... widely spread interrupted only by the oceans. This expansive ring of vegetation remained unchanged for fifty million years. However, today's trees cover merely one third of our earth. Today the picture is strikingly different. According to Roger Stone, reporter of USA Today, "Planet Earth once contained approximately 6,750,000 square miles of closed canopy rain forest" (74). Unfortunately, each year another ... edges of the forest, cutting down trees, trying to plant crops. The soil in these places is insufficient and cannot produce very much food. This leads to yet another chain reacti...

• Word Count: 3435
• Approx Pages: 14
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School