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10 million

today there are less than 250,000 indigenous natives.

215 ethnic groups speaking 170 different languages in an area composing 190 million acres of land – roughly twice the size of California.

For biologists, tropical rainforests are some of the richest, most exciting areas on earth! They are home to gigantic trees, colourful birds, millions of brightly hued insects, and a variety of fascinating mammals. There are 3 main regions of tropical rainforest: in Central and South America, in West and Central Africa, and in Southeast Asia.

ropical rainforests have more kinds of trees than any other forests in the world. The richest in plant species are Amazon forests, but in general all tropical forests have an incredible variety of trees

Minc said the environment ministry will bring criminal charges against all of them. The government will also create an environmental police force with 3,000 heavily armed and specially trained officers to help combat illegal deforestion.

Carlos Minc, the Brazilian environment minister, said the upcoming national elections were partly to blame, with mayors in the Amazon region ignoring illegal loggers in the hope of gaining votes locally.

Forests cover 31% of total land area.   The livelihoods of 1.6 billion people depend on forests.   Forests provide a home to more than 300 million people worldwide.   The total global trade in forest products was valued at around $379 billion in 2005.   Forests are home to 80% of terrestrial biodiversity.

In this high-tech world of metal and plastic, it's easy to forget that many things are still made with good, old-fashioned wood. Countries with lots of forest stand to benefit from the lucrative timber trade, but at what cost to their ecological footprint? Here are five major timber exporters, and who is buying their wood. © WWF / GOOD / SectionDesign The Global Timber Trade, Who's Buying, Who's Selling? In this high-tech world of metal and plastic, it's easy to forget that many things are still made with good, old-fashioned wood. Countries with lots of forest stand to benefit from the lucrative timber trade, but at what cost to their ecological footprint? Here are 5 major timber exporters, and who is buying their wood. Our EarthForestsImportance of ForestsForest conservationTypes of ForestsProblemsSearch Forest News & Resources Priority Forests Amur-Heilong Amazon Borneo Forests Caucasus Carpathians Congo Basin European Alps Himalayas Mediterranean Forests Mekong Forests New Guinea Forests Did you know? The five most forest-rich countries are the Russian Federation, Brazil, Canada, the USA and China, and they account for more than half of the total forest area. Ten countries or areas have no forest at all and an additional 54 have forest on less than 10% of their total land area.

Rainforest in Honduras WHY ARE RAINFORESTS IMPORTANT? Flying over the heart of the Amazon is like flying over an ocean of green: an expanse of trees broken only by rivers. Even more amazing than their size is the role the Amazon and other rainforests around the world play in our everyday lives. While rainforests may seem like a distant concern, these ecosystems are critically important for our well-being.

Rainforests are often called the lungs of the planet for their role in absorbing carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and producing oxygen, upon which all animals depend for survival. Rainforests also stabilize climate, house incredible amounts of plants and wildlife, and produce nourishing rainfall all around the planet. Rainforests: help stabilize the world’s climate; provide a home to many plants and animals; maintain the water cycle protect against flood, drought, and erosion; are a source for medicines and foods; support tribal people; and are an interesting place to visit

Often described as the Earth’s lungs, only in reverse, the tropical rainforests

What’s truly amazing, however, is that while the tropical rainforests cover just 2% of the Earth's land surface, they are home to two-thirds of all the living species on the planet. Additionally, "nearly half the medicinal compounds we use every day come from plants endemic to the tropical rainforest." If a cure for cancer or AIDS is to be found, it’ll almost certainly come from the tropical rainforests.

The Primary Source, writes that "tropical rainforests are the Earth’s oldest continuous ecosystems.

When on an ecotour the holiday makers will usually be under the guidance on a naturalist or an expert on the area to help people observe, understand and appreciate the wildlife, fauna and flora. Ecotourism has become an ethical alternative in the tourism industry and is growing in popularity.

Amazon is home to 20% of the world's bird species, 20% of its plant species, 10% of its mammal species and 3000 species of fish. As a result it is a great place to go on holiday or vacation for an ecotour.

A genuine ecotour should however offer the tourist the following elements: education, conservation, sustainable development and benefit to local people. If any of these elements are missing from a potential ecotourism operator then possibly think again.

A look at the botanical treasures, both known and undiscovered, that exist within tropical rainforests.

The abundant botanical resources of tropical forests have already provided tangible medical advances; yet only 1 percent of the known plant and animal species have been thoroughly examined for their medicinal potentials.

20 or 25 percent of the world's plant species will be extinct by the year 2000.

When the trees are cut down it takes away the habitat of the plants and animals. It also reduces the space for the indigenous people who have lived there for thousands of years.

This way of life has died out with contact from incomers.

Some native groups suffered greatly from diseases which they had no resistance to.