WHY ARE RAINFORESTS BEING DESTROYED?

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Every year an area of rainforest the size of New Jersey is cut down and destroyed. The plants and animals that used to live in these forests either die or must find a new forest to call their home. Why are rainforests being destroyed?

Humans are the main cause of rainforest destruction or deforestation. Humans are cutting down rainforests for many reasons, including:

• wood for both timber and wood for making fires;
• agriculture for both small and large farms;
• land for poor farmers who don't have anywhere else to live;
• grazing land for cattle; and
• road construction

RAINFOREST PHOTOS
Geometric patterns of deforestation Charred and still smoking forest in Laos (Laos) Deforestation for a rubber plantation in Laos (Laos)		Lone Brazil nut tree left standing in a deforested area Oil palm plantation with the rainforest of Gunung Leuser National Park in the background (Indonesia) Fallen tree limbs from an attempt to slash-and-burn an area of rain forest for agricultural use (Indonesia)		Airplane view of peatland being drained and cleared in Borneo Newly cleared section of Amazon forest Shifting cultivation by the Trio tribe in the rainforest of Southern Suriname (Suriname)