The Tropical Rain Forest: A Nonrenewable Resource

Abstract

"There is a popular opinion that the tropical rain forests because of their exuberant growth, their great number of species, and their wide distribution will never disappear from the face of the earth.

"On the other hand, it has often been stated that the tropical rain forests (tall evergreen forests in tropical warm and humid regions) around the world must be protected and conserved for the future generations. It has also been stated that it is most important that knowledge about the structure, diversity, and function of these ecosystems has priority in future biological research. Unfortunately, either these voices have not been heard or their arguments have not been convincing enough to promote action in this direction.

"It is the purpose of this article to provide a new argument that we think is of utmost importance: the incapacity of the rain forest throughout most of its extent to regenerate under present land-use practices."