The rainforest and its importance

In short: Tropical rainforests cover only about six percent of land area but are home to more than half of all animal and plant species. They store a lot of carbon and influence water and climate cycles.

In more detail: The largest lie in the Amazon basin, the Congo basin and Southeast Asia. Rainfall there is often over 2,000 mm a year.

In detail

• Layers: Canopy, understorey, shrub and forest floor layers with very distinct wildlife.
• Nutrients: The soil is poor; nutrients are in the living plant mass and the fast cycle.
• Threats: Deforestation for pasture, soy, palm oil and timber, and fires (palmöl).
• Climate protection: Rainforests store CO₂ (kohlenstoffkreislauf).
• Indigenous peoples: Many have lived in the forest for centuries and often protect it best.
• What helps: Certified products, less meat from feed soy, reforestation projects (biodiversitaet-und-artenvielfalt).