r the tree’s seeds around the forest and beyond an even denser forest is created. However, when one section of a forest is destroyed, the remaining sections of the forest are exposed to elements from which it should be protected. Eventually the forest dies out. This highly sensitive balance makes the rain forests very vulnerable to even the slightest change. Cattle ranching is yet another major problem of deforestation, mainly in Central and South America. Since cattle men just move on to better spots as their herds clear away old areas and make no attempt to rectify their destruction, the spot will remain worthless for quite some time. According to Farb, it takes five to ten years after one area is cleared before it can be a habituate for one animal, because one animal needs on the average, 12.5 acres of land to stay alive (143). With an increasing number of cattle on the rise, it is indeed a driving force for others. For example, peasants, who do not own any land, intentionally clear away areas and sell it to cattle ranchers in hopes of a profit.Farming, logging, and cattle ranching are the basic direct causes of destruction of tropical rain forests, but these activities are being driven by other factors, including the present economy. Third world countries where rain forests exist are in debt, and owe countries of Europe and North America large sums of money. The best way for them to repay this debt is to export products, which include natural resources. The exploitation of these resources results in deforestation. Poverty is another factor. Most of the good land where crops grow is owned by a select few of the wealthy individuals. The authors of Saving the Tropical Forests, explain this by stating that “the rain forests are being destroyed not because of our ignorance or stupidity but largely because of poverty and greed” (Gradwhol 11). Most of this land is used to raise cattle for export. The poor pe...
