Editing Rainforest (section)

== Deforestation ==
{{further|Deforestation in Southeast Asia|Deforestation in Madagascar|Deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest}}
[[File:Satellite image of 2015 Southeast Asian haze - 20150924.jpg|thumb|Satellite photograph of the [[2015 Southeast Asian haze|haze]] above [[Borneo]] and [[Sumatra]], 24{{nbs}}September 2015]]
[[Tropical rainforest|Tropical]] and [[temperate rainforest]]s have been subjected to heavy [[logging|legal]] and [[illegal logging]] for their valuable [[hardwood]]s and [[agricultural expansion|agricultural]] clearance ([[slash-and-burn]], [[clearcutting]]) throughout the 20th century and the area covered by rainforests around the world is shrinking.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081204095313/http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/entire-rainforests-set-to-disappear-in-next-decade-585840.html Entire rainforests set to disappear in next decade], [[The Independent]] 5 July 2003</ref> Biologists have estimated that large numbers of species are being driven to [[extinction]] (possibly more than 50,000 a year; at that rate, says [[E. O. Wilson]] of [[Harvard University]], a quarter or more of all species on Earth could be exterminated within 50 years)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stevens |first1=William K. |title=Talks Seek to Prevent Huge Loss of Species |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/03/news/talks-seek-to-prevent-huge-loss-of-species.html |work=The New York Times |date=3 March 1992 }}</ref> due to the removal of habitat with destruction of the rainforests.

Another factor causing the loss of rainforest is expanding [[urban area]]s. [[Littoral zone|Littoral]] rainforest growing along [[coast]]al areas of eastern [[Australia]] is now rare due to [[ribbon development]] to accommodate the demand for [[seachange (demography)|seachange]] lifestyles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pittwater.nsw.gov.au/environment/plants__and__animals/threatened_species/endangered_ecological_communities/littoral_rainforest |title=Littoral Rainforest-Why is it threatened? |publisher=Pittwater.nsw.gov.au |date=9 August 2012 |access-date=26 August 2012}}</ref>

Forests are being destroyed at a rapid pace.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Feng |first1=Yu |last2=Zeng |first2=Zhenzhong |last3=Searchinger |first3=Timothy D. |last4=Ziegler |first4=Alan D. |last5=Wu |first5=Jie |last6=Wang |first6=Dashan |last7=He |first7=Xinyue |last8=Elsen |first8=Paul R. |last9=Ciais |first9=Philippe |last10=Xu |first10=Rongrong |last11=Guo |first11=Zhilin |date=28 February 2022 |title=Doubling of annual forest carbon loss over the tropics during the early twenty-first century |journal=Nature Sustainability |volume=5 |issue=5 |language=en |pages=444–451 |doi=10.1038/s41893-022-00854-3 |s2cid=247160560 |issn=2398-9629|doi-access=free |bibcode=2022NatSu...5..444F |hdl=2346/92751 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/story/brazil-amazon-forest-destruction-rate-has-tripled Brazil: Amazon Forest Destruction Rate Has Tripled], [[Fox News Channel|FoxNews.com]], 29 September 2008</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0602-png.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080608214139/http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0602-png.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 June 2008 |title=Papua New Guinea's rainforests disappearing faster than thought |publisher=News.mongabay.com |access-date=26 August 2012 }}</ref> Almost 90% of [[West Africa]]'s rainforest has been destroyed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.csupomona.edu/~admckettrick/projects/ag101_project/html/size.html |title=Rainforests & Agriculture |publisher=Csupomona.edu |access-date=26 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930064512/http://www.csupomona.edu/~admckettrick/projects/ag101_project/html/size.html |archive-date=30 September 2012 }}</ref> Since the arrival of humans, [[Madagascar]] has lost two thirds of its original rainforest.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg12617173.000-science-satellite-monitors-madagascars-shrinkingrainforest-.html |title=Science: Satellite monitors Madagascar's shrinking rainforest, 19 May 1990, New Scientist |publisher=Newscientist.com |date=19 May 1990 |access-date=26 August 2012}}</ref> At present rates, tropical rainforests in [[Indonesia]] would be logged out in 10 years and [[Papua New Guinea]] in 13 to 16 years.<ref>[http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=5728 China is black hole of Asia's deforestation], AsiaNews.it, 24 March 2008</ref> According to [[Rettet den Regenwald|Rainforest Rescue]], an important reason for the increasing [[deforestation]] rate, especially in Indonesia, is the expansion of [[oil palm]] plantations to meet growing demand for cheap vegetable fats and [[biofuel]]s. In Indonesia, [[palm oil]] is already cultivated on nine million hectares and, together with [[Malaysia]], the island nation produces about 85 percent of the world's palm oil.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rainforest-rescue.org/topics/palm-oil|title=Palm oil – deforestation for everyday products – Rainforest Rescue|website=www.rainforest-rescue.org}}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=November 2012}}

Several countries,<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/environment/2008-01-24-brazil-amazon_N.htm Amazon deforestation rises sharply in 2007], [[Usatoday.com]], 24 January 2008</ref> notably [[Brazil]], have declared their deforestation a national emergency.<ref>{{cite news | first=John | last=Vidal | title=Rainforest loss shocks Brazil | newspaper=[[guardian.co.uk]] | date=20 May 2005 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2005/may/20/brazil.environment | access-date=7 July 2010 | location=London}}</ref> Amazon deforestation jumped by 69% in 2008 compared to 2007's twelve
months, according to official government data.<ref>{{cite news |title=Brazil admits Amazon deforestation on the rise |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna26472726 |work=NBC News |agency=The Associated Press |date=30 August 2008 }}</ref>

However, a 30 January 2009 ''[[New York Times]]'' article stated, "By one estimate, for every [[acre]] of rainforest cut down each year, more than 50 acres of new forest are growing in the tropics." The new forest includes secondary forest on former farmland and so-called [[degraded forest]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rosenthal |first1=Elisabeth |title=New Jungles Prompt a Debate on Rain Forests |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/science/earth/30forest.html |work=The New York Times |date=30 January 2009 }}</ref>