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| Rhinoceros Hornbill is one of many rare bird species saved by work to protect rainforests [Credit: Tim Laman/Art.com] |
Jonathan Barnard, the RSPB’s Head of Tropical Forests said: “Every four seconds an area of rainforest the size of a football pitch is lost – cut down with chainsaws, primarily for commercial interests.”
The world’s rainforests have been subject to extensive logging and agricultural clearance. Of the 6 million square miles of tropical rainforest that originally existed, only 2.6 million square miles remain, while only 50 per cent, or 75 million acres, of temperate rainforest is still in existence.
Rainforests are a hugely important habitat – home to an estimated 50 per cent of the world’s plants and animals. They have been termed the planet’s ‘green lungs’ due to its role in carbon dioxide recycling, being responsible for 28 per cent of oxygen turnover.
Jonathan continued: “Rainforests are some of the most threatened habitats on earth and their destruction threatens more than three quarters of the world’s biodiversity. Not only are rainforests important places for some of the planet’s most vulnerable wildlife, they also provide homes for indigenous people and are huge carbon stores, so saving them is vital for so many reasons, including helping to counter climate change.”
The RSPB is working to protect rainforests in Sumatra and Sierra Leone, as well as supporting projects in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Thailand and Montserrat. This work is helping to save endangered and threatened species such as the Sumatran Tiger, Pygmy Hippopotamus, Leopard, Chimpanzee, Forest Elephant, Sun Bear and many rare birds, including the majestic Rhinoceros Hornbill.
Jonathan commented: “We’ve made real progress since we started our rainforest work, but it’s hugely expensive and we need more funds to ensure we make a difference on the scale that’s needed.”
Provided by The Archaeology News Network
