Final answer:
The decrease of rainforest coverage has severe consequences including loss of biodiversity, climate change acceleration, soil erosion, and negative impacts on economic growth. Measures to mitigate these effects include legal enforcement, sustainable practices, reforestation efforts, economic incentives for conservation, and international cooperation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Effects of Decreasing Rainforests
The reduction of rainforest coverage from 12% to less than 5% of Earth's surface has profound implications. As tropical rainforests contain up to 50% of Earth's biodiversity, their destruction leads to significant habitat loss for countless species, potentially causing extinctions. Rainforests play a critical role in global climate regulation by absorbing large quantities of carbon dioxide; thus, their removal accelerates climate change. The loss also leads to soil erosion, negatively impacts indigenous communities, and hinders economic growth due to the unsustainable utilization of natural resources.
Suggested Measures to Combat Deforestation
- Implementing strict laws against illegal logging and land clearing.
- Encouraging sustainable agriculture and forestry practices.
- Supporting reforestation and afforestation initiatives.
- Incentivizing conservation through economic means, such as payment for ecosystem services.
- Increasing international cooperation and aid to countries with significant rainforest coverage to develop alternatives to deforestation-based economies.