- Over 50% of the world's plants and animals are found in the tropical rainforests
- As a carbon sink the rainforests are vital in controlling the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere so limiting global warming
- The tree and plant roots help to hold the soil together and shelter the ground. This reduces soil erosion