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The rainforests of Borneo are one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on
earth and contain thousands of plant and animal species not found anywhere
else in the world. These rainforests not only provide a habitat for a
huge portion of the worlds biodiversity but they also help to stabilise
the planets climate by absorbing the atmospheric carbon dioxide which
causes global warming.
Rainforests also play an important role in the water cycle, protecting
nearby lands against floods drought and erosion. However, despite their
great importance, Borneo's rainforests are being logged and cleared at
an astonishing rate of 20 football pitches a minute!
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Timber
is a very valuable resource and therefore the logging industry is operating
on a vast scale in Borneo, devastating the wildlife with widespread deforestation.
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Cash
crop plantations such as oil palm, clear vast areas of forest to make room
for the crops and often operate unsustainably with little regard to the
environmental damage they cause. |
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Forests
are cleared and farms are set up on the nutritious land but often the
nutrients are only held in the soil for 2- 7 years after which the land
may be deemed useless and abandoned.
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Expanding
urban areas and industrial development requires land that can easily be
obtained through deforestation
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The process of dam
construction involves clearing areas of rainforest and then altering waterways,
affecting the levels of water reaching the forest |
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