Scientists have found that human activity has led to the degradation of more than a third of the remaining Amazon rainforest.

Up to 38% of the remaining Amazon forest area, ten times the size of the UK, has been affected by some form of human intervention. (Credit: Jack Binysh)

The Amazon rainforest has been degraded to a much greater extent than scientists previously thought, with more than a third of the remaining forests affected by humans, according to a new study published in the journal Science.

The paper was prepared by an international team of 35 scientists and researchers from institutions such as the University of Campinas in Brazil (Unicamp), the Institute for Environmental Studies of the Amazon (IPAM), the National Institute for Space Studies (INPE) and Lancaster University in the UK. This shows that up to 38% of the remaining Amazon forest area, equivalent to ten times the area of ​​the UK, has been affected by some form of human intervention, resulting in carbon emissions equivalent 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.

The findings are the result of an analytical review of previously published scientific data based on satellite imagery and a synthesis of published data describing changes in the Amazon region between 2001 and 2018. The authors define the concept of degradation as temporary or long-term changes. in forest conditions due to human fault.

Similar stories:

Degradation is different from deforestation, where 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 drivers of forest degradation: wildfire, edge effects (changes occurring in forests adjacent to deforested areas), selective logging (eg illegal logging), and extreme drought. Various forest areas may be affected by one or more of these disturbances.

“Despite the uncertainty about the overall impact of these disturbances, it is clear that their cumulative effect could be as important as deforestation to carbon emissions and biodiversity loss,” said Jos Barlow, professor of environmental sciences at Lancaster University in the UK and co-author. paper writer.

Expanded final figure of the article. (TEACHER: Alex Argozino/Studio Argozino/Science Magazine)

Scientists believe that the degradation of the Amazon also has significant socio-economic consequences, which should be further studied in the future.

“Degradation benefits a few but weighs heavily on many,” says Dr Rachel Carmenta, co-author at the University of East Anglia in the UK. “Few people benefit from degradation processes, but many lose out in all aspects of human well-being, including health, nutrition and attachment to the forest landscapes in which they live. Moreover, many of these burdens are currently hidden; recognizing them will help improve governance with social justice at the center.”

The photo was taken in 2019, four years after the fire affected this piece of forest, which had previously also been subject to numerous human impacts, including selective logging, edge effects and fires. The photo was taken in Belterra, in the Brazilian Amazon. (CREDIT: Marysilda Krupp/Rede Amazonia Sustentavel)

In the team’s projection for 2050, the four degradation drivers will continue to be the main sources of carbon emissions into the atmosphere, regardless of increasing or suppressing forest deforestation.

“Even in an optimistic scenario where there is no more deforestation, the effects of climate change will indicate that forest degradation will continue, leading to further carbon emissions,” says Dr. David Lapola, study leader and Research Fellow at the Center for Research. Application of weather and climate research in agriculture at Unicamp. However, “preventing further deforestation remains vital, and it may also allow more attention to be paid to other drivers of forest degradation.”

The photo was taken in 2018, three years after the fire affected this cut forest, which was also affected by edge effects. The photo was taken in Belterra, in the Brazilian Amazon. (CREDIT: Erica Berenguer)

The authors propose to create a system for monitoring forest degradation, as well as the prevention and suppression of illegal logging and control over 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 actions and policies that aim to curb deforestation are not necessarily also aimed at combating degradation,” says Dr. Lapola. “We need to invest in innovative strategies.”

To learn more about environmental news, check out our Green Impact section at The bright side of the news.

Note. Materials provided by Future Earth. Content can be edited for style and length.

Do you like such pleasant stories? Receive Brighter Side of News Newsletter.