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.