• These tree frogs are among the species of animals in danger of losing their native habitat.Amazon Milky Treefrog image by Reisbegeleider.com from Fotolia.com
  
  The Amazon Rainforest is being destroyed at an alarming pace, along with many of the other rainforests on earth. While money drives the desire for deforestation in the region for timber, this unsustainable resource is just one of many resources being eliminated by these actions that could provide economic and other important benefits for those involved and for people everywhere. According to Rain-Tree.com, the Amazon is the world's greatest natural resource and its destruction poses a threat to us all.
  
  

Medicinal Plants

• According to the University of Michigan website on deforestation, 25 percent of medicines produced today require ingredients found in the rainforest's many tropical plants. The indigenous people of the Amazon have been using the plants of the region for medicinal purposes for generations. Some of the plants, which are not fond anywhere else, contain beneficial nutrients and chemicals that have lead to the development of essential medicines. Not only does destruction of the Amazon stop the supply of these resources in regard to making the current medications, but it also stops the possibility of future discoveries in the region for medicines we have yet to produce.
  
  

Animals and insects

• According to Rain-Tree.com, experts estimate that loss of habitat through rainforest destruction results in the extinction of up to 130 species of plants, animals and insects every day. This staggering number is more than the loss of life. The reduction in animal populations is a reduction in natural resources. Animals help to maintain the cycle of nutrients through the ecosystem and increase the rate of decomposition, according to the Northern Territory Government website. In addition, some species of animals and insects are required as prey to keep other species alive and healthy.
  
  

Foods

• The Amazon Rainforest is home to many varieties of edible fruits and nuts that will eventually disappear entirely if the destruction of the region does not stop. According to the Open Line website, there are more than 48 native fruits in the Amazon, including the camu-camu and the cupuacu fruits that are expected to be in demand internationally in coming years.
  
  

Air Quality and Environment

• The air on earth is a delicate balance of gases that make it possible for life to exist on earth as we know it. The destruction of the Amazon and rainforests like it contributes to the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and reductions in the amount of oxygen produced at the surface, according to the University of Michigan website. The long-term consequences include lowered air quality for humans and animals as well as climate change that will raise temperatures and cause sea levels to rise from melting ice caps.