Native rainforest plants, insects and other animals form a fragile network that cycles and returns the most nutrients possible out of the poor soil. Tiny Panama has as many species of plants as all of Europe. Ecuador, which is about the size of Colorado, has twice as many species of birds as the United States and Canada combined. While there are many species of plants in a square-mile of tropical rainforest, there may only be one or two of each. Removing one plant can severely damage the fragile ecosystem.
Animals are dependent on plants for food and habitat.
For example, some insects can only live on one type of plant. Destroying the plant can cause the insect to become extinct. The indigenous people of the tropical rainforests are the greatest source of knowledge about medicines from rainforest plants. These people have traditionally passed their knowledge on to their children. But this is changing as children are choosing not to follow in their ancestors' footsteps.