Threats to the Amazon Rainforest

Deforestation is a major problem for the rainforest; numerous trees are cut down for various uses such as:

Arable Land- Land that can be used for growing crops and raising livestock

Lumber- The trees that are cut down are used for wood products and are also turned into pulp for paper

Mining Area- Companies can use the land to dig mines and unearth potential minerals

Endangered species

The Amazon Rainforest is the most biologically diverse area on Earth, yet there are critically endangered species from drastically different types of wildlife. For example, plants such as the Rafflesia flower (Rafflesia arnoldii) and fungi such as the Pleurotus nebrodensis are critically endangered. Many animals such as the Poison Dart Frog (Family Dendrobatidae) are also endangered.

                 

Impact of Climate Change in the Biome

Climate change introduces a positive feedback loop into the biome where as temperature increases; the rain forest becomes increasingly more dry and unable to absorb carbon in the atmosphere. This, in turn, causes temperature to continue increasing and the rain forest to become increasingly drier. This process isn’t helped by the clear cutting of the rainforest, which results in fewer trees going through transpiration, meaning there’s less moisture for the rainforest!  Climate change also makes El Nino conditions more frequent, which causes even warmer temperatures around the equator.

Sea Temperatures during El Nino