365 Days of Climate Awareness 253 - Deforestation of the Amazon

Sorry so late! I move not too long ago, then got sick. It all finally caught up to me. Better late than never! Enjoy--

The Amazon rainforest is the tropical, broadleaf forest which covers most of the 7 million km2/2.7 million mi2 drainage basin of the Amazon River in South America. Of this the forest covers 5.5 million km2/2.1 million mi2,or 79% of the basin (roughly the size of the continental US!) It stretches through nine countries (60% in Brazil, 13% in Chile, 10% in Ecuador, and smaller amounts in other countries) and 3344 indigenous tribal areas. However, in recent decades the existence of the rainforest, despite all its environmental and cultural importance, has come increasingly under threat from deforestation driven mostly by agriculture, particularly cattle farming.

Amazon forest loss.

Before the 1960’s the rainforest was largely untouched, before Brazil in particular (followed by Bolivia) began developing its farming, cattle and logging industries. While the tropical warmth is conducive to many crops and animals, it was surprisingly found that cleared rainforest did not reveal rich, loamy soil underneath, but highly weathered laterite–clay of the sort used for bricks–due to the extreme amounts of rain. The organic cover was itself removed with the trees and plants. Despite the lower-than-expected value of the cleared land, the practice has accelerated. Though clearance rates decreased by nearly 80% between 2005 and 2012, in recent years Brazil has stepped its forest clearance activities back up to earlier rates–7,900 km2 /3,050 mi2 in from August 2017 through July 2018. It is estimated that as much as 25% of the original rainforest has been cleared in Brazil and other countries, and if current rates continue, that could reach 40%--by 2030, leaving only 3.3 million km2/1.3 million mi2. 

South America forest loss.

Climate modelers predict that forest loss of that amount will permanently alter the regional climate in the eastern part of the current rainforest, converting it to savanna like those farther east in Brazil. The forest itself is an important climate driver, with evapotranspiration–seasonally varying absorption and re-emission (transpiration) of water by plants, plus evaporation from soil–-controlling the monsoonal rains. Removal of enough forest will end this cycle and lead to year-round arid conditions. The aridification is likely to worsen as more forest is removed. Climate scientists estimate that deforestation activities account for nearly one-third of global CO2 emissions, and that halting them would be a major step toward climate sustainability.

Global map of evapotranspiration. Note centering on the equator, with especially large region in South America.

30 million native inhabitants are estimated to live in the 3344 indigenous areas within the rainforest, and ongoing deforestation amounts to a genocide akin to the spread of white society across North America in the 1800s. Loggers have killed natives. While most forest clearance has so far been done in non-indigenous zones, that buffer is shrinking. The Brazilian government recently declared by fiat that its agricultural ministry will administer all Amazon indigenous zones within its borders. The way has been cleared for economic development to roll over the human rights of native inhabitants of the Amazon.

Cleared forest in Brazil.

Tomorrow: the cattle industry and global warming.

Be brave, and be well.