People vs. Forest

Historically speaking, widespread deforestation of the Amazon is fairly recent. In 1970, the Brazilian government inaugurated the Transamazon Highway, and with it kicked off the intense deforestation we see today. In an article by Fearnside, he details the history and effects of this practice. As is usually the case, the biggest motivator in clearing the forest is to make space for traditionally lucrative activities. In Brazil, the expansion of land for cattle ranching is the main enemy, but clearing the land for agriculture also plays a major role. Brazil is a major exporter of meat, and this industry is dominated by medium to large landowners, who while destroying the Rainforest are a significant contributor to the region’s and country’s GDP. The same goes for agriculture, particularly for crops like soybeans and corn.

In order to clear the land, the most common practice is to burn the desired sections of forest. Even though Amazonian soil is sandy, poor in nutrients, and overall not fit for crops, there are still attempts at using it for agriculture. What happens is that whatever is planted does not last more than a few years, and a new plot of land needs to be cleared.

The logging industry is another damaging force. Although generally illegal, the sheer size of the forest makes it very difficult to completely stop it from happening. Nowadays, constantly updated satellite images are being used to spot this type of activity. This system of detection is an improvement but still not a perfect solution, because there needs to be noticeable deforestation before the satellite can spot the activity. Nonetheless, a step in the right direction.

Sources: Fearnside, P. 2005. ―Desmatamento na Amazônia Brasileira: História, índices e conseqüências.‖ Megadiversidade 1(1): 113–23.

Beguoci, Leandro. "O tesouro escondido na selva." Veja Sept. 2009: n. pag. Veja.com. Web. 1 Apr. 2011. 

<http://veja.abril.com.br/especiais/amazonia/tesouro-escondido-na-selva-p-072.html>.