Last week I discussed the genetics and biology of the rainforest and the importance of maintaining its diverse gene pool. Today, I’d like to go a little further into what causes deforestation. What are the causes of this devastation? The four primary causes are 1) commercial logging, 2) fuel wood gathering, 3) cattle ranching, and…
Tag: Deforestation
The Genetics of Deforestation
To understand the global impact of deforestation, we must first understand the basic biology of the rainforest and the causes of deforestation. Rainforests cover less than 7 percent of the globe. They are predominantly found in a wet or moist band circling the globe along the equator. Tropical rainforests are some of the richest, oldest,…