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
Tags: tropical-forests deforestation amazon-forest tropical-deforestation amazonia gold-mining

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

Tags:  climate-change  brazil  rainforests  drought  deforestation  el-nino  amazon-forest  dung-beetles  reforestation  tropical-deforestation  amazon-fires

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

Tags:  brazil  environmental-policy  infrastructure  amazon-forest  tropical-deforestation  indigenous-peoples  illegal-mining  jair-bolsonaro

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