In Amazon environments and forests are changing due to invasive and increasingly frequent human actions.
This is demonstrated by two studies published in Sciencewhich analyze various aspects, to provide a complete picture of the actual conditions facing the forest. The first focuses mainly on invasive global policies of deforestation; while the second turns the spotlight on anthropological disturbances that damage the forest.
The Amazon rainforest represents the main vital ecosystem on planet Earth and is at the same time the most vulnerable.
It is home to nearly a third of all known animal species and provides crucial global ecosystem services by controlling carbon and water cycles. Furthermore, it constitutes the true green lung of the planet.
Unfortunately, however, invasive agricultural and industrial activities together with anthropogenic climate changes rapidly and violently damage Amazonian environments.
The report of Science Panel for the Amazon (SPA) of 2021 makes a worrying assessment of the facts, showing that phenomena, such as deforestation, are significantly modifying Amazon ecosystems with surprising speed.
Experts say we need to intervene as soon as possible or the situation could worsen.
Immediate political actions are needed that can limit and reduce the global economic demands that largely drive the scourge of deforestation.
The global community must act now, otherwise there will be dramatic consequences not only for the Amazon but also for the entire ecosystem.
In a second review, scientists focus on anthropogenic disturbances and the resulting impact that human actions have on the decline of the Amazon forest.
These factors include, for example, fires and extreme drought due to climate change; selective deforestation and habitat fragmentation.
Observations show that approximately 2.5 million kilometers of the Amazon forest (almost 40% of all remaining forests in the region) are currently damaged, due to these factors.
This leads to carbon emissions even higher than those caused by deforestation, and experts say this remains a dominant source of carbon emissions, regardless of deforestation rates.
For this reason, in addition to political actions, it is necessary to implement additional measures to better address the anthropogenic disturbances that are consuming the Amazon environment.
