Rainforests & Pharmaceuticals

This research report will not only analyze the importance of our rainforests to the individual cultures and governments, but will also specifically target the importance of medical research into these forests by pharmaceutical corporations. These corporate giants realize the delicate ecological balance in nature and how our human lives and future depends on its preservation. It is only through sustainable development will the forests and human lives thrive.

Did you know that one little plant called the Madagascar Periwinkle has increased the survival rates of children with leukemia, from 20% to 80% (Quote)? This is just one little plant from an amazing array of thousands that grow in our rainforests. The sad fact is that this storehouse of plants and trees are being destroyed at a rate of 60 hectares, or 150 acres, per minute. This destruction has resulted in a loss of plant and animal life that could be the next cure for AIDS or cancer (Reference).

The full impact of the loss of bio-diversity in the rainforest may not be realized in the next 30 to 50 years. What we do know now is that our previous business methods of agriculture do not work. They do not allow the ecosystems to regenerate. Humans are destroying these forests faster than they can grow.

Rainforests have been called the womb of life because they are home to 50-90% of the species on Earth. Worldwide, several hundred million forest-dwelling people live in or depend on rainforests. Many of the world’s important food crops and domestic animals have been developed from rainforest species. Human beings depend on rainforests in numerous ways, but it would be wrong to suggest that rainforests should be preserved purely so that humans can exploit them.

The Importance of Rainforests to Human Survival

Tropical rainforests are the Earth's oldest living ecosystems. Fossil records show that the forests of Southeast Asia have existed in more or less their present form for 70 to 100 million years.

Tropical rainforests are defined primarily by two factors: location (in the tropics) and amount of rainfall they receive. In ecological terms, they are "multi-storied closed, broad leafed forest vegetation with a continuous tree canopy of variable height and with characteristic diversity of species and life forms". For example, a typical four square mile patch of rainforest contains as many as:

• 1500 species of flowering plants
• 750 species of trees
• 125 mammal species
• 400 species of birds
• 100 of reptiles
• 60 of amphibians
• 150 different species of butterflies
• In one study, one square meter of leaf litter, when analyzed turned up 50 species of ants alone.

Rainforests receive from 4 to 8 meters of rain a year -- 5 meters of rain falls on the rainforests of Borneo each year, five times as much as on the state of New York. The heavy vegetation blocks the rainfall, and water reaches the forest floor by rolling down branches and trunks or as a fine spray. Another distinctive characteristic is that rainforests have no "seasonality" -- no dry or cold season of slower growth.

Benefit from Biological Resources

There are many benefits humans derive from rainforests. Some wild species represent a genetic library of information that has developed over millions of years, something that cannot be recreated once it has gone. Tropical regions are thought to have 80% to 90% of all species on earth (estimated to be close to 5 million.) Less than 10% of these species have been identified.

• Food: All food comes from other organisms. Approximately 80,000 various types of wild plants have not yet been explored by humans for food. Potentially valuable food species and the wild ancestors of our domestic crops are being annihilated by forest clearing. Before the species can be identified and their genes preserved, these forests are being destroyed forever.
• Medicines: Wild plants and animals are important sources of drugs. More than half of all prescriptions contains natural products. The problem is that thousands of potential drugs are being eliminated before they have been identified by science. Vinblastine and vincristine are anti cancer drugs that were derived from a plant - the Madagascar periwinkle.
• Industrial and Commercial Products: Natural forests provide over 3 billion cubic meters of wood per year. More than 85% of all hardwoods harvested each year from virgin tropical forests mostly located in Southeast Asia. Hardwoods and plywood veneer are obtained from the old-growth forest trees. Other products that are being harvested from rainforests are rattan, cane, sisal, rubber, pectin, resin, gum, tannin, vegetable oil and waxes.
• Ecological Benefits: Rainforest plants, animals and microbes manufacture the soil formation, waste disposal, air and water purification processes, nutrient cycling, absorption of solar energy, and management of biogeochemical cycles. These wild species can also suppress 95% of pests and disease-causing organisms.
• Cultural Benefits: There are various natives whose cultural heritage has been dependent upon the rainforests. Not only do the natives cling upon these forests for survival, but appreciation of plant and animal-life species is enjoyed by millions of tourists. Adventure holidays, photography, and wildlife films depict the mystery of these rainforest countries.

A delicate, sensitive balance of all the eco-systems in the world is critically needed to sustain our environment and quality of life. In a "forest system" nothing is wasted. The process of decay, recycling and renewal goes on. In a "social system," however, rainforests are being ravished. Urgent actions must be taken to preserve its integrity and our environment.

Destruction of the Rainforests and its ramification

Two new studies suggest that ecosystems can be far more vulnerable than previously assumed. They are subject to disruption by fairly small environmental changes or loss of "minor" species not traditionally thought to be important. This is all in considerable peril from a global change. ¹ One report indicates that some ecological impacts of global warming might be abrupt, significant, and generally underestimated - not just a slow shift of species from one region to another. This report found that small changes in ocean temperature could affect important or "keystone" species and trigger large, relatively rapid changes in inter-tidal ecology.3 Another report suggests that measures to protect the ecosystem's health and function must consider not only those keystone species known to play dominant roles, but also many less prominent species which may be highly important at various intervals. Together, the research findings imply that the function of complex ecosystems is both difficult to predict and surprisingly easy to disrupt. The advent of human-related stresses, such as over-exploitation, increased species extinction and climate changes."

As we consider the impacts of global warming, many people assume the effects will be gradual, a shift to new regions by various plant and animal species," said Eric Sanford, an OSU ecologist." But this study shows that if you have an important species which is highly sensitive to temperature, then the effects of small temperature changes on an ecosystem can be amplified by species interactions."2

Rainforests are being destroyed at a staggering rate. They are disappearing "at a rate of 80 acres per minute, day and night… …major climatic and other environmental changes will occur if this continues." According to the National Academy of Science, at least 50 million acres a year are lost, an area the size of England, Wales and Scotland combined.

Destruction: facts in figures:

• Rates of Destruction: 17 million hectares a year -- an area larger than Switzerland. About 1 hectare a second or about a football field a second
• Species Extinction about 50 species per day
• Tropical timber Exports: 33 exporting countries in 1991. 10 countries are estimated to be still exporting in the year 2000 per the World Bank Estimate.
• Indigenous Tribes: 87 native rainforest societies destroyed in Brazil in first half of the 20th century. Approximately 1, 000 rainforest cultures are estimated to still exist worldwide.
• Number threatened by development: Approximately 1,000 plants.
• Worldwide tropical forest: 18.8 million ha. in existence as of 1980
  As of 1990: 17.1 million ha. And estimated amount as of 2000 is 1.54 million ha.
• Expiry Date for all Rainforests: Estimates range from 30 to 50 years, if present trends continue.
• Asia's tropical forest:
  1980: 310.8 million ha.
  1990: 274.9 million ha.
  2000: 239 million ha. (est.)
• The Americas tropical forest:
  1980: 923 million ha.
  1990: 839 million ha.
  2000:756 million ha. (est.)
• Africa's tropical forest
  1980: 650.3 million ha.
  1990: 600.1 million ha.
  2000: 549 million ha. (est.)

Causes of destruction

The cause of the destruction of the rainforest was put very simply by the Forest alliance of British Columbia (1996): "The global population has more than tripled this century, and will continue to grow for the next 50 years, particularly in developing countries. World population is expected to reach ten billion by 2050." Because the number of people living on the planet increases every year, the number of forest products needed also increases, forcing temperate and tropical rainforests to be cut down.
Almost half of all tropical deforestation has occurred in South America, although many people have been misinformed and believe Brazil to be highest.
Traditionally there were three major causes of destruction to the rainforest: farming, ranching, and logging. Recently, there has been a fourth: Greed.

• Farmers in rainforest countries are often poor and can’t afford to buy land. Instead, these farmers clear rainforest land to grow their crops. Because tropical rainforest soil is so poor in nutrients, farmers cannot reuse the same land year after year. In following years, farmers just clear more land, destroying the forest piece by piece.
• Ranchers clear large areas of rainforest to become pastures for their cattle. This land does not cost them very much, which is reflected in the low prices for cattle. Since cattle ranching is very profitable, ranchers continue to clear rainforest land so they can raise and sell more cattle. "During the 1980s, about 16.9 million hectares of tropical rainforest was cut down and replaced with farms and grazing land for cattle." (Forest Alliance of British Columbia, 1996.)
• Logging is the third major traditional reason for destruction of the rainforests. Trees from the rainforest are used for building houses, making furniture, and providing pulp for paper products. Rainforest that were chopped down can grow back over time, but they will never have the same variety of plants and animals they once did. The Amazon rainforest still remains as it was years ago, with less destruction occurring than in many other forests, because of its size and remoteness. But the Amazon may not remain peaceful for long.
• Transnational corporations are now targeting the Amazon and the other rainforests because of the latest problem of in rainforest destruction: Greed. Here we should also consider that the uneven distribution of wealth and land is also one major factor in the destruction of tropical forests. The World Bank estimates that of the 2.5 billion people now living in the tropics, one billion exist in absolute poverty.

Preventives

It is believed by many ecologists that some tropical rainforests can be harvested without causing damage to the great variety of plants and animals that live there. "The key is careful planning, sensitive harvesting, and appropriate silvicultural regimes to ensure that healthy new forests are regenerated (Forest Alliance of British Columbia, 1996)."

There are many ways to prevent rainforests from destruction.

• Worldwide boycotts are the most effective ways of stopping rainforest destruction. For example, boycotting fast food restaurants serving hamburgers raised from cattle on rainforest land could help prevent matters from getting worse. "More than 25% of the forests in Central America have been cleaned for pasture land [and] most cattle produced in Costa Rica is exported to developed countries for use in fast food hamburgers (Costa Rica Rainforest Outward Bound School, 1996)." Boycotting the hamburgers could have easily prevented this.
• Rainforest destruction can be minimized by not buying furniture products made from rosewood, mahogany, ebony, and teakwood, which most likely came from the rainforests. Boycotting companies such as Mitsubishi, who are helping to fund oil pipeline projects through rainforests, can also help preserve the natural balance of the forests. These corporations can be stopped if their customers show their concern.
• Ecotourism programs also contribute to protecting the rainforest. According to Guatemala’s Minister of Culture, Eco-tourist traffic has kept away poachers, illegal wood harvesters, burners, and drug-runners with secret air strips in the north jungle (Rembert, 1996.)

Although it appears that everyone can help protect the forests, it is critical that local people learn the alternatives to the traditional, destructive occupations. These natives who are used to burning, cultivating, logging, and hunting must also adjust their methods of survival. "Ecology is not about saving a tree here and a river there; rather, it is about the complex system that governs how things work together (Hayes, 1996)."

"Both temperate and tropical rainforests are important, if we want to protect them, we must learn to use them with care. We must understand how forest ecosystems work, and how our everyday decisions effect their well-being (Forest Alliance of British Columbia, 1996)." For example, hundreds of international groups blasted Brazil's government for making drastic cuts in programs aimed at saving its rain forests. The cuts were part of an austerity program to save $24 billion in 1999 and $80 billion by 2002. The president of the Amazon Work Group (GTA) criticized that these cuts would adversely affect "programs targeting at stopping predatory exploitation of mahogany forests and boosting Eco-tourism in the Amazon." The GTA, which represents 355 non-government organizations, is irate about the government's announcement to cut 90 percent of funding allocated for programs to fight the devastation. The Atlantic Forest, which once spanned Brazil's 4,500-square-mile eastern coast when the Portuguese first arrived in 1500, has been reduced to just 3 percent of its original area. The GTA began a campaign to lobby members of Brazil's congress to fight the proposed cuts.

National Academy of Sciences
Myers, Norman,  The Primary Source

http://www.oocities.org/RainForest/Vines/2611/topic09.htm

http://www.davesite.com/rainforests/review4.shtml

 Raven, Peter H, Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, November 1984.)©1997 Rainforest Action Network. Commercial reproduction prohibited. Students, teachers, and activists may make

Cited from Gaia Forest Conservation Archives at URL= http://forests.org/ Networked by Ecological Enterprises, grbarry@students.wisc.edu