The Amazon Rainforest, Also Known As Amazonia and the Amazon Jungle, Has Been Considered

Courtney Mitchell

The Amazon Rainforest, also known as Amazonia and the Amazon jungle, has been considered one of the world’s greatest resources as it is the world’s largest tropical rainforest. The plethora of plant, mammal, fish, reptile, amphibian, bird and insect species that live in Amazonia are unmatched by any other place on Earth. In addition to its significant role in harboring biodiversity, the Amazon rainforest is also valued for its massive ability to store carbon and create oxygen. However, deforestation due to increased human settlement and development is destroying the rainforest. Because

Amazonia is so important, many people wish to enact strict preservation laws which would deny human utilization of the forest. Though preservation could possibly help save the rainforest, these measures are not fair to the local people and will most likely not work because of the high costs of enforcement. Conservation is the best way to protect the remaining Amazon rainforest as it involves smart, sustainable use of the area’s resources. Though it is very complicated to develop practical conservation techniques, there are various efforts that are currently attempting to make successful widespread conservation of the rainforest a reality.

Amazonia is located in the northern half of South America and covers most of the

Amazon Basin. This moist, rich broadleaf forest is mostly contained within Brazil but also branches into parts of Peru, Columbia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana,

Suriname, and French Guiana.1 It is so large that it is responsible for the production of approximately 20% of the Earth’s oxygen.2 The forest releases this oxygen by absorbing massive amounts of carbon dioxide which is a very valuable ecosystem service in an age 1 “Save the Amazon Rainforest.” Amazon Rainforest. 2004. 6 Dec. 2008 . 2 “Amazon Rainforest.” 2003. Blue Planet Biomes. 7 Nov. 2006. 6 Dec. 2008 . of global warming. The energy and nutrient cycles of the Amazonian ecosystem are extremely complex and not fully understood yet seem to be the most efficient in the world.

The Amazonian rainforest is best known for its unparalleled biodiversity. Millions of years of evolution have resulted in extremely intricate relationships between

Amazonian plants and animals. As competition is fierce, it is necessary for species to constantly evolve in order to survive. Such continuous adaptations have resulted in an amazing number of different species found within the rainforest. It is estimated that there are 2.5 million insect species, 40,000 plant species, 3,000 fishes, 1,294 birds, 427 mammals, 428 amphibians and 378 reptiles that live in the Amazon rainforest.3 The

World Wildlife Fund states that Amazonia is home to one in ten known species in the world which means it is the is the largest collection of living plant and animal species on

Earth.4 However, the canopy of Amazonia is less studied than the ocean floor so it is likely that there are still many species unknown to human science.5

The interior of the rainforest was able to evolve without human interference until the 1960’s. The Brazilian government constructed its first highway in 1958 and built another in 1968 which allowed access to the rainforest that was not available before. 6

People began to settle around the edges of the rainforest and used slash and burn methods to create farm land. Since the top two inches of the acidic soil contains 99% of the nutrients, Amazonian soil is only productive for a short period.7 When their crops began

3 Da Silva et al. "The Fate of the Amazonian Areas of Endemism." Conservation Biology. 19.3 (2005): 689–694. 4 “Amazon: World’s Largest Tropical Rain Forest and River Basin.” World Wildlife Fund. 2008. 6 Dec. 2008 . 5 “Amazon Rainforest,” supra note 2. 6 Kirby et al. "The Future of Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon". Futures. 38.4 (2006): 432–453. 7 “Amazon Rainforest,” supra note 2. to fail, farmers would simply move to a new area where they would slash and burn more land to farm on. These practices resulted in the destruction of large amounts of forested land. People also cut down forests to create pasture for cattle. Cattle ranching became very common as it is more successful then farming because grass grows well on

Amazonian soil. As soy also thrives in these soils, many soy farms were established and

Brazil is now the second largest producer of soybeans after the United States.8 In addition to farming and cattle ranching, mining and logging operations have led to vast deforestation as well. Currently, more than 20% of the rainforest has already been converted for other land uses and these destructive practices are still being used.9

With the loss of forests, comes the loss of species and the release of massive amounts of carbon. In order to prevent more damage to the rainforests, many people are advocating for preservation reforms which would prohibit any further deforestation.

Because these reforms would also forbid humans from utilizing the forests, many local people would suffer. It is not fair to the people of Amazonia to not be allowed to use their resources and it would also be very difficult to see that they don’t. The enforcement costs of such regulations are extremely high but many people argue that the opportunity costs are equally steep. Overall, it is simply not practical to expect local people to not utilize the rainforest.

Conservation is a much more sensible solution. Though current practices are destructive, there are many conservation techniques that promote sustainable utilization of the rainforest. Agroforestry is a sustainable land-use practice that combines agriculture with forestry. According to the USDA National Agroforestry Center, “Agroforestry takes

8 Kirby, supra note 6. 9 “Amazon Deforestation Rate Escalates.” 7 Feb. 2008. The Real Truth. 2008. 6 Dec. 2008 . advantage of the interactive benefits from combining trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock.”10 Alley cropping, forest farming, riparian forest buffers, silvopasture and windbreaks are some applications of agroforestry.11 The Rondonia Agroforestry Pilot

Project is a study initiated in 1991 by Professor Browder of Virginia Tech in which a group of 50 poor rural farmers adopted such techniques.12 Other local farmers were surveyed in the area who served as a control group and allowed for comparisons between agroforestry and slash and burn farming. The goals of the project were to demonstrate that small-scale farmers who successfully establish agroforest plots will earn higher incomes and will clear less primary forests than other farmers. The farmers participating in the study planted various tree species on degraded crop fields and utilized agroforestry practices such as alley cropping to increase their plot’s production. The products used to generate income changed with time:

 “Short-term (1+ years): Bee-keeping for honey and wax, inter-cropping of

temporary food and cash crops with young fruit and timber tree species

 Mid-term (4-10 years): Commercial fruit, palm, nut trees, and shrub species that

improve soil quality, block wind, and provide shade and other ecologically useful

functions

 Long-term (10+ years): Industrial softwoods and long-growing commercial

hardwoods like mahogany, Brazilian cedar, cherry, teak, among others”13

10 “About Agorforestry.” United States Department of Agriculture National Agroforestry Center. 2008. 7 Dec. 2008 . 11 Id. 12 Browder, John. “Planting Seeds of Change in the Ashes of the Rainforest: The Rondonia Agroforestry Pilot Project.” 1996. Department of Urban Affairs and Planning. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. 13 Browder, supra note 12. The farmers in the study did see an increase in income as well as a decrease in deforestation. Neighboring farmers also began to adopt agroforestry practices on their land as they saw how successful an integrated approach could be.

Another application of successful conservation techniques in Amazonia can be found in Columbia. In 1967, Paulo Lugari and a group of scientists, artists, agronomists and engineers founded Las Gaviotas in the Columbian rainforest. This location was picked because it faced many challenges such as low employment, high violence and infertile soil. By living in the area, the group was able to create new technologies that were appropriate instead of trying to use existing inventions that were not suitable. Such inventions include “sunflower” windmills, hydroponic greenhouses, specialized bicycles, hydraulic groundwater pumps powered by seesaws, biogas generators, a solar pressure cooker and a solar kettle. Due to their local success, many of these inventions are starting to be used in other parts of Columbia. The Las Gaviotas group also designed and built a solar and wind powered hospital where they treat patients with tropical medicinal plants cultivated in their greenhouses and use indigenous hammocks instead of traditional hospital beds. They replanted many trees that had been cut down and the rainforest and its creatures slowly began to return to the area. Though they supply themselves with food, clean drinking water and power, they also sustainably harvest and sell pine resin from the forest in order to generate income. Las Gaviotas is perfect proof that when appropriate conservation techniques are developed, humans and nature can thrive simultaneously. 14

Because the Amazon rainforest is so important and is being threatened by deforestation, many people want to take action to save the remaining forest, protect the

14 Uribe Marín, Monica del Pilar. “Time for Utopia.” June 2003. New Internationalist. 2008. 7 Dec. 2008 . plant and animal species and prevent the possibly dangerous release of large amounts of carbon. However, there is a debate about the role of other countries in Amazonia. In

1989, Al Gore was quoted saying, "Contrary to what Brazilians think, the Amazon is not their property; it belongs to all of us," to which the president of Brazil said, “The Amazon has an owner, and that is the Brazilian people" which has been the final word.15 Other countries like America can share their knowledge and technologies as well as help teach

Brazilians about various conservation techniques but they can not demand anything.

Some of the most illogical requests have been those of preservation as it is not likely that the Brazilian government will deny its people access to their main resource. It would be most wise to suggest that conservation be the method of protecting Amazonia.

Conservation of the rainforest not only makes sense environmentally but also economically. If the right techniques are employed, it is possible for people to utilize the forest without harming it. Because many sustainable practices result in both the environment and people being better off, many people will willingly adopt conservation techniques if they are taught how. Various forms of legislation can also help ensure that people are using sustainable practices in the rainforest. More research and development needs to be done in this field in order for widespread conservation to become a reality in

Amazonia but there are currently several methods which prove that humans can successfully live in balance with the rainforest.

15 Blair, David. “Brazil Can Preserve Amazon Rainforest Without Outside Help, Says President.” 28 May 2008. Telegraph Media Group Limited. 2008. 7 Dec. 2008 .