How can rainforests be protected?

Answer 1

I was looking for this answer and found this, .

Found this on http://daintree.localtourismnetwork.com/ - scroll down.

'Threats to the Daintree Rainforest

The Daintree Rainforest in far northern Australia has survived enormous environmental challenges over 135 million years. The immense numbers of plants and animals formed a biodiversity that ensured the survival of this pristine environment. However, a new force capable of destroying this unique and special environment now threatens the Daintree Rainforest. The threat is human.

There is nothing new about humans inadvertently destroying environmentally sensitive areas. Australians have waged countless campaigns against development in areas of natural beauty all around the country, but the Daintree Rainforest has been subject to more protesting and political wrangling than most. And rightly so.

The tropical rainforest is home to the most diverse range of plants and animals on earth. The Daintree region supports species of plants and animals that have existed for millions of years and are integral to the ecosystem not just of the Daintree Rainforest, but of other areas around the world too. As difficult as it may be to imagine, what happens in the Daintree Rainforest affects what happens on the other side of the planet.

One of the major concerns about development in the region is focussed on the soil. Rainforest soil is suitable only as rainforest soil, not as farming soil. History has proven that when rainforests are cut down and replaced with crops, the soil runs out of natural nutrients within 2 or 3 seasons. This is because the rainforest soil relies on the rainforest plants dropping leaves that then decompose and return the nutrients to the land. In this way, the rainforest is self-sufficient - something managed crops can never be.

In addition, without the huge root systems the old-growth trees provide, erosion is a big problem.

There are four major threats to the natural environment. All are interlinked, and all are within our control if we are sensitive to the way we handle the rainforest.

Logging, an industry that put the Daintree Rainforest on the map decades ago, remains a force in the area. Parts of the rainforest are controlled by the Queensland Forestry Department, who could fell ancient trees and sell the timber for high prices.

Mining is another threat, although has not yet become active. Tin mining leases are held over parts of the area, and if these go ahead many plants and animal species will be lost.

Tourism also has an affect on the area. More than 400 000 people visit the region each year, which means thousands of buses, 4WD's, and passenger cars drive through the rainforest. The vast majority of tourism operators are highly aware of their impact on the environment and take steps to minimise their impact.

Development by private enterprise is arguably the most dangerous aspect of human activity in the area. Subdivision of land, building of fences, and development of roads leads to hazardous conditions for native animals that often need to cross the fences or roads to get to their food source.

In 1983, a road was bulldozed through the Daintree Rainforest. Environmentalists and other people concerned about the region launched a furious campaign and blockade to stop the destruction. Unfortunately, the rainforest had already been bulldozed and a corridor of 4WD's began frequent treks up the track.

After the road was built, the area was turned into more than 1000 blocks of subdivided real estate. Some have been occupied and their owners have been sensitive to the environmental concerns in the area. But other lots have been bulldozed and used as cattle ranches. Recently, a species of tree in the red cedar family was suddenly made extinct when a landowner cleared a plot of land. This incident highlights the vulnerability of the Daintree Rainforest.

The latest political policy initiative aimed at saving the Daintree Rainforest is nicknamed 'buy back'. The aim of this plan is for government to purchase freehold blocks of land in the area and return them to national park status. Therefore, no development can occur on these sites. The Queensland Labor Government considers buy back as the only plan that is acceptable to the majority of residents in the Daintree.

The Federal Liberal/National Government led by John Howard has also pitched in to the buy back plan, although reluctantly. It has spent $23 million on the plan, but surveying of the area took almost half the funds, leaving the other half to buy blocks of land. The money is now all gone and only a few blacks have been saved from development leaving other critical areas of rainforest and threatened species habitat privately owned and unprotected.

The other hot issue for residents in the Daintree Rainforest is about establishing grid power in the area. Currently, there are no power lines and all properties run on solar power or generators. Many landowners want the government to install power lines so they can run air conditioners and other high-energy consuming products. In turn, this will increase the value of their properties. There is little doubt that grid power would make life easier for the people who live in the rainforest, however the impact on the environment is severe. Debates on this issue try to weigh up whether the impact on plants and animals justify the convenience of 'on-tap' power.

The Daintree Rainforest is well known for its beauty. It is also becoming well known for the grappling between environmentalists who want to preserve the natural integrity of the area, and developers who want to take advantage of the economic boon possible in the rainforest. Whatever compromise is reached, it needs to be in the best interests of the Daintree Rainforest.'

Answer 2

Rainforests could be protected by logging, which is a better way for chopping down trees, but doesn't do any damage. This is called 'sustainable.'