Human activity has degraded almost 40% of the Amazon rainforest

Photo: CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images

The Amazon rainforest has been greatly degraded more than scientists previously believed, since more than a third of the remaining forests are affected by human activity, according to a recent study published.

Research published in the journal Science shows that up to 38% of the remaining Amazon forest area -equivalent to ten times the size of the UK- Has been affected for some kind of human disturbanceresulting in carbon emissions equal to or greater than those from deforestation.

The conclusions, explained in the study, are the result of an analytical review of previously published scientific data, based on satellite images and in a synthesis of published data outlining changes in the Amazon region between 2001 and 2018. The authors define the concept of degradation as transient or long-term changes in man-made forest conditions.

According to the authors, the degradation is different from deforestation, in which the forest is completely removed and a new land use, such as agriculture, established in its place. Although heavily degraded forests can lose almost all the trees, the land use itself does not change.

The authors evaluate four disturbances key drivers of forest degradation: forest firesthe border effects (changes that occur in the forests adjacent to deforested areas), the selective logging (such as illegal logging) and extreme drought.

Despite the uncertainty about the full effect of these disturbances, it is clear that their ecumulative effect can be as important as deforestation for carbon emissions and biodiversity loss,” says Jos Barlow, Professor of Conservation Sciences at Lancaster University (United Kingdom) and co-author of the paper.

Desolate forecast for 2050

In a projection made by the team for 2050, the four factors of degradation will continue to be major sources of carbon emissions into the atmosphere, regardless of the growth or suppression of deforestation of the forest.

“Even in an optimistic scenario, when there is no more deforestation, the effects of climate change will continue forest degradationwhich will cause more carbon emissions,” says Dr. David Lapola, leader of the study and researcher at the Center for Meteorological and Climate Research Applied to Agriculture at Unicamp.

The authors propose create a monitoring system for forest degradation, as well as prevent and curb illegal logging and control the use of fire. One suggestion is the concept of “smart forests” which, like the idea of ​​“smart cities”, would use different types of technologies and sensors to collect useful data in order to improve the quality of the environment.

You might also be interested in:

Lula da Silva proposes to organize the 2025 COP in the Brazilian Amazon

Ratanabá: why the legend of the lost city in the Amazon “does not make sense”, according to an archaeologist