This massive destruction of nature has an impact on the global climate and accelerates the loss of species. The orangutan is a good example of this, as its survival is endangered in the wild due to massive destruction and fragmentation of its habitat.
The tropical rainforests support the greatest diversity of living organisms on our earth. Although these forests make up only 5% of the earth's surface, they are inhabited by almost 50% of all living beings.
According to the "Millenium Ecosystem Assessment" this means the total number of species is between 5 to 30 million, out of which only 1.7 to 2 million species have been discovered by people so far. Of these species, in turn, thousands are threatened with extinction because their home – the rainforest – is being destroyed.
The most serious threats to biodiversity in the rainforest are:
• Excessive deforestation for monocultures (e.g. palm oil)
• Wildlife trading and poaching
• Climate change and rapid changes in the habitat conditions
The protection of biodiversity is of paramount importance. Research results show that the properties and performance of ecosystems crucially depend on their biodiversity. With every species that is lost, we play with our own future on this earth.