The rainforest

Two young orangutans in the rainforest on Sumatra, Indonesia Orangutans are dependent on large contiguous rainforest areas

A green sea of ferns, mosses, vines and ancient trees. Iridescent butterflies and colorful birds. Flowers in every hue of the rainbow. The “green lung” is a natural wonder of the world. Find out more about the world’s most diverse, fascinating and threatened ecosystem.

The tropical rainforest is an eternally green band that spans the Earth at the equator. Its climate preconditions – high temperatures and at least two thousand liters of rain per square meter per year – have given rise to perhaps the most remarkable ecosystem on the planet in the Amazon, Congo Basin and Southeast Asia.

The rainforest is also the world’s most diverse habitat. Covering no more than five percent of the planet’s land area, tropical rainforests are home to half of all animal and plant species. Yet this rich heritage is in jeopardy. The forests are being cleared – mainly by timber, palm oil, soybean and mining companies – and with each tree felled, we lose a bit of biodiversity. 

More than half of the planet’s rainforests have already been cleared, and further areas have suffered grave damage or have been fragmented into many small islands of forest. Every one of the forest giants is the habitat of hundreds of further plant and animal species, and when a tree is cut down, its inhabitants also perish. Every human intervention further upsets the delicate interdependence of plants and animals.

Despite lip service and efforts to the contrary, the pace of rainforest destruction has not slowed. Around 10.4 million hectares – and of that total, 6.3 million hectares of primary forest – are still disappearing every year. The forest, with its biodiversity and intricate interdependencies of its inhabitants, is more threatened than ever.

Find out more about this natural environment and why it is so worthy of protection on the pages below. We need your help in preserving the last rainforests!

Related action alerts

Your signature can make a real difference. Our petitions expose destructive projects and name the perpetrators. Together we can have an even greater impact!

Indigenous man on eucalyptus plantation © Povo Pataxó

82,858 supporters

Brazil: Stop genetically modified eucalyptus trees!

A Brazilian state commission has granted Suzano, a pulp and paper company, a license to plant eucalyptus trees that have been genetically modified to make them resistant to the herbicide glyphosate. More than 50 organizations are calling for the license to be revoked because of dangers to health, the environment and local livelihoods.

More information

To: the Chair of the National Technical Commission on Biosecurity (CTNBio) and the Federal Public Prosecution Service

“Revoke the license for the release of glyphosate-resistant, genetically modified eucalyptus trees!”

Read letter

Subscribe to our newsletter.

Stay in the loop on rainforest conservation issues with our free newsletter!