Deforestation In The Amazon Rainforest

Deforestation is when trees are cut down burnt or cleared in any way shape or form. Tropical rainforest deforestation is occurring in rainforests around the world but mostly near the equator. Specifically this happens in the Brazilian Amazon. The Amazon Rainforest is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. This happens in the Amazon for many reasons. The most prominent reason for deforestation is commercial logging which is the cutting down of tropical hardwoods for exportation. This is a very important factor the deforestation of the Amazon. As the need for more wood increases around the world, the Amazon must be cut down further in order to satisfy these demands. Another reason is cattle grazing. More and more farmers need pastures for their livestock.

The Amazon contains around 1.2 billion acres of trees. 200,000 of these acres are burnt down every day in order to create land for the cattle. The land that is created for the cattle degrades fast because the soil as little nutrients and the cows overgrazing. This creates a need to burn down more of the rainforest to create new pastures for the cows to graze on. Farming is also a major reason for deforestation in the Amazon, because the soil is not rich with nutrients they are only able to produce around three or four crops. Only around ten percent of the land in the rainforest is suitable for farming so farmers have to go deeper into the rainforest to find usable land. The creation of roads through the tropical rainforest is another cause for deforestation. Over 14000 kilometres of road has been created through the rainforest since the 1970s. This endangers the environment as well as the native tribes. Other causes for deforestation of the Amazon include hydroelectric dams and mining