Photo taken in 2015 of a burning forest in Belterra, in the Brazilian Amazon. In this photo, the fire line is clear, as well as the smoke of the burning forest. Credit: Adam Ronan/Rede Amazônia Sustentável
Key points:
- Carbon emissions from degradation are equivalent to or greater than those from deforestation.
- Projections for 2050 indicate that disturbances such as fire and illegal logging will continue to be among the primary sources of carbon emissions from the Amazon.
- Scientists propose creating a monitoring system for forest degradation, preventing and curbing illegal logging, and controlling the use of fire.
The Amazon rainforest has been degraded by a much greater extent than scientists previously believed with more than a third of remaining forest affected by humans, according to a new study published in Science.
The research, by an international team of 35 scientists, shows that 38% of the remaining Amazon Forest area has been affected by human disturbance, causing carbon emissions equivalent to or greater than deforestation. The Amazon Forest is 10x the size of the U.K.
"Despite uncertainty about the total effect of these disturbances, it is clear that their cumulative effect can be as important as deforestation for carbon emissions and biodiversity loss," said co-author Jos Barlow, professor of conservation science at Lancaster University.
The study was based on satellite imagery and a synthesis of previously published data outlining changes in the Amazon region between 2001 and 2018. The study evaluates four key disturbances driving forest degradation: forest fire, edge effects (changes in forests adjacent to deforested areas), selective logging and drought.
The scientists project that by 2050, the disturbances will still be significant sources of carbon emissions in the atmosphere regardless of the growth or suppression of deforestation of the forest.
Findings also indicate that the degradation of the Amazon has significant socioeconomic impacts that need to be addressed.
The team proposes creating a monitoring system for forest degradation, preventing and curbing illegal logging, and controlling the use of fire. Another concept is the addition of a “smart forest” that will use technology and sensors to collect data that can be used to improve the quality of the environment.
"Public and private actions and policies to curb deforestation will not necessarily address degradation as well," said David Lapola, leader of the study and researcher at the Centre for Meteorological and Climatic Research Applied to Agriculture at Unicamp. "It is necessary to invest in innovative strategies."