Tropical rain forests — what are they really like?

Abstract

Hardly a week passes without a new report of threats to another area of tropical rain forest. As I write, this week’s article is about Guyana, where two international companies, one Canadian and the other Malaysian, are trying to acquire 1.5 and 0.5 million acres, respectively (Guardian, 26 June 1996). Guyana, on the northern edge of the Amazon Basin, is still 85% lush tropical forest, and rich in species unique to the Guyana Shield. The forests are home to Amerindians, including such little-known tribes as the Wia-Wai, Makushi and Wapishani. All depend on the forest for hunting and farming. For future drugs, genes for new agricultural innovations, and global climatic stability, we in the developed world also depend on these forests.