Benefits of the Tropical Rain Forest

European colonists have destroyed more than 90 native Indian tribes since the 1900s. With them, the world lost their vast array of knowledge relating to the medicinal value of species within the rain forest. More importantly, medicine men have been destroyed along with their skills. These medicine men are highly trained and specialized in using these plants for healing purposes. No other place in the world provides the knowledge and skills of these medicine men. Furthermore, over half of all plants, insects, and animals, as well as over 20% of the world’s oxygen come from the tropical rain forest. It goes without saying that when tropical rain forests are clear-cut for their timber, the planet loses a lot of diversity in wildlife that are extremely beneficial, if not completely necessary, to humans. Prescription drugs are also found in many of the plants from the tropical rain forest. In fact, about 121 prescription drugs being sold throughout the world are found in plants from the tropical rain forest. When forests are destroyed, pharmaceutical companies no longer have the necessary ingredients to create these important drugs.