Amazon Rainforest Extinction

“Effects of Deforestation on Biodiversity and Species Extinction in the Amazon Rainforest”

Brazil’s Amazon rainforest covers one third of South America, and is the world’s largest and richest ecosystem -- home to more than half of the world’s animal and plant species. FOOTNOTE Rainforests, like the Amazon, are critically important environments in maintaining the health and biodiversity of the plant and animal species living on the planet. However, the survival of millions of species is threatened every day. Among these destructive forces are climate change, poaching, and hunting. However, deforestation – the process of tree cutting to clear large swaths of land mainly for agricultural purposes, like cattle raising, is one of the most pervasive

Rainforests are home to thousands of plant and animal species and is one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet. The consequences of deforestation, if left uncontrolled, will mean extinction for some species – with the animals lost to date in Brazil’s rainforest region representing just 20 percent of those that will eventually die out due to loss of habitat. In fact, over the last three decades, deforestation has reduced living and breeding spaces, forcing 38 species to regional extinction ( ). Scientists at the Imperial College in London refer to the number of species headed for extinction as the result of deforestation as “extinction debt.” Without forest regeneration and conservation on private lands – not just reductions in deforestation, scientists fear that the damage done to the Amazon’s biodiversity may not reversible and that roughly 90 mammals will lose more than 40% of their forest habitat (Silveira Soares-Filho et al.

When its habitat was largely destroyed due to deforestation, so was its population, with only 150 in existence in the 1970s. It was the plight of this little primate that motivated conservationists to take action to save the species. In fact, their habitat was so fragmented, that it took the work of conservationists, increasing funding from the Brazilian government, and an awareness campaign to stem deforestation. Today, their population in the wild has increased to 1,500; however, pastures and road prevent them from expanding into new areas. Conservationists have plans to seek funding to create “forest corridors” to allow isolated groups to join up, creating a self-sustaining tamarin population for years to