A study has found the Brazilian Amazon has neared a deforestation threshold past which wildlife may crash, according to a report cited on Mongabay.com.
The study, published in the journal Conservation Biology, examines the impact of forest loss on biodiversity and shows that one-third of the Brazilian Amazon is headed toward or has just passed a threshold of forest cover beyond which species loss accelerates.
Researchers found that for every 10 percent of forest that is lost, one to two major species are wiped out. Species of the Brazilian Amazon where the study took place include mammals and birds falling within various IUCN Red List categories like the red howler monkey, giant anteater, the white-bellied monkey and jaguar.
Lead author of the paper, Ochoa-Quintero, said: “This is not just a result of overall loss of habitat, but also reduced connectivity between remaining forest fragments, causing species to hunt and mate in ever-decreasing circles,” Ochoa-Quintero said. “This fragmentation may be the key element of the ‘threshold’ tipping point for biodiversity.”
No animal deserves to go extinct due to human intervention. Will you join me in urging the Brazilian government to implement measures to stop the loss of forest cover by halting all new logging concessions, cracking down on illegal logging, increasing penalties to deter loggers and work towards restoring lost forest cover?
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