Brazil’s economic crisis, prolonged by COVID-19, poses an enormous challenge to the Amazon

Because Brazil's economic prosperity in the last two decades is increasingly linked to the Amazon's good health, restoring the country's economy is a critical first step toward ending deforestation.

Peter Richards, Adjunct Professor, George Washington University • conversation
April 19, 2021 ~8 min

Just 3% of Earth's land ecosystems remain intact – but we can change that

One-fifth of Earth's land could be restored to wilderness by reintroducing animals and improving management.

Andrew Plumptre, Key Biodiversity Areas Secretariat, Cambridge Conservation Institute, University of Cambridge • conversation
April 15, 2021 ~6 min


Demand for meat is driving deforestation in Brazil – changing the soy industry could stop it

Deforestation in Brazil recently reached a 12-year high, prompting France to cut soybean imports from the country.

Malika Virah-Sawmy, Visiting Scientist, Humboldt University of Berlin • conversation
Dec. 17, 2020 ~7 min

In the Amazon, forest degradation is outpacing full deforestation

Forest that has been disturbed – but not cleared – by logging or fire can be hard to spot from satellites.

Tommaso Jucker, Research Fellow and Lecturer, School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol • conversation
Sept. 10, 2020 ~6 min

Gold mining leaves deforested Amazon land barren for years, find scientists

Mining strips nitrogen from the soil and means the forest struggles to grow back even after mines are abandoned. 

David Galbraith, Associate Professor in Earth System Dynamics, University of Leeds • conversation
June 30, 2020 ~7 min

Dung beetles help rainforests regrow – but extreme drought and wildfires in the Amazon are killing them off

A new study finds 70% of Amazonian dung beetles were killed by the severe fire and droughts of 2015 to 2016. By spreading seeds and poop, dung beetles fertilize forests and aid regrowth of vegetation.

Joice Ferreira, Researcher in Ecology, Federal University of Pará • conversation
March 9, 2020 ~6 min

Indigenous people may be the Amazon's last hope

Native Brazilians are among the Amazon's most effective defenders against logging and mining, because they're fighting not just for the environment but for their people's very survival.

Maira Irigaray, PhD Candidate Geography, University of Florida • conversation
Feb. 27, 2020 ~9 min

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