The degradation of the Amazon forests

SOURCE: COMMON WIKIMEDIA

An international team of 35 scientists indicated in an article published last Friday in the journal Sciencethat more than 30% of the Amazonian forests have suffered terrible degradation due to human activity.

The Amazon jungle is the lungs of the Earth, one of the greenest places we can find on our planet. Currently, it is one of the most threatened ecosystems due to the terrible deforestation process it has suffered in recent decades.

Stopping the deforestation and degradation of the Amazon forests is a vital goal that human beings must achieve for their survival. Moreover, it is very urgent to maintain a good health of the forests of the Amazon jungle, because they help us to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.

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Why are forests important for the environment?

Forests are forest ecosystems that provide various services to the world population. They support the balance of the water cycle, in addition to contributing enormously to the adaptation and mitigation of the effects of climate change.

Forests fulfill an extremely important function for the human beings who inhabit the planet. They process carbon and turn it into oxygen, purifying the air so we can breathe it again. They are carbon sinks, natural reservoirs that absorb carbon from the atmosphere.

Wilderness forests surrounding cities process polluting gases generated by urban areas, turning them back into breathable oxygen. Protected areas are a representative sample of the world’s forests. The conservation and sustainable use of forests are essential to ensure that the Earth is rich in biodiversity.

What are the main causes of the degradation of the Amazon rainforest?

According to scientists, the degraded area is much larger than originally thought. In concrete terms, 38% of the Amazonian forests, partially or permanently, have suffered this degradation that we humans have caused.

The results of the study published in the journal Science warn of the seriousness of the situation:

About 2.5 million square kilometers of the Amazon forest are currently degraded by vegetation change, forest fires, illegal logging or extreme drought, representing 38% of all forests in the Amazon.Science

The authors of the study distinguish between the concepts of degradation and deforestation, arguing that the use of land affected by degradation does not change, they continue to be forest, despite the disappearance of most trees and the vegetation. In its place, a new land use, such as agriculture, is established.

The four main causes of the degradation of the Amazon rainforest are:

vegetation changes

Consequence of deforestation and consequent fragmentation of the Amazon habitat.

Forest fires

The vast majority of forest fires have been caused by humans.

illegal connection

It is an illegal activity carried out by human beings to gain economic benefits.

extreme droughts

Human-induced climate change has caused more and more extreme droughts in the Amazon and in different places on Earth.

Jos Barlow, one of the study’s authors, noted the following in a statement:

Despite the uncertainty about the full effect of these disturbances, it is clear that their cumulative effect can be just as significant as deforestation in terms of carbon emissions and biodiversity loss.Joseph Barlow

SOURCE: PIXABAY

monitoring systems

The scientists, in a projection made by their team for the year 2050, point out that the four factors of degradation of the Amazon – changes in vegetation, forest fires, illegal logging and extreme droughts – will continue to produce large amounts of carbon emissions into the atmosphere, even if they succeed in completely eliminating deforestation in the Amazon.

Dr. David Lapola, study leader and researcher at Unicamp’s Agricultural Weather and Climate Research Center, says the following about this possible scenario:

Even in an optimistic scenario, when there is no more deforestation, the effects of climate change will continue to degrade forests, leading to more carbon emissions. However, preventing the advance of deforestation remains vital, and could also allow more attention to be given to the other drivers of forest degradation plaguing the Amazon.david lapola

The authors of the study propose the creation of specific monitoring systems that monitor forest degradation, taking into account the main threats that the environment may suffer, beyond the control of the use of fire and the suppression of illegal logging. One of the suggestions they propose is that of “smart forests”, the main objective of which would be to collect all the useful data to improve the quality of the environment.

Sources: Editorial Ambientum, EFE VERDE, Sciences

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