1. Rainforest Deforestation

2. Where are the world’s rainforests?
Rainforests are generally found around the equator
Rainforests once covered 14% of the world’s surface
Now rainforests only account for 6% of Earth’s land surface

3. ABOUT DEFORESTATION
DEFORESTATION: when forests are permanently altered to convert the land for other uses.
It is estimated that 18 million acres of forest are cut each year
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4. CONSEQUENCES OF DEFORESTATION
1. Environmental destruction
2. ANIMAL POPULATIONS DECREASE OR BECOME EXTINCT
3. Indigenous people lose their homeland

5. EXTINCTION OF ANIMAL LIFE
10% OF THE WORLD’S ANIMALS SPECIES ARE ESTIMATED TO LIVE IN AMAZONIA
70% OF THE WORLD’S PLANT AND LAND ANIMALS LIVE IN FORESTS
On AVERAGE, 137 forms of life native to the TROPICAL RAINFORESTS BECOME EXTINCT EACH DAY
warming/deforestation-overview/

6. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES
Deforestation ruins soil
Without the canopy of trees, soil becomes dry and infertile

7. Environmental consequences cont.
- Fewer trees leads means that more carbon dioxide will be released into the atmosphere and destroy the ozone layer - Global warming is exacerbated by deforestation

8. Indigenous people lose their homes
500 years ago, there were an estimated 10 million indigenous people living in the Amazon rainforest
Currently the population of indigenous people living in the Amazon rainforest is less than 200,000

9. Why is the tropical rainforest being destroyed?
Agriculture and ranching
Most of the Amazon has been lost to cattle ranching
Logging, mining, and oil extraction