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The New Guinea Rainforest
By: Maranda Gilliland

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Maranda Gilliland
Ms. Percefull
Introduction to Geography
4 01 2012
The New Guinea Rainforest
The island of New Guinea is the second largest island in the world. It is located one hundred kilometers north of Australia. It also has one of the largest tropical rainforests in the world, and is one of the last remaining expanses of tropical rainforest left in the world. The New Guinea Island still has parts that have been untouched and in some places on the island, the natives have never seen a white person. The rainforest however is being rapidly developed in the areas that are accessible. In the rainforest there are a large variety of plants and animals that are only found in this location. This is one thing that makes the New Guinea rainforest so special and unique. It is definitely a place worth preserving. It is also one of the few places on earth that the indigenous people still live on the land. There is a threat to the forest and all that inhabit it. People are logging and mining the forest, which is destroying it. If it is allowed to be destroyed and demolished, thousands of species of rare plants and animals along with homes of the people who live there will be destroyed along with it. The New Guinea Rainforest along with all other rainforest has life in it that should be protected, the destruction of the forest has dire consequences and effects on everyone, whether we realize it or not. The Rainforest’s including the New Guinea Rainforest is an asset to everyone; it provides us with many benefits that we need to survive.

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The New Guinea Rainforest has been isolated for a very long time, and this has allowed for many unique and rare species to develop. In the rainforest there are around nine thousand species of plants, two hundred and fifty species of mammals, and seven hundred species of birds. Many of the native mammals include several species of bats and rats. There are also sixty species of marsupials, which includes tree kangaroos and two species of monotremes. One of the types of bats discovered in the forest in the tube-nosed fruit bat, which needs mentioning because it bares a close resemblance to Yoda from Star Wars. Other unique species have recently been discovered in the New Guinea Rainforest. Some of these include a white tipped- tail mouse, at least one ant and several crickets, and katydids. These are special because they are so different from any other kind known that they represent a whole new genus. Some other cool species found in the forest are a fish with vampire fangs; a gecko that looks like it is wearing lipstick, and a carnivorous plant that stands more than 7m high! The diversity of the region of the rainforest is so rich, that an average of three new species were found a week in 2009. Also found during this time were a fangless snake, a frog that chirps like a cricket, a pincher plant that traps insects and can grow to 7m high, and the world’s largest crocodile. There are so many unique and special species of animals that call the New Guinea Rainforest home.
The New Guinea Rainforest is also known for all the species of birds found there. As I said before there are over seven hundred. The most know of all these birds is the birds of paradise, there are over forty three different kinds. There are also kingfishers, parrots, crownfishers, and

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Bower birds just to name a few. The Male bower birds are pretty cool because they build and maintain their nests with fresh flowers found in the forest. That must be sight to see. One of the largest birds in the world can also be found here. The crossway is a flightless bird that is only found in the New Guinea Rainforest and Northern Australia. But New Guinea is not only home to many mammals, bird, and plants; it is also home to many different tribes of people who call the forest home.
The indigenous people of the rainforest came to the island as long ago as fifty thousand years ago. There are over seven hundred languages spoken there, which is fifteen percent of all languages spoken on earth. The rainforest provides food as well as material for building, tools, weapons, clothing, and medicine for the people of the forest. Most New Guineans still live in tribal societies today. Ninety seven percent of land in PNG today is held by the indigenous people who live there. Most people who live there live the traditional tribal lifestyle by hunting and gathering, some even grow vegetables. They are some of the world’s most traditional forest people. Some of the forest people have had no contact with the outside world (44 groups). There are presently one thousand tribes in New Guinea. We now know that the New Guinea Rainforest is home to several species of plant and animals, and that there are many tribes of people who call the forest home, and that the forest is important to them, but we need to realize that the forest is important to all of us. The rainforest is beneficial to everyone.

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Rainforests are extremely important to the ecology of the Earth, which means they are very important to us. The plants of the rainforest provide much of the oxygen we need to survive on Earth. The plants are also beneficial to us because they can be used for new drugs to fight illness and disease. The plants of the rainforest turn carbon dioxide into clean air, which helps us, fight pollution. Unfortunately the New Guinea Rainforest is being destroyed, as you can see this will not only effect the ones who call it home, but it affects all of us.
Deforestation is a major concern for the New Guinea Rainforest. One of the major causes of deforestation is logging. The logging used to be mainly localized, but it is now linked to global market, which increases the logging. Logging in New Guinea is mainly done by Malaysian logging firms. A study has shown that the forest was being cleared at a rate of 1.4% in 2002 but has increases to 1.7% a year by 2007. It is estimated that by 2021 eighty three percent of accessible forest and fifty three percent of New Guinea’s total forest would be destroyed or severely damaged. Not only are the tree being cut down due to logging, but logging roads are carelessly being built so substantial erosion, silting, and the river flow are all being altered. Roads are often built over small streams, which cause ponding that promotes high concentrations of mosquitos that spread malaria and other diseases. This shows that it all has a ripple effect. Another cause for concern for the New Guinea Rainforest is mining. Some of the effects of the mining include a reported drop in fish and turtle population. Also a drop in prawns, lobsters, and brivales. Some of the birds in the area also starting to leave the area such as kingfishers and

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Brahmin kites, due to the decrease of fish. Not only are there effects on the environment due to mining it is also reported that the indigenous people are being treated unfairly by the government.
The New Guinea Rainforest is a treasure that we should take care of. It has so many wonderful and unique species of animals and plant life that can’t be found anywhere else. If we don’t take efforts to preserve this area, those animals and plants won’t survive, they’ll be gone forever. That’s a sad thought. The people of the rainforest also should have the right to live their life without interference from outsiders who just want to make a buck. It’s not fair for them to be railroaded and manipulated into giving their land away, by someone who is trying to take advantage of a people and a place for their sole benefit. The rainforest provides all of us with so many benefits to our survival; I think we all like breathing right? So if we destroy the New Guinea along with the rest of rainforests, then you might as well say we are destroying our oxygen source. Why would someone want to destroy something we must have to survive? This should be another reason to want to take care of it. If we just go through and cut all the trees and displace all the animals, and demolish all the plan life, and take no regard for the human life that occupies the rainforest, then what does that say about us? Money is not worth destroying something so precious.

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Works Cited:
Online: www.rainforestportal.org/.../papua_new_guinea_rainforest_ma.asp

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D www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/...rainforest...new-guinea/8986.htmlec 18,2009
Online newspaper: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article.../Worlds-largest-rain-forest disappear: 02 June 2008 Online News Paper: news.sciencemag.org › News › ScienceNOW › January 2012
Online magazine article: www.ecosmagazine.com/?act=view_file&file_id=EC146p30...
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Online: rainforests.mongabay.com/new-guinea/
Online: www.rainforest-facts.com/papua-new-guinea-rainforest.html
Online: www.salvaleforeste.it/.../massive-land-grab-threatening-papua-new-g...
Online: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papua_New_Guinea