Deforestation effects on the Amazon Rainforest and The Indigenous Indians
The Amazon Rainforest is the world’s largest tropical rainforest, most of it located in Brazil. About 10% of the world’s species are found in the Amazon. The Amazon is home to 40,000 species of plants and some of these plants are used for making new medication and vaccines, such as for cancer. Not only can we use the resources found in the Amazon for medical purposes, but it also produces about 20% of the oxygen we need. Despite the fact that the Amazon is a big part of our planet’s ecological system and is used in research, it is still being destroyed by deforestation. Deforestation is mainly caused by both agriculture and logging. Deforestation affects the environment …show more content…
The Amazon contains over 300 different species of trees and “each tree hosts a unique variety of animals and insects, with some trees hosting up to 1,500 species of insects” (Boekhout van Solinge, 266). Trees are valuable to the ecosystem because it is used in several ways by the planet, such as being the host to plants, animals and insects. A few species of trees are profitable and so people practice selective logging, which is the practice of cutting a few selected trees while leaving the rest alone. All thought this may seem to be a preferred alternative to cutting down large areas it still has its consequences. In certain places trees are killed or severely damaged when one tree is harvested. This causes gaps in the canopy to increase and when there are “gaps in [the] canopy [it] allow[s] sun and wind to reach the forest floor, resulting in drier microclimates” (Fearnside, 682). Selective logging causes various changes in the forest’s composition and structure. When the interior of the forest changes this causes an impact on the plants and animals considering that certain species survive best in the shade and humidity of the inner …show more content…
Selective logging may not seem like the biggest cause of forest fragmentation, but “the detrimental impacts of selective logging may extend many years, especially when considering that many forest structural properties, such as deep canopies, associated with wildlife habitat in intact forests, are not likely to be regained for 30-50 years or more following logging” (Broadbent, 1752). Canopy openings caused by agriculture is much more vast and it can have bigger consequences because adjacent forests are damaged when the land is cleared. Forest fragmentation also causes changes in the water and aquatic systems in the forest, which can lead to changes in plant, animal and forest composition. It affects the surrounding area up to 6 miles into the interior forest. Forest fragmentation can lead to easier access for humans and a decrease in forest
The Amazon Rainforest is the world’s largest tropical rainforest, most of it located in Brazil. About 10% of the world’s species are found in the Amazon. The Amazon is home to 40,000 species of plants and some of these plants are used for making new medication and vaccines, such as for cancer. Not only can we use the resources found in the Amazon for medical purposes, but it also produces about 20% of the oxygen we need. Despite the fact that the Amazon is a big part of our planet’s ecological system and is used in research, it is still being destroyed by deforestation. Deforestation is mainly caused by both agriculture and logging. Deforestation affects the environment …show more content…
The Amazon contains over 300 different species of trees and “each tree hosts a unique variety of animals and insects, with some trees hosting up to 1,500 species of insects” (Boekhout van Solinge, 266). Trees are valuable to the ecosystem because it is used in several ways by the planet, such as being the host to plants, animals and insects. A few species of trees are profitable and so people practice selective logging, which is the practice of cutting a few selected trees while leaving the rest alone. All thought this may seem to be a preferred alternative to cutting down large areas it still has its consequences. In certain places trees are killed or severely damaged when one tree is harvested. This causes gaps in the canopy to increase and when there are “gaps in [the] canopy [it] allow[s] sun and wind to reach the forest floor, resulting in drier microclimates” (Fearnside, 682). Selective logging causes various changes in the forest’s composition and structure. When the interior of the forest changes this causes an impact on the plants and animals considering that certain species survive best in the shade and humidity of the inner …show more content…
Selective logging may not seem like the biggest cause of forest fragmentation, but “the detrimental impacts of selective logging may extend many years, especially when considering that many forest structural properties, such as deep canopies, associated with wildlife habitat in intact forests, are not likely to be regained for 30-50 years or more following logging” (Broadbent, 1752). Canopy openings caused by agriculture is much more vast and it can have bigger consequences because adjacent forests are damaged when the land is cleared. Forest fragmentation also causes changes in the water and aquatic systems in the forest, which can lead to changes in plant, animal and forest composition. It affects the surrounding area up to 6 miles into the interior forest. Forest fragmentation can lead to easier access for humans and a decrease in forest