Rain Forrsest Essay, Research Paper

Rain forests may be grouped into two major types: tropical and temperate.

Tropical rain forest is evergreen trees that form a closed canopy, below

which is found a zone of vines and epiphytes where plants grow on trees, a

relatively open forest floor, and a very large number of species of both

plant and animal life. The largest trees have buttressed trunks above the

continuous canopy, while smaller trees form a layer of more shade-delicate

species beneath the upper canopy. The maximum height of the upper canopy of

tropical rain forests is usually around 100 to 165 ft, with some individual

trees rising as high as 200 ft above the forest floor. Conifers such as

redwood and Sitka spruce tend to predominate in North America, while their

counterparts in the southern hemisphere include various species of

eucalyptus, Araucaria and Nothofagus. Th rain forest is home to many species

of rare animals and plants. In the past and present history it has also been

the home of over one hundred and twenty over the counte

r prescriptions. All of this information has brought up the question that is

on many minds, Should economic organizations, buisnesses and individual

governments be allowed to continue the use and at times the abuse of the

brazilian rain forest? Is economic advancement more important than the

preservation of the rainforest. This is why we are the government has called

on us. To find the facts and give it how it should be.

Medicinal uses of the rain forests are a huge part of everyone’s lives.

The rain Forrest has over 120 over the counter prescriptions and has made

over

12 billion dollars in sales. They say that the tropical rainforests cover

seven percent of the earth and hold just about half of the world’s animals.

Also there is data that there may be about ten percent of useful Amazon

plants now, and scientist’s think that also there may be a cure for the AIDS

virus. These are some of the medicines that come from the rainforest. Like

the drug called Quinine, which comes from the bark of quinine tree, which

fights malaria. Not only do the plants have cures, but the animals there too

have some medicine in them. Like the Brazilian pit viper, which can help

solve blood pressure. The drug is called Capoten; the venom from the pit

viper is the main ingredient in the drug. Right now in the Brazilian

rainforest there are currently 121 different drugs being produced and being

sold all over the world. The United States cancer society has discovered that

three thousand plants that are found in the rainforest are currently active

against cancer cells. Twenty five percent of ingredie

nts in today’s cancer fighting drugs come from organisms only found in the

rainforest. Some of these help you recover leukemia; they are Vincrstine, and

Periwinkle.

More than 100 endangered species are dying each day and they estimate 40,000

will be dying each year in the year 2000. One of these species is the Jaguar

who is being hunted for their beautiful fur. Another reason for this is

because they are slowly becoming more rare by the year. Hunter’s obsessions

for the rarest animal are becoming worse. One more reason is because of our

population, we are taking up more room in the world and we are driving over

looked animals out of their homes, and with out their homes it makes it

extremely difficult to get used to a new one. We need all of the animals in

the world because they all have a part in it to help everything and everyone.

Bibliography

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