Theodore Roosevelt And The Conservation Of Rainforestation

The issue of conservation has been discussed, dissected, and debated over for centuries by people who understand that endlessly destroying habitats and over-hunting species inevitably leads to permanent damage that affects everyone. Sure, there have been major milestones in the efforts to stabilize natural habitats such as Theodore Roosevelt's actions in creating national parks and protecting 230 million acres of land, but it will have to take a worldwide effort in order to secure the biosphere (“Theodore Roosevelt and Conservation”). So it would then be key for people to firmly and completely protect rainforests that are scattered throughout the globe in order to preserve such a diverse piece of the planet. A well planned system aimed towards
The massive and consistent rate of destroying rainforests has created devastating shifts in the weather and climate in those immediate areas and on a global scale, so the stability of Earth’s climate relies heavily on banning rainforest deforestation. One role that rainforests play in regulating climate is stimulating precipitation through evapotranspiration and keeping the forest floor cool, so the climate becomes significantly drier and warmer when the land is converted to pastures. Evapotranspiration, or evaporation of water from plants into the atmosphere, is key to this cycle because without enough of it then there is less rain, which means there is more competition for water between all organisms. It is also shown how even when early secondary success plants such as shortgrasses have filled in the clear cut areas that a decrease in rain and higher temperatures are still present (Moraes et al.). Furthermore, there are also serious alterations in specific weather patterns along with the overall climate. Due to deforestation, there are now irregular rain patterns where the intervals and intensity of precipitation have shifted, causing major soil runoff and inefficient
However, despite all of the warnings and dangers of deforestation, it is tempting for people to argue that, “just as the U.S. and Europe have been allowed to use significant portions of their land to meet the needs of their people, so too must developing nations like Brazil be given that same opportunity” (Rothbard et al.). It is undeniable that companies and local farmers may be experiencing profitable economic opportunities from logging and/or clearing the way for agriculture and livestock, but as the number of trees that can be cut down is finite and the rapid loss of soil fertility means more land for the same amount of crops, these economic gains are not justifiable in the long run. With one estimate being that just the Amazon rainforest alone has been reduced seventeen percent in just the past fifty years, it is clear that with demands for resources going up, that this wasteful trend is not a permanent solution to countries’ problems (“The World Wildlife Foundation”). Another aspect of economies dependent on deforestation is that just as poachers illegally kill animals in protected areas for massive amounts of money, there is an incentive in these countries to perform illegal logging practices. It is unfortunate that after investigation there is, “evidence