Why are rainforests important?

Rainforests are very important ecosystems for many reasons including the following:

They are an important habitat: The rainforest is home to a very large number of different plants, animals, fungi and other living things. Although rainforests only cover a tiny fraction of the earth, they contain more than half of all known plant and animal species. Many large animals like  gorillas and jaguars as well as small animals like insects and spiders live in rainforests.

^{The rainforest is home to millions of different species of animals.}

They produce oxygen: Living things need oxygen to stay alive. Plants produce oxygen which they release into the air. Much of the oxygen we breathe is produced by trees and other plants in rainforests. 

They help fight climate change: Too much carbon dioxide in the air is making the earth warmer. This is called climate change. Trees remove carbon dioxide from the air. Large rainforests remove large amounts of carbon dioxide and help fight climate change. 

They play a role in the water cycle: Plants release water vapour into the air through tiny holes in their leaves.This is called transpiration and it plays a role in the water cycle. Large forests release large amounts of water into the air. This water vapour can condense into clouds which can produce rain.

Medicines: Many of the plants in the rainforest can be used to make medicines.

Eco-tourism: Rainforests are beautiful places with many different plants and animals. When tourists travel to countries in tropical areas like St. Lucia and Dominica, many of them visit the rainforests. Some people make a living giving rainforest tours.

^{A group of tourists are taking a tour through a tropical rainforest.}