Deforestation is a major problem throughout the tropics. Uncontrolled harvesting of trees, especially hardwoods still goes on. Subsistence farming is practiced by millions of people who farm the land by burning a part of the forest and planting crops in the seemingly rich soil. The problem is that despite the lush appearance of the forest, the underlying soil is not that fertile. Its fertility is not inherent but comes from a complex interaction of the plants, trees, bacteria and insects that live only in the forest. After burning the forest, crops can only be grown for a couple of years before the soil is depleted and the farmer moves on to burn another section of forest. He leaves behind a dead space directly exposed to the burning sun and torrential rain. The land will take many years to recover. Sometimes it never recovers. What's more, if the topsoil is lost, the land will never recover at all and the topsoil washes into rivers and streams causing further ecological disruption downstream. Even if the fertility of the land recovers it will never truly return to its original state, as discussed below.

The saddest aspect of forest destruction is the loss of species. The rainforest is a virtual laboratory of interdependent bacteria, moss, lichen, bromeliads, epiphytes, trees and insects. Most of these have not even been cataloged, much less studied. Some of the most beneficial medical discoveries in recent times have come from rainforest life forms. It has been learned that each part of the forest contains some unique species that evolved and live only in that part of the forest. Each square mile of the forest reveals new species unique to that area. When that part of the forest is destroyed, the species unique to that part are lost forever.

Interestingly, it is actually possible to farm in the forest without causing serious damage but the method is only still practiced by the Lacondon, one small group of Indians. The Lacondon examine the forest and select areas that are well drained. Thus, they avoid areas containing hardwoods as the soil is too wet. In April, they burn a section of the forest and immediately plant fast growing trees such as papaya and banana to protect the soil. Later, they plant corn, garlic, sweet potatos and many other crops. They plant in such a way that every square inch of the soil is covered, mimicking the style of the rain forest and which continues to protect the soil. The land yields crops for several years and is then allowed to return to the wild. Even afterwards, the fruit trees continue to yield. After some years the land recovers and the same process can be repeated. Thus, it is possible to farm in the rainforest without permanently destroying the soil but the methods are rarely used and are certainly not compatible with modern farming techniques and farm machinery.

Scientists have long suspected that there is a link between the destruction of the rain forests and global warming but scientists have not yet convincingly proven the link. Moreover, in scientific circles the concept of global warming itself is still open to debate. However, the link between forests and the local climate is easily observable right here in Guatemala. Up in the mountain rainforests of the Verapaces it is fascinating to watch the cycle as it rains on the forest, the sun then comes out and one can watch steam boiling up off the forest which rises into the sky, condenses, and forms more clouds which then rain on the forest again.

The area around El Rancho along the Caribbean Highway between Rio Dulce and Guatemala City is an example of what can happen after clearcutting of the forest. The whole area around El Rancho is a desert with exposed tan colored soil, occasional scrub and brush, yellow weeds and two prominent types of cactus. But it didn't used to be this way. Hank McLaughlin, a long-time resident of Guatemala remembers in the early 80's when it still was an evergreen forest. In the space of 20 years, hundreds of square miles of Guatemala have become a hot, uncomfortable desert. Residents of the area can remember when there were plentiful pine trees and the temperatures much cooler. Local effects are also observed in Guatemala City which has grown much in the last 20 years and now sprawls in all directions over the surrounding hills. Local residents complain that temperatures in the city used to be much cooler, before the surrounding hills became covered with concrete and asphalt.

There are two problem areas that need to be addressed. 1) Timber companies that harvest trees for profit. 2) Indigenous populations that practice slash-and-burn subsistence farming. The former problem must be addressed by governments and by the people in developed nations who crave products made from tropical hardwoods. The solution to the second problem is education and assistance. Uncontrolled cutting of the forest and slash-and-burn subsistence farming techniques might have been acceptable when the population of the world was much lower but today these practices are seriously endangering forests the world over. The indigenous population is receptive and they understand the problem once they are made aware of it. But education must include more than just awareness. The millions of people who practice slash-and-burn subsistence farming still have families to feed. Education must include solutions which enable these people to farm by means of sustainable methods.