Topline
More than one-third of the Amazon rainforest has been degraded by humans, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science, as scientists say the region is transitioning to become deforested at a pace faster than previously estimated.
Humans have degraded more than one-third of the Amazon, researchers said Thursday.
Key Facts
Researchers reviewed data outlining changes in the Amazon published between 2001 and 2008, including satellite imagery, and estimated 38% of the region had been affected by some form of human disturbance.
Degradation is different from deforestation, the researchers note, as it represents long-term changes in forest conditions that damages its ecosystem and results in carbon emissions greater to those from deforestation.
Researchers say there are four key disturbances driving forest degradation, including forest fires, illegal logging, extreme drought and changes in forests adjacent to deforested areas.
In order to combat forest degradation, the researchers proposed a monitoring system that would prevent illegal logging and control the use of fire in the region.
Additional research is required to better understand the possible socioeconomic impacts of forest degradation in the rainforest, researchers said, adding “few people profit from the degradation process.”
Big Number
867,000. That’s how many square kilometers of the Amazon rainforest had been cleared by 2019, according to the researchers, representing 14% of the region.
Surprising Fact
Scientists estimate more than 10% of all known plant and vertebrate species and about one-third of all species on Earth are present in the Amazon rainforest. Despite this, only 10% of all species in the region are estimated to have been found.
Key Background
Efforts to restore the Amazon rainforest, which covers an estimated 6.7 million square kilometers of South America, have accelerated in recent years. The region plays a critical role in global and regional carbon and water cycles, according to the World Wildlife Foundation, as it stores an estimated 76 billion tons of carbon while the trees release about 20 billion tons of water into the atmosphere per day. Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he has put an effort into reversing legislation put in place by former President Jair Bolsonaro, whose decisions enabled deforestation to soar to a 15-year high in 2021, according to the Associated Press. Lula has since pledged to end all deforestation in the region by 2030, while the country is set to host a United Nations climate conference in 2025.
Further Reading
Large Swathes Of Amazon Rainforest Could Be On Brink Of Die-Off, Study Says (Forbes)
Brazil’s Amazon Deforestation Surges To Worst In 15 Years (Associated Press)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2023/01/26/humans-have-degraded-more-than-a-third-of-the-amazon-rainforest-researchers-say/