And all of these species live in OLD GROWTH FORESTS. Second growth forests harbor very little life compared to old growth forests. Usually, a few plant and animal species that can survive in second growth forests take over, and all of the other diversity is wiped out.

And old growth forests are PRICELESS. It takes 300-350 years for the trees to reach their full height, and another 100 years for some of the trees to become snags, which are important for many species. Then it would take another 200-300 years for trees to fall and for lichens and insects to break them down, and become part of the soil. And even then, the cycle isn't complete because there aren't trees of different sizes to make up the understory, and the soil still isn't very rich. So we're talking 1,000 years to grow back an old growth forest.

But even more important are the species that live there, especially in tropical rain forests. All this diversity of plants and animals can't just wait 1,000 years while this forest grows back! When it is cut down, all of the animals and plants in that area die. And chances are that many of those species are found nowhere else. Right now, as forests are being cleared at the rate of 100 acres per minute, the cure for AIDS may be dieing. Thousands of other plant and animal species that we haven't even had time to see or learn about are also becoming extinct.

Remember,

EXTINCT IS FOREVER.

AND FOREVER IS A LONG TIME.