Amazon landscape change study highlights ecological harms and opportunities for action
A major study into landscape changes in the Brazilian Amazon sheds new light on the many environmental threats the biome faces—but also offers encouraging opportunities for ecological sustainability in the world's most biodiverse tropical forest.
Amazon rainforest deforestation is influencing weather in Tibet
An international team of climate scientists has found evidence suggesting that deforestation in the Amazon rainforest is influencing weather in Tibet, more than 15,000 kilometers away. In their paper published in the journal Nature Climate Change, the researchers describe possible long-range impacts of deforestation of the Amazon rainforest. Valerie Livina, with the U.K.'s National Physical Laboratory, has published a News & Views piece in the same journal issue outlining the Hopf bifurcation theory and how it relates to climate tipping points and the work done by the team on this new effort.
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.
Brazil: Restore Rule of Law in the Amazon | Human Rights Watch
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva should adopt urgent measures to address the human rights crisis underpinning the destruction of the Amazon rainforest and restore the rule of law
Brazilian President Lula resumes recognition of Indigenous land areas
Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has approved the creation of six Indigenous territories, the first such move after a five-year hiatus in Indigenous demarcation.
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.
Earth-sun distance dramatically alters seasons in the equatorial Pacific in a 22,000-year cycle
Weather and climate modelers understand pretty well how seasonal winds and ocean currents affect El Niño patterns in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, impacting weather across the United States and sometimes worldwide.
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.
Half of replanted tropical trees don't survive, new study finds
On average, about half of trees planted in tropical and sub-tropical forest restoration efforts do not survive more than five years, but there is enormous variation in outcomes, new research has found.
Indigenous territories and protected areas are key to forest conservation in the Brazilian Amazon, study shows
A study led by researchers with the Center for Earth Observation and Modeling at the University of Oklahoma analyzed time series satellite images from 2000 to 2021, revealing the vital role of Indigenous territories and protected areas in forest conservation in the Brazilian Amazon. The study results, recently published in Nature Sustainability, called attention to the negative impacts of weakened governmental conservation policies in recent years.
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.
Killing of Indigenous Leader in Ecuador Demands Thorough Investigation | Human Rights Watch
Eduardo Mendúa, an A’i Cofán Indigenous leader, was shot dead on February 26 outside his home in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Mendúa was an outspoken opponent of oil drilling in A’i Dureno, an Indigenous A’i Cofán community located on the banks of Aguarico river.
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.