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BRAZIL INVISIONS RAINFOREST PRESERVATION By : Rachael Vollaro

.	FOREST FIRES. HUMAN DESTRUCTION. GLOBAL WARMING. These are the main destruction agents that have been destroying the rainforests of the Amazon. In an effort to preserve what is left, the Brazilian government announced a two-year commitment that would protect up to 62 million acres of forest. Mark Schlessman, professor of biology at Vassar College, Poughkeepsie NY, said he is pessimistic about the actual success the Brazilian government will have. "All tactics are difficult to implement. I think the most successful ones are those that are developed with the cooperation and consent of indigenous peoples, and local governments," he said. The plan is the first as a result of an alliance between the World Bank and World Wildfire Fund. The cost of the project is estimated between $84 million and $156 million. World Bank would fund the majority. World Bank president James Wolfenson said the bank has nearly $2.6 billion available. The Associated Press reported Brazilís president, Fernando Henrique Cardosoís, videotaped statement. "This is a testimony of our commitment to preserve the environment. I sincerely hope the steps we are taking will encourage other countries to do the same," he said. CNN interactive reported that most of the land is in two national parks in Roraima. Roraima, a northern Amazon state, had an area the size of Belgium devastated by forest fires earlier this year. If the Brazilian government does follow through, it would be the largest forest conservation effort in the Amazon. Teresa Snyder-Leiby, an assistant professor of biology at Marist College, Poughkeepsie NY, emphasized the importance of preserving the rainforest. "Since the benefits of the rainforest are global I think it is important that everyone share in solutions to the problem of shrinking forests," she said. Currently, only four percent of Brazilís Amazon forest is protected. The Amazon forest contains 30 percent of the worldís remaining forest. About 13 percent of the two million-square-mile Amazon are gone. Snyder-Leiby, the director of the Marist greenhouse, said the destruction to the forest will have lasting affects on global warming. "This is so important because of the effect of carbon on the greenhouse effect," she said. "Trees store carbon and are essential for removing carbon gasses from the atmosphere." Schlessman, curator of Vassar Collegeís herbarium, also stressed the biodiversity within the rainforest. "Some of the benefits of biodiversity include rich ecological interactions and a source of pharmaceuticals," he said. "Over half of all species live in the rainforest." Brazil ranks first in the world for numbers of species of primate, amphibians and plants. Third for bird species, and fourth for species of butterflies and reptiles. The Amazon is also home to ancient Indian tribes that have felt the impact of the blaze. The stone-age Yanomami Indian tribe, who make the forest their home, are not used to the smoke and pollution caused by the fire and other destruction. Schlessman, who specializes in plant ecology, said even human culture is being destroyed. "By destroying habitat, itís contributing to the decline in indigenous cultures," he said. Garo Batmanian, head of the World Wildlife Fund in Brazil, said that Brazilís participation has a symbolic significance. "This is the first step, and many other steps must be taken," he said.	.