The Amazon Rain Forest

   The Amazon Rain Forest

                   

          

                            (http://enviro-map.com/amazon-rainforest)

The Amazon rain forest, which gets it name from the Amazon River, is the largest rain forest in the world, receiving nine feet of rain each year. The total extent of the Amazon is estimated at 3,179,715 square miles. In total, the Amazon River drains about 2,722,000 square miles or roughly 40 percent of South America. It goes through the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia and Suriname. It is the most diverse ecosystem on Earth: more than 1/3 of all species in the world live here. It has the world's highest diversity of birds (some 1.300 species) and freshwater fish (3.000 species), as well as 10% of Earth's mammals (more than 400 species) and 15% of land-based plant species, with as many as 300 species of tree in a single hectare (WorldWildlife.org). Because its vegetation continuously recycles carbon dioxide into oxygen, it has been described as the "Lungs of our Planet"(Taylor). About 20% of earth's oxygen is produced by the Amazon rainforest (Taylor).

(http://www.pbase.com/image/53798723)

 Golden Lion Tamarin Monkey

History

The Amazon rainforest originated approximately 100 million years ago and is the largest and most species-rich tropical rainforest on the planet, covering nine nations (Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana). Deforestation has occurred in the rainforest since the early 1960s in which farmers using the slash and burn method created cultivated the land (Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon Up 88% Over Last Year) . Between 1991 and 2000, the total area of forest lost in the Amazon grew from 260,000 to 365,000 sq miles. Almost all of the lost forests became pasture for cattle. The average annual rate of deforestation from 2000 to 2005 was 14,000 sq miles, which was an 18% increase than in the previous five years (12,000 sq miles). If the current trends continue, the Amazon Rainforest will be reduced by 40% in just 25 years, and in 100 years, it could completely disappear (Roberts).

    

Deforestation has occurred in the Amazon Rain Forest since the 1960s.

                  

(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzF_K3sreTWwMwuieqPXyH3Vg1lVMYKaz00_fLzbSJJyIdvUdpFAx-sFxD4dXxXgEO4Br3d28K853UIgW65CLi81kfCl7rciMwan4juW1bFzsATSJUBkyj1k-q7Yla-A7a2DuyOdbhJMKR/s1600/images.jpeg)

 Human Impact

About 20% of the Amazon has been destroyed. The annual loss of forest covers 27,000 square kilometers. Logging, cattle ranching, large scale agriculture are the primary causes . Amazon forests suffer as global demand for products such as beef and soy increases. Forests are cleared for more and more cattle grazing pasture and cropland. These growing industries also displace small farmers, forcing them into forested areas which they must clear to sustain themselves. Cattle pastures occupy 80 percent of deforested areas in the Amazon. Pasture runoff contaminates rivers (Worldwildlife.org). Fire used to manage fields often spreads into the remaining forests. The deforestation caused by ranching also contributes to climate change, releasing 340 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere every year (Worldwildlife.org).

(http://kanat.jsc.vsc.edu/student/lind/main.htm)

 

(http://kanat.jsc.vsc.edu/student/lind/main.htm)

(http://kanat.jsc.vsc.edu/student/lind/main.htm)

Benefits

The Amazon Rainforest is globally beneficial because it helps protect our ozone layer. It does so by limiting the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and in turn releases oxygen. The carbon dioxide taken by the rainforests helps it grow, while the oxygen benefits humans because it produces 20% of the world’s oxygen supply which is why it is referred to as the “lungs of our planet” (Taylor). A possible use for the plants within the Amazon could be used for medicine and finding cures for diseases since scientists have only tested nearly 1% of the plants within the rainforest (Taylor). A fourth of supplies used in Western Pharmaceutical ingredients are coming from the Amazon rainforest.

Over 121 prescription drugs come from the Amazon Forest

(http://www.axisresidentialtreatment.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/prescription-drug-addictions.jpg)

Protected Zones

(http://news.mongabay.com/2011/0420-protected_amazon.html)

There are protected zones in the Amazon which cover nearly 44%. Degradation is still occurring, however because of poor management. Half of protected areas in the Brazilian Amazon have no approved management plan and 45 percent has no management council (Butler). However, strictly protected areas such as national parks and biological reserves have been more effective at reducing deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest than protected zones that allow for controlled removal of trees and other natural resources ("Amazonia| Brasil"). In 2006, under the Presidential Decree of Brazil, three levels of protection were established in the designated Amazon forest area. 1.6 million hectares were permanently protected and totally off limits to logging and deforestation. Logging concessions were created in a further 2.8 million hectares to prevent deforestation and to ensure well-managed forests and development guidelines were improved in an additional two million hectares of forest (Miller). Currently the Amazon Regional Protected Areas (ARPA) Program also addresses deforestation by expanding and consolidating areas under strict protection. It is working to increase the total area under strict supervision to 10 percent of Brazil’s Amazon basin. The ARPA now covers nearly 70 million hectares of rainforest. A study by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences credits ARPA with a 37 percent decrease in deforestation between 2004 and 2009 (Gerken).

A Protected Zone in The Amazon

(http://iamwilderness.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/protected-areas-successfully-prevent-deforestation-in-amazon-rainforest-forest-orig-20130311.jpg)

The Future

Never before has the Amazon ecosystem experienced the simultaneous impact of large-scale forest loss and degradation, fragmentation, forest fires, and climate change. Scientists are working to understand the potential impact of climate change on Earth's largest rain forest. Some models suggest parts of the Amazon will experience elevated temperatures and less rainfall, while other regions will get more rain, but the debate is far from settled when it comes to predicting the sensitivity and responsiveness of the region's ecosystems to elevated CO2 levels. The little is known about present change in the Amazon. Giant clearings created by cattle pasture and soy farms suck moisture from surrounding forest fragments, while winds blow down trees, thinning the canopy and allowing sunlight to reach the forest floor. This dries leaf litter and kills trees. Dying trees drop leaves and branches, creating tinder for knee-high surface fires that burn through the forest as they escape from nearby agricultural clearings. While these fires are small, they cause significant damage in an ecosystem not well adapted to fire. Three recurrent fires over a several year period can completely obliterate the forest. As vegetation is destroyed by fire, the forest's own rain-generating capacity is reduced — as much as half the moisture in some parts of the Amazon is recycled through evapotranspiration. Fewer trees mean less rainfall, while the heavy smoke from burning has been found to inhibit cloud formation and reduce rainfall. These effects are not limited to local areas. Research led by Roni Avissar of Duke University suggests that changes in the Amazon may have an even wider impact, with deforestation influencing rainfall from Mexico to Texas and the Gulf of Mexico. The bottom line is that how these changes will compound and affect the Amazon in the long-term is still unclear (Butler).

(http://www.sustainableworks.org/node/282)

Maintaining Balance 

(http://guardianlv.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/amazon_rainforest_sea_of_green.jpg)

There are several ways that can help to maintain the balance between people and the ecosystem. First, is rehabilitation and increased productivity of formerly forested lands. By reducing wasteful land-use practices, consolidating gains on existing cleared lands, and improving already developed lands we can diminish the need to clear additional rainforest. This can be achieved in two ways:by increasing productivity. Increasing productivity of cleared rainforest lands is possible using improved technology to generate higher yielding crops and more cattle. While technology may have accelerated the development and impoverishment of tropical rainforests, it will be one of the keys to saving them. For example, 100 million head of cattle could be raised on land already cleared without cutting down a single tree. Also, the new technique of "non plowing farming" could conserve soil. This can also be achieved by habitat and species rehabilitation: The restoration of entire ecosystems is most possible in regions where parts or at least remnants of the original forest still remain and there are few human population pressures. Small clearings surrounded by forest recover quickly and large sections may recover in time.

Secondly, the extension of protection to critically important habitats within the Amazon region is a major key to maximizing survival of biodiversity in the Amazon ecosystem. Included in this plan one must prioritize areas for protection, ensure sufficient enforcement agencies and funding exist for the maintenance of protected areas, encourage the involvement of locals, and involve indigenous people in park management

Thirdly, there should be the development of a new conservation policy based on the principle of sustainable use and development of rainforests. This policy should be applied to all agents and industries involved in the use and development of rainforests lands and its resources.

Another strategy is to incorporate the techniques of indigenous Amazonians into agriculture projects to increase productivity, and to end subsidies granted to large landowners.

A fifth strategy should be applied to the way logging is managed. Trade should be restricted on certain rainforest tree species, subsidies should be ended, the use of reduced impact logging should be initiated, and forest plantations should be established on degraded lands

The cattle industry should also be modified. It is proposed that tax incentives and land policies which encourage conversion of forest to pasture should be eliminated. Also, agroforestry techniques and non plowing farming should be introduced which will increase productivity on existing pastureland.

Land policy should also be addressed. Right now there is no incentives for anyone to use forest lands or resources in a sustainable manner. To remedy this, there should be laws that restrict the burn-and-move-on-to-a- new- plot method.

Lastly, right now law enforcement is abysmal. Brazil's Environmental Protection Agency underfunded and corrupt and has only collected 6.5% of the fines it imposes. It is estimated that 80% of the logging in the Amazon is illegal and there is little that can be done until there are more resources and less corruption (Butler, 2008).

References:

Adam, David. "Amazon Could Shrink by 85% Due to Climate Change,." The Guardian. The Guardian News and Media, 2013. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

"Amazônia | Brasil." Brasil. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013.

Butler, Rhett A. “Diversities of Image – Rainforest Biodiversity.” Mongabay.com / A Place Out of Time: Tropical Rainforests and the Perils They Face. 9 January 2006. Web. 24 Nov   2013

"Climate Change in the Amazon." WWF Global. WWF, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

"Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon Rainforest up 88% over Last Year." Daily Kos. N.p., 21 May 2013. Web. 26 Nov. 2013.

"Desmatamento Da Floresta Amazônica - Causas, Resumo, Consequências." Sua Pesquisa,           2004. Web. 26 Nov. 2013.

Gerken, James. "Amazon Deforestation Destroyed UK-Sized Area Between 2000 And 2010." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 04 Dec. 2012. Web. 26 Nov. 2013.

"Mammals." EDGE of Existence. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013.

Miller, Jess. "Deforestation Takes Flight Again in the Amazon." Greenpeace 

International.Greenpeace, 4 Apr. 2013. Web. 26 Nov. 2013.

"Most Endangered Species in Amazon Rainforest." Green Buzz. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013.

Roberts, Freya. "Drying in the Amazon Rainforest - What Could It Mean for Climate Change?"   The Carbon Brief. N.p., 22 Oct. 2013. Web. 26 Nov. 2013.

Taylor, Leslie. Wealth of the Rainforest. Raintree Nutrition, Incorporate.  1996. Web. 16 Nov 2013.

WorldWildlife.org. World Wildlife Fund, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

Large Area of the Amazon Rain Forest Protected from Deforestation (2006). 

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/press/releases/amazon-protection/

Mongabay: Protected Areas Account for 44% of the Brazilian Amazon 

 http://news.mongabay.com/2011/0420-protected_amazon.htm

RedOrbit:  The Amazon Rain Forest      

Stirton, B. Why is the Amazon Still Under Threat.  The Hidden Cost of Burger http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/amazon/problems/unsustainable_cattle_ranching

Wallace, S. (2010) National Geographic.