Five myths about tropical rainforests
- Think logging is the main cause of deforestation? Wrong
- Think the Amazon rainforest is the Earth’s lungs? Wrong
Thousands of fires are burning in the Amazon, eliciting panic around the world. Tropical rainforests cover only 2 per cent of the Earth’s surface, but they have an outsize impact on providing habitat, carbon storage and water-flow regulation.
These areas have come to symbolise the abundance of the natural world – and its vulnerability. But misconceptions abound.
Myth No 1: logging companies drive deforestation
Calling logging “perhaps the most iconic symbol of forest destruction”, the Union of Concerned Scientists lists “wood products” among its top four causes of deforestation. This myth has worked its way into popular culture and it’s true that logging wreaks havoc on the rainforest: often conducted illegally, it creates significant carbon emissions and reduces species richness. It can also lead to future deforestation by building roads that increase access to remote areas.
But logging is responsible for less than 10 per cent of deforestation in the world’s largest tropical rainforests, according to a recent study in the journal Science. With deforestation, a forest is completely cut down and converted to another use, which normally doesn’t happen when loggers selectively remove valuable trees.
Agriculture accounts for 80 per cent of deforestation in the tropics, with a large portion tied to just three commodities: palm oil, soybeans and beef. These show up in everyday products such as toothpaste, shampoo, dog food and granola bars.
