Amazon Rainforest, Deforestation, and Climate Change
Overview
The Amazon Rainforest covers about 7 million square miles, which is about the size of Australia. It is an extraordinary place, creating its own rain patterns and acting as a giant carbon sponge. Its trees capture 20% of all the carbon captured in the world. As beautiful as it is, the Amazon Rainforest is facing serious problems: ones that can lead to a ruined planet.
Part 1. Deforestation
When humans cut down trees, it releases carbon dioxide that has been stored in their roots and trunks. That carbon travels to the atmosphere, and prevents heat from the earth escaping into space, which ultimately warms the earth. 17% of the trees in the Amazon Rainforest have been cut down to make space for fields. In total, the Amazon has an estimated 150 billion tons of carbon stored. If people were to release all of it, it would warm the planet by about 0.25 degrees Celsius, or 0.45 degrees Fahrenheit. That temperature is equivalent to the temperature after 10 years of burning fossil fuels [13].
Deforestation releases carbon from the trees, which harms the planet
Because of deforestation, many animals have lost their habitat, causing a loss of biodiversity. Some species in the Amazon Rainforest are on the edge of extinction, like the jaguar and some certain species of macaw. In addition, when the rainforest is cut down, it affects people who rely on the natural resources found there. The trees of the Amazon have their own rain cycle. Every drop of water vapor gets reused 5-8 times. When trees are cut down, the rainfall pattern gets messed up, and it causes more fires and droughts [14].
Droughts and fires cause more carbon to be released into the air, which causes more fires
Part 2. Climate Change
The Amazon Rainforest is sometimes called the “lungs of the earth,” and it has around 390 billion trees. When plants decompose, they release the carbon dioxide that they had stored. This is normal, but when it is happening on a major scale, it is dangerous to the world. All of this flips the Amazon from a carbon sponge to a carbon sink. While the Amazon Rainforest is one of the most important ecosystems stopping climate change, it is also one of the ones that are most vulnerable to it. Occasional droughts and fires destroy habitats and mess up the water cycle, which causes more fires, and creates an endless loop. The reptiles that live in the Amazon Basin are only used to one temperature, and when it gets hot, they don’t have a way to cool themselves down. Climate change and the Amazon Rainforest are connected, and by helping the Amazon, people are reducing the amount of carbon going into the atmosphere, which is preventing climate change from getting worse. Similarly, when people are fighting against climate change, it protects the Amazon Rainforest from the fires and droughts that destroy it. [15]
The Amazon Rainforest in flames
Infographic
Want to Learn More?
Deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest: what it means and what is happening
How climate change is affecting the Amazon, and how Brazil's government can save the rainforest.