Book Review 2-05 “Rainforests”

Rainforests

I read a book about rainforests. Recently, I am interested in the global environment. I had many questions about it. And I also had some questions about rainforests. Now, I will express my questions. And I will answer them on the basis of the book’s subject matters.


1. What are rainforests?
Rainforests have a genial climate. There are very tall trees. And, rainforests are forests where it rain a lot all the year around. Rainforests are in Africa, Asia, Australia, Middle America and South America. The biggest rainforest is “Amazon”. It is in South America.
2.Why are rainforests important?
Rainforests is important for ecosystem all over the world. Many animals and plants live in rainforests. While forests are disappearing, many species are threatened with extinction. Zoo cannot save all animals. And rainforests settle the climate. They can protect from floods, lacks of water and erosions. They are sources of medical herbs and foods. And they support the life of the original inhabitant. And I think rainforests are the nice places to travel.
3. Why are there many species of animals and plants in rainforests?
Trees in rainforests get much sunshine. The sunshine changes into energy. Rainforests get much sunshine, so they have much energy. The energy is saved by plants. And the plants are eaten by animals. Rainforests have many provisions of plants and animals. So, many species of animals and plants live in rainforests.
4. Why do rainforests disappear in the world?
The main cause is human being. Human cut down trees for many purposes. For example, human fells trees to use lumbers and firewood, to secure grounds for agriculture, for pasture and to set up roads.


I was surprised at the present condition of rainforests. Recently, I hear that foresting many trees is effective for the earth. But when I took a course of “theory of environment”, I knew it is not necessarily right. Even if planted trees absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen, the number of carbon does not decrease easily. Trees fell down have to be buried below the earth for decrease of number of carbon; otherwise they emit carbon various ways. In other words, “Planting trees = cutting carbon dioxide” is wrong. I think that it is eventually important to save primeval forests which are made by earth.

Reference
Rowena, A. (2008). Rainforests. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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