--Forests: Then & Now--
8,000 years ago, the Earth was covered by approximately 14.8 billion acres
of forests. 1
The world's forest area has now shrunk to 8.6 billion acres as a consequence of human exploitation -- most of which occurred in the last 50 years. 2
In 1800, there were 7.1 billion acres of tropical forest worldwide. 1
There are 3.5 billion acres of tropical forest remaining. 3
--Our Shrinking Tropical Forests--
We're losing 33.8 million acres of tropical forest per year --
More than the total area of New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey and Delaware combined --
2.8 million acres lost per month...93,000 acres/day...3,800 acres/hour...64 acres/minute. 3
Between 1960-1990, 1.1 billion acres of tropical forest were cleared. 4
Brazil lost 91.4 million acres of tropical forest between 1980-1990 --
Almost the total area of North and South Dakota combined. 4
Asia lost almost a third of its tropical forest cover between 1960-1980 --
the highest rate of forest conversion in the world. 4
Almost 90% of West Africa's rainforest has already been destroyed. 4
75% of Australia's tropical rainforest has been cleared since the late 1700's. 5
--Species Extinction--
We lose 100 species every day -- 4 species per hour --
due to tropical deforestation. 5
At current rates, 5-10% of tropical forest species will become
extinct every decade. 5
About 50% of all mammals and 25% of all bird species in peninsular Malaysia
will become extinct by the year 2020. 6
--Species & Their Tropical Homes--
Over 50% of the Earth's species live in tropical forests. 3
Tropical forests contain 70% of the world's vascular plants, 30% of all bird species
and 90% of all invertebrates. 1
90% of all primates are found only in tropical forest regions of Latin America, Africa and Asia. 7
In Brazil's Atlantic Rainforest, 70% of its plants and most of its 20 primate species are endemic (found nowhere else in the world) --
95% of this rainforest has been destroyed. 4
43 ant species were found on one tree in Peru --
the same number as in the entire British Isles. 8
Ecuador's tropical forests contain over 15,000 plant species.
There are 13,000 plant species in all of Europe. 9
Madagascar is 2% of Africa's land mass but has 10,000 species of plants --
80% are endemic. 10
Madagascar is home to all of the world's lemurs (primate species) --
all are endangered. 7
Almost 90% of Madagascar's forests have been destroyed. 3
780 tree species have been found in a 25 acre plot of Malaysian rainforest-- 9
more than the total number of tree species native to the US and Canada. 11
--Medicinal Plants--
Medicines that derive from tropical forest plants include:
Curare (muscle relaxant used in surgery), Diosgenin (birth control pills, arthritis, asthma),
Ouabain (heart medication), Quinine (malaria, pneumonia), Emetine (bronchitis, dysentery), Vincristine/Vinblastine (Hodgkin's disease, leukemia, other cancers). 9
Over 2,000 tropical plants have been identified by scientists as having anti-cancer properties. 12
In Southeast Asia, traditional healers use 6,500 plants in treatments for
malaria, stomach ulcers, syphilis and assorted other disorders. 9
Indigenous peoples of Northwest Amazonia use over 1,300 plant species
as medicines. 13
--Indigenous Peoples--
Before 1500, there were approximately 6 million indigenous people living in Brazilian Amazonia.
In the early 1990's, there were less than 250,000. 14
Over 90 different Amazonian tribes are thought to have disappeared this century. 14