CHAPTER 9

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Forests and jungles are crucial for the survival of many species, including humans. They help regulate the Earth’s climate, sequester carbon, purify the air, and provide us with resources. However, deforestation and forest degradation have caused a significant decline in forest cover worldwide. Deforestation permanently removes plants for agriculture, livestock, mining, urbanization, etc. Forest degradation refers to the deterioration in the quality of a forest due to activities like logging, climate change, forest fires, etc. We must find solutions to combat deforestation and forest degradation, but what are the basics?

First and foremost, a forest or jungle is a “rainforest” characterized by high rainfall, dense vegetation, and abundant biodiversity. Rainforests are classified into two main types: tropical and temperate.

Typically, tropical rainforests are between the tropic lines near the equator in regions like Central and South America, Africa, Southeast Asia, or the Caribbean. These rainforests experience higher temperatures, heavier rainfall, and consistent sunlight throughout the year. Tropical rainforests are known for their incredible biodiversity, with many plant and animal species endemic to these regions.

Temperate rainforests are found in, relatively speaking, cooler climate areas outside of the tropics, such as North America, New Zealand, Russia, and parts of Europe. While not as biodiverse as tropical rainforests, temperate rainforests are home to numerous plants and animal life. Although they vary slightly, they are far more similar to one another than at first glance.

Air Purification: Trees absorb carbon from the air, releasing oxygen and making it cleaner and healthier for us to breathe.

Biodiversity: Rainforests are home to millions of plant, fungi, and animal species, many of which add to the uniqueness of forest ecosystems and contribute to planetary homeostasis.

Climate Regulation: Rainforests absorb and store carbon from the atmosphere, one of the primary drivers behind climate change. Storing the carbon into the soil through the plant’s root system and the makeup of the trees, leaves, flowers, fruit, or nuts are vital.

Dirt Protection: Rainforests help prevent soil erosion by anchoring the dirt with all the plants’ root systems. It rains all over the forests, and the water is better absorbed into the Earth and retained in the ground.

So, what basics do we now understand about rainforests? Both rainforests play considerable roles in maintaining the global ecological balance, acting as carbon sinks, regulating the water cycle, and providing habitat for countless species. Unfortunately, deforestation and forest degradation are ongoing threats to the remaining rainforests. But with A2C2 also coming, could improving rainforest expansion serve our time well? Do you recall turning the world into a giant golf ball?

When examining world maps, we should start digging and planting in areas that experience heavier precipitation annually. Wetter locations serve as ideal starting points to reduce inputs like irrigation. They would provide us with the maximum return we’re looking for. If we dig a tremendous amount of holes around the rainforests, we could retain more water in the land and attempt to expand the rainforests. Consequently, the water table rises! In that case, we can harvest the water and pump it to the adjacent areas where we’re attempting to regreen next and continue the green ripple effect! We’re going to farm water from the land!

Be careful to pull only what nature can naturally replenish. We’re attempting to create a green ripple effect by dedicating natural habitats for additional flora, not taking one step forward and two steps back by taking more than we should from nature. Ultimately, where the forest meets the grasslands and beyond, this green ripple effect would look very similar to rings on a tree year after year. Consequently, digging holes to harvest water and build forest/jungle spaces together will retain even more water in the ground and add to the growth of rainforests. Moreover, we will continually expand forest cover every season by planting more trees, bushes, and wildflowers in the more open areas adjacent to rainforests to prevent deforestation and forest degradation. It would be ideal to plant native species here and avoid invasive non-local plants. Still, if the trees, bushes, and flowers provided us with fruit, nuts, and edible flowers, I could take it or leaf it.

The future of rainforests looks promising, whether it involves improved land management around existing rainforests or creating more green spaces within cities and suburban areas. There is much to look forward to from everything we’ve collected, including all the various elements, such as forests, trees, bushes, wildflowers, bees, fungi, compost, digging holes, salt, solar, water, and air. But what else can we incorporate into our praxis? How can we branch out even further?