The drivers and impacts of Amazon forest degradation

Abstract

Approximately 2.5 × 10 6 square kilometers of the Amazon forest are currently degraded by fire, edge effects, timber extraction, and/or extreme drought, representing 38% of all remaining forests in the region. Carbon emissions from this degradation total up to 0.2 petagrams of carbon per year (Pg C year −1 ), which is equivalent to, if not greater than, the emissions from Amazon deforestation (0.06 to 0.21 Pg C year −1 ). Amazon forest degradation can reduce dry-season evapotranspiration by up to 34% and cause as much biodiversity loss as deforestation in human-modified landscapes, generating uneven socioeconomic burdens, mainly to forest dwellers. Projections indicate that degradation will remain a dominant source of carbon emissions independent of deforestation rates. Policies to tackle degradation should be integrated with efforts to curb deforestation and complemented with innovative measures addressing the disturbances that degrade the Amazon forest.

Brazilian Amazon indigenous territories under deforestation pressure

“…Keeping these forests intact and protected makes it possible to avoid releasing large amounts of CO 2 into the atmosphere, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The maintenance and protection of ITs are necessary because deforestation and forest degradation in these areas can release large amounts of CO 2 into the atmosphere 17 , 18 . In addition, the indigenous communities that inhabit these protected areas have land use practices that are often sustainable and in harmony with the environment, such as agroforestry systems, fishing, and subsistence hunting.…”

Carbon Storage and Environmental Determinants in a Tropical Rainforest Landscape

“…It is hence imperative that conservation efforts are targeted and promoted on such landscapes as they have much potential in providing ecosystem services (carbon storage). Locations with such features across tropical ecosystems are quite few in number (considering the magnitude of forest loss in the region) and where they exist, they are however threatened by forest loss and degradation; as seen in the Amazon [29]. Efforts that would reduce such threats across the study area and the bulk of tropical ecosystems are advocated.…”

La déforestation baisse en Amazonie. Vraiment ?

“…On notera que nous nous intéressons ici à la déforestation entendue comme la suppression totale ou presque de la végétation arborée sur les parcelles. Nous ne traiterons pas de la dégradation forestière, dont l'impact sur l'écosystème amazonien est également préoccupant et difficile à établir (Beuchle et al, 2021 ;Lapola et al, 2023).…”