The Amazon rainforest is one of the most ecologically diverse areas on the planet. It is the largest rainforest, covering over 1.2 billion acres, and has been encroached on from all different sides for various reasons. Agriculture, an abundance of valuable hardwoods, roadwork, and mining are just a few of the various reasons these incredible ecosystems are being invaded and plundered. If the deforestation continues at the same rate it's going now, we will lose the Amazon rainforest all together in about 40 years. Protecting these areas should be high priority and without a much more impactful effort, we may very well see the end of rainforest habitats.