USES OF TROPICAL RAINFOREST 12 Feb 2014

Uses of Tropical Rainforest

1.Water Catchment 2.Green lungs of the

earth 3.Source of timber 4.Medical application5. Habitat for flora and

fauna

1. Water Catchment Area

Rain falls in rainforest

Seeps into ground, stored as groundwater

Impurities are trapped by soil before flowing into reservoirs

2. Green Lungs of the Earth • Absorb carbon dioxide and release

oxygen through photosynthesis• More than 20% of the earth’s oxygen is

estimated to be generated by the Amazon rainforest alone

• Acts as a natural air purifier • Absorbs about 2.4 billion tonnes of CO2

in a year • Dense vegetation of tropical rainforests

keeps earth cool

3. Source of Timber • Refers to wood used to build things • Provides wood for fuel • Supplies about one-fifth of the world’s industrial timber

4. Medicinal Properties

• Known as the ‘world’s largest pharmacy’

• Nearly 2000 plant species have been identified to have medicinal properties Quinine

extracted from the Cinchona Tree Used to

treat malaria

Madagascar periwinkle plant Used to

treat childhood leukaemia

Clavillia plant Used to

treat eczema and itchiness

5. Habitat for flora (plants) and fauna (animals)

• Home to more than 2 million species• Abundant and diverse in tropical

rainforests as…1) Sunlight converted in energy by

plants and into food through photosynthesis plants thrive animals can consume them for survival facilitates food chain

2) Continuous canopy habitat to live and grow in