Sustainable forestry practices are critical for ensuring we have these resources well into the future. These include quinine, a malaria drug curare, an anesthetic used in surgery and rosy periwinkle, which is used to treat certain types of cancer. Many of the medicines we use today come from plants found only in tropical rainforests. Tropical forests give us many valuable products, including woods like mahogany and teak, rubber, fruits, nuts, and flowers. island of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea. For example, more than 500 different species of trees live in the forests on the small U.S. Although tropical forests cover fewer than 6 percent of the world’s land area, they are home to about 80 percent of the world’s documented species. About half of all the forests on Earth are in the tropics-an area that circles the globe near the Equator. Deforestation also harms the people who rely on forests for their survival, hunting and gathering, harvesting forest products, or using the timber for firewood. Deforestation accounts for 15 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. It also releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. Deforestation destroys wildlife habitats and increases soil erosion. Each year, Earth loses about 14.6 million hectares (36 million acres) of forest to deforestation-an area about the size of the U.S. People clear forests to use the wood, or to make way for farming or development. Deforestation is the process of clearing away forests by cutting them down or burning them. They provide people with lumber and firewood. They add nutrients to the soil through leaf litter. They store carbon, helping reduce global warming. Forests provide habitats for animals and plants. Tropical rainforests are especially rich in biodiversity. Forests are home to more than two-thirds of all known land species. Every continent except Antarctica has forests, from the evergreen-filled boreal forests of the north to mangrove forests in tropical wetlands. Forests A forest is a large area covered with trees grouped so their foliage shades the ground. There are many different resources we need to conserve in order to live sustainably. When we use the environment in ways that ensure we have resources for the future, it is called sustainable development. Development and conservation can coexist in harmony. The benefits of development need to be weighed against the harm to animals that may be forced to find new habitats, the depletion of resources we may want in the future (such as water or timber), or damage to resources we use today. All these needs are valid, but sometimes the plants and animals that live in the area are forgotten. A business may want to build a factory or shopping mall on the land. A timber company may want to harvest the area’s trees for construction materials. For some people, a wooded area may be a good place to put a farm. The need to conserve resources often conflicts with other needs. The continuation of life as we know it depends on the careful use of natural resources. Billions of people use up resources quickly as they eat food, build houses, produce goods, and burn fuel for transportation and electricity. The population of human beings has grown enormously in the past two centuries. Through conservation, people can reduce waste and manage natural resources wisely. If used wisely and efficiently, however, renewable resources will last much longer. If resources are carelessly managed, many will be used up. Fertile soil is exhausted and lost to erosion because of poor farming practices. Forests are cleared, exposing land to wind and water damage.
Once they are used up, they are gone f orever. Other resources, such as fossil fuels, cannot be replaced at all. Others, like large trees, take a long time to replace. Some of these resources, like small plants, can be replaced quickly after they are used.
All the things we need to survive, such as food, water, air, and shelter, come from natural resources. Conservation is the practice of caring for these resources so all living things can benefit from them now and in the future. Earth’s natural resources include air, water, soil, minerals, fuels, plants, and animals.
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