The rain forest is not only a beautiful lush vegetation but an extremely valuable asset to earths economic value. The rain forest provides extreme importance on our earths atmosphere, it provides a home for many species of plants, animals and people. Some of which these species are extinct. The rain forest has many important assets and functions. The main function which we would like to discuss is the economic value of what the rain forest provides. The rain forest is a contributor to Earth's life support system. (www.encarta.msn.com) With the vast amount of beauty, vegetation and greenery the rain forest provides, it also provides oxygen. The plants in the rainforest naturally absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. (www.encarta.msn.com). Some of the plants in the rainforest are also used for medicinal drugs. Some early forms of birth control pills were manufactured from yams that grew in the rainforests of Central America. Other drugs that were used to treat rare forms of leukemia derived from rain forest plants and continual research is being done to investigate more possibilities of rain forest plants as treatment for many diseases; such as cancer and AIDS. (www.encarta.msn.com).
In addition to providing oxygen and medicinal treatment, the rainforest provides a large range of natural resources, such as, timber, minerals and petroleum. These resources are priced and sold throughout international markets. (www.encarta.msn.com). The wood which the rainforest provides are highly prized for its beauty and durability. The rain forests trees, such as teak, rosewood, and mahogany are the rain forests hardwoods used to make furniture and cabinetry all over the world. The rainforests natural gas deposits and crude oil is another resource that also attracts multinational corporations. Another natural resource the rainforest offers is a wide expansion of grazing land or land that can be used for agricultural purposes.