Why do rainforests need protecting

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If your Facebook account does not have an attached e-mail address, you'll need to add that before you can sign up. Please contact us at contact globalcitizen. An estimated 18 million acres 7. This is a tragedy for many reasons and something as Global Citizens we should take a stand against! If rainforests disappear what would happen to them? As more than 40 countries pledge to quit coal at COP Learn the meaning of net zero. COP Your complete guide to the conference, plus how you can get involved.

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Others Others. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. They also provide homes and sustainable livelihoods for local communities around the world. Indigenous peoples like the Miskito and Mayangna have lived in the forests of Central America for millennia. And millions of people live next to forests and depend on them for income or natural resources, like fruit, timber, coffee beans, or tree sap. All plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen back into the air during photosynthesis.

Living forests absorb and store a huge amount of carbon, using it as a nutrient. According to a study published in Science, tropical forests hold more carbon than humanity has emitted over the past 30 years by burning coal, oil, and natural gas[5]! When trees are cut down, all of their stored carbon is released back into the atmosphere, worsening climate change.

They absorb gases like nitrogen oxide and ammonia and trap particles within their leaves. They also absorb many odors, leaving only their natural oils to scent the air. Forests play an important role in saving water. When rain falls into a forest, the canopy keeps water from evaporating immediately. The dense root system also ensures that the water soaks into the soil. There, it can trickle into the groundwater supply, rather than immediately pouring into a stream.

Of course, that increases the risk of flooding. But to make matters worse, the water is immediately lost to the river and eventually to the ocean.