Latin America Deforestation Issues

Deforestation is one of the most common issues in Latin America. Most specifically, the Amazon Rainforest is the most greatly affected location by deforestation in Latin America. Deforestation described in simpler terms is the cutting down and removal of most trees in an area. The deforestation problem was said to be decreasing for 16 years, but stopped and started increasing once again from 2011 until present time. The deforestation level has reached what it used to be in 1990 once again.

The term tropical rainforests, which are the main type of forest being affected by deforestation, is most critical in terms of biological diversity. Although, only 6% of the Earths land areas is made up of tropical rain forests, about 50% of the worlds species live in them, which is what makes this topic so crucial! It is so important to try to decrease deforestation of the rain forests because we might see the extinctions of some very special species in the future. If these animals have nowhere to live then they will not be able to survive. They will either die off, or try to travel to a different location. The problem with this is that the species will not be familiar with their surrounding, especially because they’ve lived off of the same land their entire lives.

Also, it will be more difficult for them to try and find food. They have been practicing techniques to catch the same prey their entire lives, and they know what food they need to survive and where to catch them. Now they wont know where to find food, what animals to hunt, and how to hunt them.

Another negative consequence due to deforestation in Latin America is increasing disease. “According to “British Academics,” Deforestation in Latin America accounts for almost 53% of the emitted carbon dioxide in the atmospheric air. To put that number into perspective, it is claimed to have the highest rate of emitting carbon in the world from logging. By 2050, environmental experts say that