21 Facts About Conserving The Biggest Rainforest In The World

What is an invaluable source of oxygen, flora, fauna, water, and other natural resources?

Rainforests! These biodiverse ecosystems can be found everywhere in the world except Antarctica. Tall trees, dense primary forest, exotic flora and fauna, a wet climate, and orchid species make up these environments.

These evergreen forests are among the oldest and most biodiverse ecosystems in the world. Many of the plant and animal species are endemic, and there are still a lot of species yet to be discovered from these forests. A mix of primary forest areas and secondary forests, these rainforests can be found spread across the world.

Even with the ecological significance of rainforests, the biggest forests are constantly under threat of destruction and fragmentation. Both human and climate-induced factors are affecting the biggest rainforests, especially the Amazon River rainforest and the Congo rainforest.

Being large carbon sinks, destruction of the Amazon will not only lead to widespread loss of endemic animal and tree species but also further contribute to global warming.

Here is a look at the largest rainforests in the world. Learn more about the world's famous rainforests by checking out our Amazon rainforest facts and Australian rainforest facts.

The World's Largest Rainforests

Occupying around 6% of the Earth, rainforests are the oldest living ecosystems. Found everywhere except Antarctica, three of the largest rainforests based on tree cover and primary forest cover are the Amazon, Congo, and Australiasia.

70 million years, that is how long rainforests have existed on planet Earth. These biodiverse regions can be identified by their evergreen trees and heavy rainfall.

Apart from Antarctica, rainforests can be found on every continent. Rainforests are intricate ecosystems made up of four layers, with each layer influencing the other. Along with a specific process, each layer has its own plant species and animal species.

Rainforests are primarily of two types; tropical rainforests and temperate rainforests. Tropical rainforests are found in hot and humid regions of the Earth such as Central Africa, Southeast Asia, Central, and South America, western India, Australia, and New Guinea.

On the other hand, temperate rainforests are present in regions with milder climates, such as Chile, Norway, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Tropical forests are more biologically abundant and diverse compared to temperate rainforests.

The world's largest tropical rainforest is the Amazon. Other examples of the world's tropical rainforests include the Congo Basin, Daintree rainforest, and Kinabalu National Park. Some examples of temperate rainforests are Tongass National Forest, the Pacific temperate rainforest, and the Taiheiyo evergreen forests.

The Tongass National Forest is the biggest national forest in the United States. The primary forest of this national park is home to a range of endangered species.

The Daintree Rainforest is considered the oldest rainforest in the world, dating back to 135 million years ago. Located in Australia, the Daintree Rainforest is home to a range of tree species and marine mammals, notably the Estuarine Crocodile.

The Amazon Rainforest

The world's largest tropical rainforest is the Amazon. This tropical rainforest spans nine countries. 84% of the approximately 1554292849.43 acres (629,000,000 ha) of the Amazon are primary forests.

2316612.95 sq mi (6,000,000 sq km) is the size of the Amazon rainforest. The rainforest is located around the Amazon River and its tributary drainage basin is across South America.

Its size has led it to be classified as the world's largest rainforest. High rainfall, humidity, and temperatures have contributed to the expansive and continuous nature of the Amazon rainforest.

This ecosystem is so biodiverse that many of the animal species and plant species endemic to the region are yet to be discovered. Among the plant species found there, there is acacia, Brazil nut, rosewood, palm, myrtle, Amazonian cedar, and rubber tree. Jaguar, red deer, capybara, tapir, and many species of monkeys can be found in Amazon's primary forest.

However, the Amazon rainforest is under major threat from human activities. As the population of South America continues to expand, massive deforestation is taking place in the Amazon rainforest. Many governments of South American countries have taken measures to conserve the Amazon rainforest.

The Congo Rainforest

Among tropical rainforests, the second-largest rainforest is the Congo rainforest, which is spread around the Congo Basin of Central Africa. The forested region of the Congo rainforest is believed to be the size of India.

With 648651.63 sq mi (1,680,000 sq km) of primary forest, the Congo rainforest is the second-largest tropical rainforest in the world. The forest cover extends into the countries of the Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, Gabon, and Cameroon.

Compared to the world's forests, the Congo rainforest is a biodiverse region having around 10,000 plant species (30% endemic to the primary forest). Research has shown that the trees of the Congo are taller, are present at lower density, and store ample amounts of carbon when compared to trees in other environments.

Forest elephants, chimpanzees, leopards, bonobos, lions, and mountain gorillas are among the 400 mammal species that call these vast, tropical forests their home. The Congo rainforest is also a huge carbon dioxide sink. It absorbs more carbon than it emits.

The Congo Basin is facing rampant deforestation, especially in DRC. This is quite problematic as 60% of the primary forest cover of the Congo rainforest lies within the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This primary forest is now more under threat as the 20-year logging moratorium has been lifted. This will allow for large-scale logging to take place.

Companies That Are Destroying Rainforests

The surviving forests are under constant threat of deforestation. Every other day, you may come across reports stating that the Amazon, the largest rainforest, is burning, but who is responsible? Governments, financiers, traders, and corporations are responsible for the sorry state of affairs.

While national parks and forests are ways of conserving the vast tropical and temperate rainforests of the world, they are still constantly being destroyed, and why is that? Population boom, global warming, agricultural and industrial development, and greed are shrinking the tropical forest covers across the globe.

It is believed that more than 100 acres (40.47 ha) of rainforest get cleared every minute in the excuse of development.

The rainforest of the Pacific Islands is being threatened by logging companies who chop down trees for timber. The timber is then forwarded to paper companies to extract the pulp.

The Amazon is being burnt to get access to large tracts of cultivable land and pastures for grazing. Companies are also clearing the primary forest cover to construct transport corridors, hydroelectric projects, and other large-scale infrastructure projects.

Some companies that have been linked to sourcing raw materials from these eco-sensitive regions are Cargill, Bridgestone, Continental, Walmart, and Costco.

Conserving Our Rainforests

Climate change has brought to the fore the importance of ecosystems like rainforests. Governments, non-government organizations, civil society, students, the public, naturalists, and activists are coming together as a collective to raise the issue of saving the tropical and temperate rainforests from further damage.

Governments are supporting companies that advocate sustainable extraction of rainforest resources. Many governments have also created a national park to provide strict protection to the primary forest cover of the biggest rainforests.

For example, Serranía de Chiribiquete National Park is not only the world's largest national park but has also been declared as a World Heritage Site. On an international scale, governments come together to address the issue of rainforest destruction collectively.

A prime example of this is the United Nations Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) Program. Governments like DRC have used REDD funds to build infrastructure to track and map the current status and also investigate best conservation practices.

Civil society, the public, and students are proactively engaged in creating offline and online campaigns to raise awareness about rainforests. Many have created knowledge toolkits with updated conservation practices for different stakeholders, enabling others to learn and adopt these practices. Such groups are also involved in raising funds to run 'save the rainforest' initiatives.

Not-for-profit organizations are doing their bit through various means. Some groups have raised enough funds to buy out large areas of rainforests, which they manage in partnership with local communities. This allows them to monitor the growth and development of the primary forest cover and protect the endemic species residing in such areas from poaching, over-extraction, and so on.

Some organizations promote eco-tourism in the rainforests to generate livelihoods for the local communities. Other promote brands that advocate sustainable use of rainforest resources like the Rainforest Alliance seal. They also are invested in spreading awareness among locals and masses about the negative effects of rainforest destruction.

Naturalists and students are striving to learn more about these ancient forests. They are discovering new species and, through their research, building a case for protection and conservation of the world's largest rainforests. They are also actively involved in ecological restoration and regeneration projects of degraded rainforests.

What We Can Do

So, what can you do? How can you contribute to saving the rainforests? There are many direct and indirect ways by which you can contribute to this environmental cause. You can spread awareness, be conscious of your choices, support the work of local communities, help restore landscapes, and raise funds.

No matter where you stay, there is likely to be a rainforest in your country. It may not be as big as the Amazon or the Congo, but this biodiverse paradise exists, and it needs your protection. There are two broad ways by which you can contribute to saving the rainforest.

Firstly, you can try to be more active by direct participation. Participate in projects and programs that are designed by civil society organizations or governments with the motive to conserve the rainforests. For example, you can volunteer or intern with organizations involved in restoring degraded rainforests.

Second, by indirect participation. This is the easiest way of taking a stand for the rainforests. You can begin by advocating among your friends and peers about the importance and plight of rainforests. Spreading the word and making more and more people aware helps in the promotion of the cause.

Be sustainable in your choices. Only choose brands and products that come with special seals or those brands that are committed to the act of sustainable use of rainforest resources.

We should also promote local products as much as possible. This is a great way to show support to the indigenous communities that live in and around these sensitive regions.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for the biggest rainforest in the world then why not take a look at the Madagascar rainforest or animals in the Brazil rainforest.