The African Rainforest is a place of beauty and mystery. The East African Rainforests are actually mountainous areas of splendor that each harbor unique fauna and flora that cannot be found in any other area of Africa. Commonly known as The Eastern Arc, these mountains have been in existence for more than one hundred million years and the chain begins with the giant mountain of Kilimanjaro. The most biologically diverse mountain, however, is that of Usambaras. The forests of the Usambara cover a mere 800 square miles but they still rank 2^nd only to the life that exists in the great forest of Western Africa. The completion of the Eastern Arc can be found in the southwestern part of the country at Mount Udzungwa at which many exciting new discoveries are still currently being made.

The growing population is being pushed more and more towards the Rainforests. What was once known as an area of worship or solitude is now being considered much less important at serving those past rituals and more important for serving as lumber or space to clear and build or expand in. The inhabitants of Eastern Africa are feeling the pressures of economic hardship and are searching for a solution to make their situation more stable. This solution often includes the exploitation of the Rainforest; thus diminishing it little by little.

The respect and love of the Rainforest is beginning to weaken under the pressure of area economics and individuals are beginning to care less and less about what happens to these unique ecosystems that the Rainforest harbors. Although strict guidelines are constantly being forced to be upheld, it only brings the level of respect further down. These laws of the East Africa Rainforest are laws that many do not understand and, therefore, do not wish to uphold. The rights of the individuals in this area are being removed slowly and this creates a mass feeling of confusion and sometimes even anger. There are groups that are attempting to address this situation and teach individuals in the community but the process is a slow one.

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Animals in The Rainforest

Posted on November 26th, 2007 | Comments Off
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