Biological sciences

The Amazon’s “Arc of Deforestation” is a region where deforestation rates are alarmingly high due to both human activities and natural events. This area, primarily along the southern and eastern Amazon, is being rapidly cleared for agriculture, logging, and other land uses. These practices disrupt the carbon balance, as trees in the Amazon store vast amounts of carbon, which is released back into the atmosphere when they are cut or burned. The natural ability of the Amazon to absorb and store carbon has been a crucial factor in mitigating climate change. However, frequent droughts, increased fire events, and selective logging degrade forests and lower their carbon storage capacity. Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that these combined disturbances lead to net carbon loss that cannot be offset by natural regrowth, making the Amazon more of a carbon source than a sink in certain areas. In-depth studies also highlight that forest degradatio...