Rainforest and Conservation Information
Fast Facts
The monkeys at Pacific Primate Sanctuary are native to the rainforests of Central and South America
Currently, over 60% of all primate species are threatened with extinction, and 75% of all primate species worldwide are declining (as of 2017)
Rainforests occur where there is high annual rainfall and a hot and humid climate
There are different kinds of rainforests, including tropical, temperate, monsoon, and mangrove
Rain forests are classified in 4 general layers, each area with its own unique ecosystem:
Emergent - Tallest trees - hot and windy.
Canopy - Next tallest trees, very thick, leaves block the sunlight, rain hits trees, then runs off the leaves and onto the lower layers of the forest. The canopy then traps the moisture in. Trees in the rainforest are green year round.
Understudy - Smaller trees and plants.
Forest floor - Dark, damp and covered with wildflowers, ferns, mosses, mushrooms and trees with strange roots.
The Amazon rainforest is the world's largest rainforest, spanning over 670 million hectares.
The Amazon is home to 10% of all known species of plants and animals on Earth
Over 17% of the Amazon rainforest has been lost in the last 50 years, mostly due to cattle ranching
18.7 million acres of forests are lost each year, which is equivalent to 27 soccer fields per minute
The World Wildlife Fund estimates that 27% of the Amazon biome will be without trees by 2030 if the current rate of deforestation continues
If rainforests continue to decline at the current rate, scientists estimate that 5-10% of their species will go extinct every 10 years
Earth is currently in the middle of the "Anthropocene Extinction"
In the last 100 years, scientists conservatively estimate that at least 200 vertebrate species have gone extinct. The average or “background” extinction rate is about 2 species per 100 years. The current rate of species extinction is between 100 to 1,000 times higher than the background rate.
Noted Biologist and author, Edward Wilson, calculated that if the current rate of human disturbance continues, half of Earth’s higher lifeforms will be extinct by 2100.
Sources: Encyclopædia Britannica, World Wildlife Fund, Conseve Energy Future
Earth cannot sustain life if ecosystems fail— our world and all living beings are in extreme danger. The industrial world must recognize what has been done to the Earth. We are the ones who have created the crisis. It is past time to make a unified effort to heal the planet. Knowledge is power— do your research, shop ethically, boycott products containing palm oil, and take steps to reduce your carbon footprint. Make your voice heard— sign/start petitions, and demand that your government representatives work towards policy changes that support the environment. There are many organizations, like Pacific Primate Sanctuary, doing good in the world, and working towards a better future. By supporting PPS, you are supporting positive global change. Please help us to continue providing a place of peace and healing to threatened and endangered primates by volunteering or donating.
It is going to take a change in consciousness, an immense, determined effort to save our planet, and it will require all of us. The suggestions above are small things we can all do to slow the rates of ecological destruction and help shift the paradigm— but they are no longer enough. It is time to take a stand for our Earth and for all the life-forms we coexist with. Please spread the word, share this article with your friends and family, start a conversation. The more people who are thinking, talking, and responding to this catastrophe, the greater chance we have to create change on a personal and global level. Humans must reverse the current trends, eradicate ecocide; solutions must be found— and soon.
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