Despite their uniqueness and extraordinary value, tropical rain forests are being destroyed and badly degraded at an unsustainable rate. Some scientists estimate that in the early 1990s tropical forests were being destroyed at a rate of approximately 28 hectares (70 acres) a minute, or about 14 million hectares (35 million acres) each year—an area about the size of the state of Wisconsin. This figure marked a decrease since the 1980s, when approximately 16 million hectares (40 million acres) were destroyed each year, largely due to a reported decline of deforestation in the Amazon River basin in the early 1990s. However, satellite images indicate that rates may have rebounded in the late 1990s as burning in the Amazon increased again. Over the past three decades alone, about 5 million sq km (about 2 million sq mi)—or 20 percent of the world’s tropical forests—have been cleared. During this time, deforestation in tropical Asia reached almost 30 percent. High rates of deforestation are inevitably followed by alarming rates of plant and animal extinction because many rain forest species cannot survive outside their pristine rain forest habitat. Some scientists estimate that dozens of rain forest species are becoming extinct every day.
2006-06-30 18:03:09
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answer #1
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answered by thesagittariansprince 4
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Plenty. Most lumber companies replant after they cut down.
2006-06-30 13:42:41
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answer #2
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answered by Anonymous
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35%
2006-06-30 13:49:20
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answer #3
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answered by Judas Rabbi 7
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30%-40%
2006-07-01 03:45:15
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answer #4
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answered by Suganya 2
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no idea but would guesstimate about 1/3rd
2006-06-30 13:43:01
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answer #5
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answered by ed3602us 4
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take a look at this site
2006-06-30 13:45:43
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answer #6
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answered by Anonymous
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shrinking by the day!
2006-06-30 13:43:23
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answer #7
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answered by AZRAEL è 5
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