Amazon rainforest deforestation - The main causes

Forests, particularly rainforests play extremely important role in our planet. The largest rainforest on our planet is Amazon rainforest that covers area of five and a half million square kilometers (1.4 billion acres) which is more than half of remaining rainforests on our planet. Once long time ago rainforests covered 14% of the earth's land surface while now they cover just 6%. Many experts agree that if current trends of deforestation are about to continue in years to come we could lose all of our rainforests by the end of this century. This would be a real tragedy, and life would be much more difficult without the rainforests.

First of all climate change impact would be much stronger because forests and rainforests absorb large quantities of CO2 (carbon dioxide). CO2 is harmful greenhouse gas mostly responsible for global warming and climate change, and without rainforests lot more of this gas would end up in the atmosphere causing even bigger global warming impact. So as you can see forests are one of nature's defense systems against climate change problem. This is arguably their most important role but definitely not the only role they know how to play.

Forests also have tremendous impact on climate itself by regulating temperature, they produce several important nutritients like nitrogen and phosphor. Rainforests are also the areas of richest biodiversity on our planet with thousands of endemic animals and plants that are unique to them. There are many scientists that believe how rainforests could be also hiding cures for currently incurable diseases (Aids) because of thousands of plants that are still undiscovered. Some estimates even say that we are losing 137 plant species every single day due to rainforest deforestation. One of this plant species could easily be cure for some nasty disease but sadly we will never know was it or not.

Tropical rainforests are home to many unique plants. One of these plants could perhaps turn out to be cure for aids or some other currently incurable diseases.

Just imagine these tropical rainforests that stood for millions of years are being cleared each day by chainsaws, bulldozers and fires. We are destroying in a blink of an eye something that was created for many millions of years. How big is deforestation in Amazon? In the last 40 years Brazil (60 % of total Amazon rainforest) lost more than 600,000 sq km (232 000 sq miles) of Amazon rainforest, and the worst deforestation years were between 1991 and 2000 when the total area of forest lost in the Amazon rose from 415,000 to 587,000 km2

Why is Amazon rainforests being so heavily destroyed? Main cause for Amazon rainforest deforestation is definitely clearing forest area for cattle pasture. This most important reason of deforestation in Amazon rainforest caused deforestation of seventy percent of formerly forested land in the Amazon, and 91% of land deforested since 1970, is used for cattle pasture. Human population is constantly growing, needing more and more food, and this is where big profits play their role. Cattle breeding is traditional business in Brazil that gives nice profits (especially since meat prices are constantly rising), and what is equally important it doesn't require big maintenance expenditures. What it requires though is large area, and Amazon rainforest is the one that stands in the way of high profit. As in many other cases too, environment and ecology are much less important than economy and high profits and rainforests are being cleared out. Cleaning forest area for cattle pasture causes somewhere around 60-70 % of total deforestation, and is by far the biggest cause for tremendous deforestation in Amazon rainforest. Areas, once full of trees are now savannas and other coarse grasses needed for cattle pasture.

Cattle pasture is the main cause of deforestation in Amazon rainforest

When Amazon rainforests isn't making room for savannas and cattle, it is making room for new farms. Population in Brazil and other South American countries is constantly increasing, and since we are talking here about traditional countries mostly oriented on agriculture it is no surprise that large areas of forests are being cleared to make rooms for new farms. Poverty is still very much present in Brazil and government in many cases stimulates poor population to settle in these areas by creating new farms. Farmers mostly use fire for clearing forests, and this is the most negative thing in whole deforestation story. Not only does this mean that large areas of forests are being destroyed, this also means that many CO2 gets released in atmosphere giving more impact to climate change. According to scientists deforestation is second most important cause for global warming phenomenon, responsible for more than 20 % of total CO2 emissions.

Farms are in most cases soybean farms, especially after biofuels were discovered. Of course profits are once again very high, in fact profits are so high that Brazil has more than remarkable growth in soybean production, so big that is only matter of day before Brazil becomes No. 1 soybean producer, and overtakes U.S. as the main producer. Farms are responsible for about 20 % of total Amazon rainforest deforestation but this percentage is steadily growing in last couple of years driven by higher food prices and bigger profits.

Next cause for excessive Amazon rainforest deforestation is logging. People often mistake logging as the biggest cause of deforestation but this is far from truth. In reality logging is causing only 3-4 % of total deforestation. However even this percentage, though it seems small, it is still not negligible. Tropical rainforests are excellent sources of many quality and expensive wood (ebony), and this is the reason why many people turn to illegal logging as highly profitable business. Illegal logging is still big problem in Brazil, and there is still not adequate control that would put an end to a steady rise in illegal logging. Brazilian government still fails to take serious actions against illegal loggers, and the longer the government delays serious action the more Amazon rainforest gets cleared.

Logging is causing only 3-4 % of total deforestation in Amazon rainforest

Another reason responsible for destruction of Amazon rainforest is infrastructure building, responsible for about 3 % of total Amazon rainforest deforestation. The main problem with infrastructure building in Amazon is lack of sustainable management and good planning. The best example for this was building of infamous Trans-Amazonian Highway. Trans-Amazonian Highway had its purpose in not only connecting far places of the land, but also to open new areas for farms and easier exploit of quality woods. After this project was finished lack of sustainable management showed its full face, and deforestation took unprecedented level because now with available roads lot more forest areas become available for clearance.

When all this deforestation factors are summed up, the estimates say that the current rate of Amazon rainforest is so big that in two decades from now the Amazon rainforest will be reduced by 40%. If this is about to happen then this would probably be one of the biggest environmental disasters in history of our planet if not the biggest one. So we definitely need to prevent this from happening. But how to do this?

First of all rich countries should step in and ensure huge funds to stop deforestation. This money should be given to poor people that live in Amazon so they wouldn't need so many farms, and so many cattle to survive. Of course it is not enough to just collect money for this it is also important to make it sure that this money gets to the right people and not to end up in the pocket of some corrupted politician.

Another thing that should be definitely done is rehabilitation of formerly forested areas that are not longer interested to farmers. If only one small part of former ecosystem is saved this should be enough to start the rehabilitation. Also government needs to ensure more protected areas in Amazon rainforest. However in order for all of this to work farmers should really be more ecologically educated so they could understand the true importance of tropical rainforests. There are of course the laws. The laws are currently nor strict enough nor precise enough to stop the deforestation. Laws against deforestation need serious sentences to their offenders (jail sentences instead of fines), and government has to promote the importance of rainforests where ever and when ever possible. Unless people learn the importance of rainforests, profits will be always more important than Amazon rainforest. Money is not everything, and people have to realize this as soon as possible. Otherwise, not only survival of Amazon rainforest will be at stake but our own survival too.

Climate change caused flooding in Amazon?

Amazon rainforest is not only the largest rainforest in the world but also the excellent indicator of climate change. Flooding that is currently happening in Amazon is most likely the result of climate change. Though flooding is not unusual in Amazon this year situation is much more serious than in any previous year in last decade because waters rose much higher and stayed much longer than in previous years.

Floods are not the only indicator of climate change. Four years ago Amazon experienced tremendous drought that not only ruined the crops but it was so severe that fish were flapping in the mud. Extreme weather events like floods and drought are clear evidence that climate change is indeed happening. And unless we do something about it these extreme weather events will become more frequent and also more powerful.

What is currently happening in Amazon will likely not only affect Amazon but could also effect rainfall elsewhere, not only in Brazil and South America but in U.S. as well. Of course the rest of the world is likely to feel global warming heat too, especially once rising ocean temperatures and rain forest destruction grow even further. These extreme weather events could even happen sooner than we expect them, and global warming may not be "next generation thing".

Sadly many scientists agree how current flood/drought situation in Amazon is something that will become common thing in years to come. Amazon future isn't the only future that doesn't look bright, the future of our entire planet also looks to be more and more like some catastrophe movie scenario. And of course politicians are still talking and negotiating. They still haven't learned that you simply can't negotiate with climate.

Big parts of Amazon rainforest to disappear in years to come?

Amazon rainforest is the largest rainforest in the world with unparalleled biodiversity, for instance one in ten known species in the world live in the Amazon rainforest. Amazon rainforest is not only important because of biodiversity but also because it absorbs large quantities of CO2, therefore slowing the impact of global warming. Though Amazon rainforest helps the world in fight against global warming it alone is sadly not immune to global warming, and even small rises in temperature could destroy large areas of Amazon rainforest.

Unfortunately because of the global warming the possibility of severely reduced rainfall is very likely, and this could leave up to three quarters of the forest dry and withered by the middle of the next century. If this scenario happens it will not only mean ecological catastrophe it will also mean totally unpredictable global weather system. Met Office’s Hadley Centre (scientists specialized in climate prediction and research) showed in their last study that if the world’s average temperature rises by 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) from the pre-industrial levels (as many scientists believe it would with current rates of carbon emissions), by the middle of the century, then between 20 and 40 percent of the Amazon’s trees will disappear. And if there is about 3 degree C rise, then as much as 75 percent of the Amazon rainforest will disappear by 2150. Even if world does the miracle and we see only a 1 degree C temperature rise there will still be some irreversible damage to the tree coverage.

Many environmentalists believe that deforestation is ecological problem that threatens Amazon rainforest the most but global warming could be the one adding the final punch. So what would happen if for instance 75 percent of Amazon rainforest disappears in near future? Scientists still do not know an exact answer to this question but they believe that in this case weather would likely become extreme and this would also give tremendous impact to global warming. As Prof Peter Cox, Met Office professor of climate system dynamics at the University of Exeter, said: "The tropics are drivers of the world’s weather systems and killing the Amazon is likely to change them forever."

It is really not only the question of our forests needing our help to survive global warming impact, much more is at stake here, namely destiny of the planet we live in, and with it our destiny as well. Unless we don't do something very quick we will not only lose our forests but we will also create impossible conditions for living to our future generations. The sad thing is that many people still refuse to accept the seriousness of global warming problem. For instance only four in 10 Americans think that global warming problem is exaggerated. Do they really want a catastrophe to start believing?

Amazon deforestation again increasing

In the period between 2003 and 2007 there was decreasing trend regarding Amazon deforestation but according to new annual figures amazon deforestation trend is again on increase since in period from August 2007 to July 2008, Brazil deforested 11,968 square kilometers of forests which is increase compared to 2003-2004 and 2006-2007, when annual deforestation totals from fell from 27,423 km² to 11,532 km.

This data shows that Brazil will have to put more efforts to rainforest conservation. Possible solutions should include permanent preservation areas, strengthened land ownership rules, increased patrolling activity and a sharing of responsibility for halting deforestation with states and municipalities. In order to achieve this Brazil will need more funds, and this is where rich countries should step in and make the difference.

Amazon deforestation trend again on the increase in 2008

Brazil is world's fourth largest greenhouse gas emitter, and deforestation and forest fires together are responsible for 75% of total Brazilian greenhouse gas emissions. Brazil really have to overcome this big challenge and save Amazon. Previous years have showed it is possible to decrease deforestation rate. Hopefully upcoming years will yet again show decrease in Amazon deforestation.

Amazon rainforest deforestation not slowing down

Despite (alleged) efforts on local and international level Amazon rainforest is still being heavily destroyed. The latest report (29th September 2008) issued by Brazilian officials said that the Amazon is being deforested more than twice as fast as last year, which is huge disappointment after three ears of declines in the deforestation rate.

This alarming news is mainly the result of increased food prices that are stimulating soy farmers and cattle ranchers to clear more forest area for farms and pastures. There is also the problem of local authorities in the Amazon region that do not want to see daily illegal logging just to get more votes on the next election.

Amazon deforestation in August 2008 jumped incredible 228 percent when compared to the same month a year ago, with more than 290 square miles of Amazon destroyed in August this year, compared to the about 90 square miles in August last year. But things could be even more worse as institute that uses satellite imagery to monitor illegal logging fears that even more rainforest has been destroyed because no information was available for about quarter of the Amazon covered by clouds during the tracking.

Amazon deforestation again on the rise. Amazon is being deforested more than twice as fast in 2008 as in 2007.

This news should really ring some bells that current efforts are simply not enough, and that there is still a lot of hard work in front of not only Brazilian government, but also in front of international community. Amazon rainforest is vital from many different reasons, and its preservation duty of the highest priority. And we are running short, both on time as well as forest.

Amazon deforestation on the rise- again

Though there has been a lot of talk about cutting down the deforestation rate in Amazon rainforest, things haven't changed to better. In fact condition is worse than before because about 3,088 square miles of Amazon rainforest were destroyed between August 2007 and August 2008 — which is a 69 percent increase over the 1,861 square miles felled in the previous 12 months. Such large increase is mainly the result of rising demand for soy and cattle that pushes farmers to cut down the trees in order to make room for new farms.

Sustainable development is still something like utopia, and there is simply not enough initiative to cut down this rapidly rising deforestation rate. Just in 2007 Brazil lost 2.7 percent of its Amazon rain forest in 2007, and experts say that this trend will continue in the upcoming years. Deforestation rates have already passed beyond alarming, and without the adequate government policy, sustainable development and funds from rich countries, alarming could very soon transform into catastrophic.

Amazon's future and deforestation problem

Deforestation of Amazon rainforest is one of the most serious ecological problems of the modern world. Tropical rainforests play important role in enabling life on our planet and they need to be preserved.

According to to the worst predictions if the current rate of deforestation continues, 40% of the Amazon forest will be gone by the year 2050. Such high percentage would cause ecological disaster and its impact on global warming could be devastating. Therefore something must be done to slow down current deforestation rates.

Unfortunately deforestation is connected with many different economic factors; for instance high prices of food and commodities are causing need for cheap land, mostly to create cattle pasture, which is by the latest data responsible for almost 75 % of the deforestation in the Amazon (Brazil is the world's leading beef exporting country). And since the land in Amazon is about 10 times cheaper than in many other parts of Brazil, cattle pasture has in last few years expand rapidly in the Amazon.

Illegal logging is taking place on daily basis and government actions (like the large police operation in February) produced very little success, if any. This is mostly because of the frauds in land registry system and inefficient policy of collecting fines for deforestation, where fines have only psychological and symbolical impact, since they are almost never collected.

Without some economic incentives for people that live and work in the Amazon little can be done to slow down current deforestation rates. There simply has to be new governmental policy that would mean completely new level of environmental sustainability, where agriculture needs would be compensated with certain funds so that local population do not deforest. This possible new solution will have its first big test in the state of Amazonas, where authorities are launching a scheme, where in return for around $30 a month, families are asked to protect the environment and endangered animals and fish, and not to sell wood. This concept looks to be very interesting and it perhaps even holds the key on how to connect economic development with environmentalism.

The future of Amazon rainforest depends mostly on ability to connect economic development with environmentalism

What ever the solution, it has to be quick solution, because at the very best with good projects to reduce deforestation and paying people not to cut forest, Brazil might be able to keep the loss of Amazon rainforest down to 20%. And since 65 % of the Amazon rainforest lies on the Brazilian territory, Brazilian government must lead the way. Otherwise, future Amazon scenarios might end up as horror movies.

Amazon rainforest - Deforestation

Main and most important reason why tropical rainforests need to be preserved is the fact that they're enabling life on Earth. Not only do they absorb carbon dioxide and create oxygen in the process, they are also responsible for regulating temperature, producing important nutrients like nitrogen and phosphor, and even protecting watersheds from erosion of salt as well. Tropical rainforests can be also quite helpful on field of pharmacology and new medication researching because between thousands of different plants that have their habitat here perhaps they are even hiding potential cure for menaces of the modern world like cancer and AIDS.

But what about their destruction, can this process be stopped? Between 1970 and now, Brazil lost more than 600,000 sq km (232 000 sq miles) of Amazon rainforest which is very disturbing information. Through this article main reasons for such deforestation will be presented and methods that could mean preservation of Amazon rainforest will be pointed out. First let’s point out the main reasons that are causing this high amount of deforestation.

Most important deforestation factor is clearing forest area for cattle pasture and it causes 60-70 % of total deforestation. Since cattle breeding is very profitable business and doesn't require high maintenance expenditures and gives very solid profit, it is very clear why such big percent of Amazon forest is being destroyed because of cattle pasture. Increasing number of cattle needs more area on which they can pasture and because of this reason forests are often being replaced by savannas and other coarse grasses.

Second great cause of deforestation is also connected with agriculture but this time with farms. Since most population in Brazil is still very much oriented on agriculture, large areas of forests are being cleared in order to leave more space to cultivable areas, where especially poor farmers are being stimulated by government politics to settle and work on these areas. Since farmers use fire in this process, whole procedure has its negative effect doubled, because not only forests areas are being destroyed but also large quantities of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide are being released in atmosphere having negative impact on whole biosystem and polluting air we breathe.

This picture shows destructed rainforest on which very soon new farm will arise.

Large growth of cultivable areas is also connected with advanced production of soybean because Brazilian scientists have discovered new sorts of soybean and soybean is very expensive and very appreciated on world market and Brazil has such rapid growth with soybean production that according to some predictions soon will go even past the USA which at this moment holds first place in soybean production. Although many people would think that logging is main cause for such huge deforestation that's not true because it causes only 2-4 % of total deforestation. Tropical rainforests are presenting large source of expensive wood among which special place has precious ebony and that’s the reason why illegal logging is so much expanded and profitable business, namely because of high prices of this wood.

Just for example of that in September 2003, 17 people were arrested under incrimination that they destroyed 10 000 hectares of forest area and this is just small drop in the sea of illegal logging. Last factor that causes deforestation is infrastructure building, especially of roads and dams and it makes about 2-4 % of total deforestation.

Famous example of this politic is building of Trans-Amazonian Highway which had its purpose not only in connection between distant places but also in opening of new areas to farmers and easier exploiting of wooden riches. After this famous project was done, deforestation has gone to a whole new level and this presents a real example how building of infrastructure can cause complete ecological chaos. But can these factors be prevented or could they be at least slowed down until the level that could be more tolerable to environment?

There's still hope but only under this conditions.
First of all, former forest areas should be rehabilitated which is not that difficult process if at least small part of former biosystem is saved. Rehabilitation also needs higher productivity of cultivable areas and intellectual approach to agriculture by using modern methods and by influencing on farmers and their ecological conscience which often brakes down the whole procedure. Number of protected forest areas should also be increased and for that strong and systematic politic is needed.

Laws should be very precise and very strict with huge punishments for its offenders, not only fines but also jail sentences for more severe lawbreaking. But the most important thing is to influence on ecological conscience of all people by trying to present them negative consequences of deforestation that could easily cause catastrophic effect to all life on Earth and result in even more expressed climate changes. Only fast intervention on all fields can have success, because humanity needs to find the right way while it still can. To create harmony between ecology and economy is very difficult task but by no means impossible.

Amazon rainforest - Intro

Amazon rainforest is the largest rainforest on Earth and includes large area in South America between Andes, Guiana Highlands and Brazil Mountains, in the Amazon River Basin and is big as one quarter of total South America. This Earth's largest rainforest is one huge ecosystem with couple of million species of insects, plants, fishes, reptiles and other life forms from which some of them are still unknown to people.

Rainforests have most different biological systems in the world and they have critical role concerning the influence on global warming because they absorb carbon dioxide which is main cause of global warming.

In process of photosynthesis plants are absorbing carbon dioxide, creating oxygen in the process. In this process tropical rainforests have major role because they're absorbing more carbon dioxide than any other ecosystem on Earth. To classify certain forest area as the rainforest unique vegetative structure is needed. That structure consists of several vertical layers including the overstory, canopy, understory, shrub layer and ground level. All rainforests have closed rooftops where treetops are touching each other, creating shadowed forest interior in the process.

This picture shows distribution of tropical rain forests. This picture shows that Amazon tropical rainforest covers the largest area.

Since Amazon rainforest includes that whole big area mentioned earlier, it's not difficult to see why Amazon rainforest is often called „lungs of the world“. But since Amazon rainforest like all other rainforests presents rich source of wood and minerals, its very often uncontrolled exploit means serious problem and is one of the main reasons, if not the biggest one that's responsible for global warming and climate changes.