Causes of Destruction Tropical rainforests are being cut at an alarming rate. Although estimates vary, some scientists believe that we arelosing an area of rainforest the size of Pennsylvania eachyear. If deforestation continues at this rate we may loserainforests altogether within the next one hundred years.
Tropical deforestation occurs for a number of reasons.
Ashuman populations increase in tropical regions, people moveaway from the overcrowded cities into the forest areas wherethey practice small scale farming. Commercial agriculturalprojects may require conversion of large plots of rainforest land and may cause more permanent damage. Logging of forests for firewood, charcoal, buildingmaterials and other wood products is another cause ofdeforestation. The conversion of rainforest to pasture land for cattleranching has led to the destruction of millions of acres offorest. Mining for gold, bauxite from which aluminum is made, andother minerals can lead to the drastic destruction of theland.