Rainforests play a critical role in the maintenance of our planet's good health. Not only are they home to more than half of the world's species of flora and fauna, rainforests are also the source of about 40 percent of the planet's oxygen supply. They also help to maintain the Earth's fresh water levels, as well as regulate temperatures and weather patterns.
Sadly, despite being so rich, diverse and life-giving, humans continue to wreck these priceless habitats through deforestation.
"Every second, a slice of rainforest the size of a football field is mowed down. That's 86,400 football fields of rainforest per day, or over 31 million football fields of rainforest each year," the Nature Conservancy writes.
According to the National Geographic, rainforests could vanish from the planet completely within the next century if current deforestation rates continue.
To raise awareness about the plight of the rainforests, design agency NeoMam Studios, in collaboration with the Irish education group Giraffe Childcare & Early Learning, has created this fascinating infographic, chock-full of amazing facts about one of the world's most vital habitats:
To learn how you can help save the rainforests, visit the websites of environmental groups like Greenpeace and the Nature Conservancy.
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