Human activity has led to the degradation of more than a third of the Amazon rainforest.

The Amazon rainforest has degraded much more than scientists previously thought, and more than a third of the remaining forests have been damaged by human activity.

That’s the conclusion of a new study published in the journal ‘the science’which shows that up to 38% of the remaining Amazonian forest area, equivalent to ten times the area of ​​the UK, has been affected by some form of human intervention, resulting in carbon emissions equal to or greater than those from deforestation.

The work is the result of the AIMES (Analysis, Integration and Modeling of the Earth System) project, associated with the international initiative Future Earth, which brings together scientists and researchers studying sustainability.

Jungle research and exploration

The findings are the result of an analytical review of previously published scientific data based on satellite imagery and a synthesis of published data reflecting changes in region Amazon from 2001 to 2018.

Authors from various Brazilian and British scientific institutions define the concept degradation as transient or long-term changes in forest conditions caused by human activities. degradation it differs from deforestation, in which a forest is completely removed and a new land use, such as agriculture, is established in its place. Although highly degraded forests may lose almost all trees, the land use itself does not change.

The authors assess four main disturbances causing forest degradation: Forest fires, border effects (changes taking place in the forests adjacent to the cleared areas), selective logging (e.g. illegal logging) and severe drought. Various forest areas may be affected by one or more of these disturbances.

“Despite the uncertainty about the full impact of these disturbances, it is clear that their cumulative effect could be as important as deforestation to carbon emissions and biodiversity loss,” says Jos Barlow, professor of environmental sciences at Lancaster University (UK) and co-author . – the author of the work.

Social and economic consequences

Scientists believe that degradation Amazon it also has important socio-economic implications that should be further explored in the future.

” degradation it benefits only a few, but it is a heavy burden for many,” says Dr. Rachel Carmenta, co-author of the article and resident at the University of East Anglia (UK). Few people benefit from degradation processes, but many lose in all aspects of human well-being, including health, nutrition and the location of the forest landscapes in which they live.

He adds that “many of these problems are currently hidden; their recognition will help improve governance with social justice at its core.”

In the team’s forecast for 2050, four factors degradation they will continue to be important sources of carbon emissions to the atmosphere, regardless of the increase or suppression of deforestation.

“Even in an optimistic scenario where there is no more deforestation, the effects of climate change will continue. degradation forests, leading to increased carbon emissions, says Dr. David Lapola, research leader and researcher at the Center for Agricultural Weather and Climate Research at Unicamp. However, preventing the spread of deforestation is still vital and may also allow more attention to be paid to other drivers. degradation forest”.

The authors propose to create a monitoring system for degradation forestry, as well as the prevention and suppression of illegal logging and the control of the use of fire. One of the proposals is the concept of “smart forests”, which, like the idea of ​​”smart cities”, will use various types of technologies and sensors to collect useful data in order to improve the quality of the environment.

“Public and private measures and policies to curb deforestation will not necessarily concern degradation Lapola notes. We need to invest in innovative strategies.” (Europa Press)

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