in the global battle against climate change. However, since the appointment of Jair Bolsonaro as President in 2019, the country’s efforts towards environmental protection has been significantly scaled down, mainly through the increase in deforestation.
The researchers of the study 3.9 million hectares of the Amazon were destroyed in 2019, accounting for a near-four-fold increase on each of the previous two years. Nevertheless, the study claims that of the loss of aboveground biomass (AGB) throughout the decade, 73 per cent is attributable to forest degradation, with only 27 per cent resulting from deforestation.
“We all know the importance of Amazon deforestation for global climate change,” study author Professor Peter Sitch said in a statement. “Yet our study shows how emissions from associated forest degradation processes can be even larger.”
Degradation refers to practices or events that damage the forest without destroying it. This includes selective cutting, drought and fires. Experts note that this insight provides a more nuanced understanding of the factors influencing the Amazon’s ability to store carbon, and could therefore help guide conservation efforts.
