FORESTS COVER ONE-THIRD OF THE WORLD'S LAND SURFACE OF WHICH ABOUT 50 PERCENT IS OCCUPIED BY TROPICAL FORESTS.ON A GLOBAL SCALE FORESTS REPRESENT HUGE MASSES OF PHOTOSYNTHETIC VEGETATION. THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR RECYCLING THOUSANDS OF TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE AND OXYGEN EVERYDAY. WITHOUT THE RAIN-FORESTS,OUR ATMOSPHERE WILL GRADUALLY DETERIORATE. EQUALLY IMPORTANT IS RAIN FORESTS RECYCLING OF WATER. OVER 75 PERCENT OF RAIN THAT FALLS ON THE FORESTS IS RETURNED TO THE ATMOSPHERE THROUGH EVAPORATION AND PLANT TRANSPIRATION. THIS WATER MAY TRAVEL HALF WAY AROUND THE GLOBE BEFORE IT FALLS AS RAIN AGAIN. ANIMAL LIFE PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN MAINTAINING THE FORESTS. DESTRUCTION OF THESE FORESTS MEANS EXTINCTION TO THE WILDLIFE , WHICH DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY HELP IN CONTRIBUTING THE FOREST RESOURCES.
THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL HAVE TO PAY A HEAVY PRICE FOR THE LOSS OF SPECIES , GENETIC DIVERSITY AND DEGRADATION OF HABITATS. BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES , WHICH COMPRISE OF THE PORTION OF BIODIVERSITY THAT IS OF ACTUAL OR POTENTIAL USE TO PEOPLE, PROVIDE THE BASIS FOR MOST HUMAN ENTERPRISES. THE SPECIES BEING LOST TODAY CONTAIN UNKNOWN FOOD, MEDICAL AND INDUSTRIAL USES. DUE TO MISMANAGEMENT, THE BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ARE LOSING THEIR CAPACITY TO SUPPORT THE HUMAN POPULATION DEPENDENT UPON THEM, AND THIS DEGRADATION IS INCREASING FURTHER COSTS THROUGH SOIL EROSION, SILTATION OF RESERVOIRS, LOCAL CLIMATE CHANGES, DESERTIFICATION AND LOSS OF PRODUCTIVITY.
HABITATS OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS PROVIDE FOOD AND SPACE FOR NORMAL GROWTH AND TERRITORIAL BEHAVIOUR, BREEDING AND MOVEMENT FOR ANIMALS. THERE IS CONSTANT INTERACTION BETWEEN ORGANISMS WITHIN THE HABITAT IN EXCHANGE OF ENERGY AND SHELTER . HUMANS ARE DESTROYING THIS HABITATS, THROUGH COMMERCIAL LOGGING, RECLAMATION OF WETLANDS AND POLLUTION. MIGRATORY BIRDS FROM THE SUB-POLAR REGIONS THAT SETTLE IN WETLAND AREAS DURING THE WINTER WILL SUFFER FROM DISTURBANCE IN THEIR MIGRATORY PATTERN AND BREEDING HABITS, IF WETLANDS DISAPPEAR. BUILDING OF DAMS ALONG RIVERS INUDATES ADJACENT LANDS, DESTROYING FORESTS AND KILLING ALL LIFE FORMS IN IT. IT ALSO UPSETS THE BREEDING PATTERNS OF FISH IN THE UPPER CATCHMENT AREA.
PROTECTED AREAS ARE INCREASINGLY SUBJECTED TO THREATS THAT EVEN THE BEST MANAGED AREAS CANNOT RESIST TO EXPLOITER. TO DATE A COMMERCIAL LOGGER HAS FELT FREE TO EXPLOIT TIMBER STOCKS WITHOUT ANY REGARD OF WHAT HIS ACTIONS WOULD RESULT ON THE BIODIVERSITY. THE SAME APPLIES TO CATTLE RANCHERS, ROAD AND DAM BUILDERS AND OTHERS WHO EXPLOIT TROPICAL FORESTS MINDLESSLY.
POLICIES THAT PROMOTE CONSERVATION MUST BE GIVEN SERIOUS ATTENTION BY THE GOVERNMENT AND COMMERCIAL DECISION MAKERS EVEN PARTIAL VALUATION OF THE BENEFITS OF COSERVING BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES CAN PROVIDE, AT LEAST , A LOWER LIMIT TO THE FULL RANGE OF BENEFITS THAT COSERVATION CONTRIBUTES TO NATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
MAN IS DAY BY DAY CONSUMING AND WASTING THE EARTH'S RESOURCES WITHOUT KEEPING IN MIND ITS LIMITATIONS. EARTH'S RESOURCES CAN ONLY BE STRETCHED TILL A CERTAIN POINT AFTER WHICH IT IS UNABLE TO REGENERATE OR REPRODUCE. UNLESS MAN USES THESE RESOURCES SUSTAINABLY AND CHECKS HIMSELF FROM OVER CONSUMPTION AND EXPLOITATION, HE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SURVIVE FOR VERY LONG ON A PLANET STRIPPED OF ALL ITS RESOURCES.
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