Amazon rainforest is at severe risk from climate change. Hear from the people trying to protect it - CNN Video
The Amazon rainforest is at severe risk from deforestation and fires that are eroding the forest's ability to absorb heat-trapping greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Even worse, the fires themselves are releasing carbon and adding to the problem. CNN's Isa Soares reports.
Dynamic rivers contributed to Amazon's rich bird diversity
One of the most contentious questions in evolutionary biology is, how did the Amazon become so rich in species? A new study focused on birds examines how the movements of rivers in the Amazon have contributed to that area's exceptional biological diversity. The research team, led by the American Museum of Natural History, found that as small river systems change over time, they spur the evolution of new species. The findings also reveal previously unknown bird species in the Amazon that are only found in small areas next to these dynamic river systems, putting them at high risk of imminent extinction. The study is detailed today in the journal Science Advances.
Forest fires drive expansion of savannas in the heart of the Amazon
White-sand savannas are expanding in the heart of the Amazon as a result of recurring forest fires, according to a study published in the journal Ecosystems.
Interview: Jeff King on how Hershey’s Cocoa For Good program is making a difference to farmers’ lives
Jeff King, Hershey’s senior director of global sustainability and social impact, is the person responsible for the company’s Cocoa For Good sustainability program, which has committed to 100% direct-sourced cocoa in West Africa by 2025. He talks to ConfectioneryNews about the company’s achievements so far and wider issues affecting the cocoa sector.
Is the Amazon near a tipping point? Three real-world studies are ominous
Gertrudes Freire and her family came to the great forest in search of land and rain. They found both in abundance on that day half a century ago, but the green wilds of the southwestern Amazon would prove tough to tame.
Today the people of the Amazon are living through the most extreme versions of our planet’s most urgent problems. We asked a dozen experts to explain the situation in a special series.
Tropical forests are disappearing at an alarming rate through deforestation, but they also have the potential to regrow naturally on abandoned lands. This has been shown by an international study led by scientists from Wageningen University. How a forest recovers, depends on the amount of rainfall, the age of the forest, and the functional characteristics of the tree species.