“Amazon a critical point biodiversity the ongoing threat of land conversion and climate change.” This opening line echoes a report that unveils the true state of one of the planet’s most vital environmental regions. The conclusion is stark: more than half of the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed or degraded. Scientists warn that human-caused disturbances threaten not just a forest, but an entire ecosystem that supports countless species and the livelihoods of local communities.
The Amazon rainforest loses between 50 and 200 million tons of carbon annually due to degradation, a finding highlighted by research published in Science. While deforestation is a major driver, other linked effects also diminish the forest’s health, indicating that the Amazon is losing its vitality from multiple pressures, not just clear-cutting.
The degradation stems from timber extraction—often illegal and aimed at creating room for farmland—along with fires and intensified droughts driven by climate change. This creates what some describe as a coastline effect, where neighboring areas experience shifts caused by nearby deforestation and disturbed landscapes.
The affected region now spans about 2.5 million square kilometers, nearly five times the size of Spain, encompassing 38 percent of the Amazon. In contrast, deforested land covers roughly 1.1 million square kilometers, about twice the size of Spain and accounting for 17 percent of the area. Taken together, researchers report that roughly 55 percent of the Amazon has already been damaged or destroyed.
human-induced changes
Scientists emphasize that while deforestation is well documented in the Amazon, degradation is equally serious and carries a huge impact on biodiversity and carbon storage. The ongoing disturbance weakens the forest’s resilience and threatens its future integrity.
The reporting includes images of the deforested belt of the Amazon and the stark contrasts with intact forest, underscoring the scale of loss and fragmentation. The commentary highlights that most analyses of land-use changes focus on the causes and effects of outright clearing, but disturbances that degrade the remaining forest also pose a critical threat to biodiversity and the forest’s climate role.
Extreme droughts have intensified as a result of climate change driven by human activities. The study synthesizes information about the disturbances that lead to degradation, examining their causes, potential futures, and the interventions needed to halt further decline.
Disasters can inflict biodiversity losses comparable to deforestation. Forests degraded by fire and logging may reduce evapotranspiration during the dry season by as much as 34 percent, amplifying biodiversity loss and imposing unequal socioeconomic burdens on forest dwellers.
The expansion of agriculture and demand for timber, while providing material gains for a limited group of actors, places burdens on a wide spectrum of people—from nearby forest communities to urban residents in the Andes. Scientists describe these dynamics as the main drivers of disturbances that compromise forest health.
Promote a smart forest model
The worst for the Amazon lies ahead. Projections for 2050 suggest that the four main upheavals will continue to threaten the forest and contribute carbon to the atmosphere, regardless of how deforestation trajectories unfold.
Some disturbances, like edge effects, can be mitigated by halting deforestation. Others, including the rise in extreme drought, demand additional precautions and strengthened global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Stemming degradation requires collaboration with a range of stakeholders, robust monitoring of various disturbances using a mix of satellite imagery and ground-based measurement, and the improvement of policy frameworks such as REDD+ aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions while promoting sustainable forest management.
Policies to combat degradation must be integrated with measures to prevent deforestation, while exploring innovative approaches that address the disturbances plaguing the Amazon rainforest, as noted by the researchers.
Because degradation and deforestation form a vicious circle—the increase in forest damage raises atmospheric carbon, which in turn reduces regional rainfall—urgent action is needed to break the cycle.
There are indications of vegetation shifts in the Amazon: tree species adapted to humid climates are giving way to those more tolerant of dry conditions. Unless trends reverse, scientists warn that within 15 years the Amazon could emit more CO2 than it absorbs, a finding reported in smart-forest projections that advocate installing monitoring devices to track deterioration and manage wood extraction more carefully.
Reference work: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abp8622
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