Human Impact

        Human beings use resources that other organisms don’t. For instance, humans dig deep into the ground for petroleum to make fuels, plastics, and other products. Those activities can change ecosystems so much that their health is often threatened. In some cases, ecosystem balance is so disrupted that living things that once thrived in a certain place can no longer get the resources they need to survive there. Rainforests used to cover 14% of the Earth, and now we only have 6% left. Every second, a section the size of a football field is cut down. Scientists estimate that in about 40 years, the 6% will be gone as well. In rainforests, the most valuable asset to people is the amount of wood. In time, the impacts of deforestation will become obvious. Many species and populations live in the tropical rainforest. Currently, the world is losing 137 species a day due to deforestation, which totals up to 50,000 species per year.