Some unique rain forests have been almost totally destroyed. For example, there remains less than two per cent of the original Atlantic coastal rain forest of Brazil. It now seems clear, however, that the loss of species is by far the more important concern. So little is yet known about rain forest diversity and ecology that large-scale extinctions could take place as a result of human activities before anything can be done to understand their consequences, and more importantly, prevent them from happening. Fortunately, a number of national and international organizations have been established since the 1970s to deal specifically with rain forest conversion and conservation.
Efforts are now underway to find economic alternatives to massive deforestation.
This will be the main challenge for the preservation of significant parts of the rain forest as the new millennium approaches. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the kind permission of Microsoft.