Irreplaceable
photo M. Noonan
It is unfortunate that
once a tropical rainforest is cleared, it is hard for the forest to
replenish itself. This is because the soil, although it supports an
abundance of plants, mammals, birds and insects, it is very poor in
nutrients. Nutrients that do enter the soil are quickly absorbed and
assimilated into the rich biodiversity. The old and ancient trees of
the pristine forests are therefore nearly impossible to replace due
to the nature of the soil. These trees, once cut down, bring an end
to not only their lives, which often equals hundreds of years, but
also the end of the millions of animals, plants and other types of
life.