Rain Forest and Species Crisis in Madagascar
Is Total Extinction Inevitable for the Endemic Flora and Fauna?
Sep 14, 2009
Turtles and tortoises peculiar only to Madagascar are headed towards extinction due to the illegal reptile trade. There are countless other species too, in the same locale, headed for the same fate.
Madagascar, an island located off the eastern coast of Africa, offers an array of flora and fauna peculiar only to this region.
Little of the forest cover remains in Madagascar, the bulk of it having been victimized by the need for timber and agriculture (rice farming). Rain forests in the tropics, like the one in Madagascar, suffer from similar abuse.
Some Benefits of the Rain Forests
One wouldn't necessarily conclude that rain forests have a purpose, but, the contrary is true. For instance:
- Large amounts of carbon are stored in the soil and living entities, keeping this stable decreases the impact to global warming;
- Huge quantities of water vapor fill the earth's atmosphere, thus creating much needed rainfall and moisture to sustain life;
- Rain forests have been home to immense populations of indigenous forest people (the numbers, however, are fast declining);
- They provide needed commodities for labor, thus helping communities to thrive. However, the enigma/dilemma is, how to help poverty stricken nations provide for their people, utilizing the resources of the rain forest, without simultaneously destroying it;
- Protecting the rain forests that have survived for countless generations, may provide for a place of refuge for species in areas experiencing severe climatic changes. What a lonely, isolated world it would be without the fellowship of other living entities!
- Many fruits, vegetables, spices and nuts known and eaten by humanity were originally found in the rain forests, such as: "avocados, coconuts, figs, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, bananas, guavas, pineapples, mangoes, and tomatoes, corn, potatoes, rice winter squash and yams, black pepper, cayenne, chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, sugar cane, tumeric, coffee and vanilla and Brazil nuts and cashews". [1]
Medicinal Benefits From the Rain Forests
Cancer treatment is linked to certain plants found nowhere else in the world except in the rain forests.[2]
For instance, Vincristine, a fearsome cancer fighting drug, is found in the periwinkle, a rain forest plant, used to battle against childhood leukemia. [3] Additionally, thanks to the wonder of significant drug benefits derived from rain forest plants, there is crucial research carried on by the US government, Merck and The National Cancer Institute with the hopes of finding cures. [4]
Consequences to Rain forest Destruction
Due to the immense amount of carbon stored, when forests are destroyed, this carbon is released proving to be a major contributor to global warming. Cloud mass decreases as a result of global warming, thus, more solar radiation reaches the earth. Solar radiation has its own consequences.
Given that many medicinal drugs are derived from rain forest plants, should the rain forest continue to disappear and decrease, this will ultimately mean that these plants will cease to exist, thus, the current medicinal research may come to a halt. Taking that one logical step further, the hope of cures will be swept away or, at the very least, significantly repressed.
Oxygen to the World
Rain forests supply oxygen to the world. What will happen when there are no more rain forests to produce the oxygen needed to support human and animal life? Where will the oxygen come from?
This article briefly skims the surface of the rain forest crises found not only in Madagascar, but in other rain forest areas of the world. Humanity, all humanity, if it is to live in the future, must take desperate measures to protect all of the life giving benefits this magnificent planet has to offer.
Sources
News.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7190053.stm
Time.com/time/specials/.../0,28757,1888728,00.html
[1,2,3,4] Rain-tree.com/facts.htm
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