Fires in the Amazon are threatening 265 animal and plant species, many already threatened with extinction. We risk losing the entire ecosystem
Fires in the Amazon are threatening 265 animal and plant species, many already threatened with extinction. We risk losing the entire ecosystem
- fires in the Amazon they are causing a inestimable loss of biodiversity, which could lead to the destruction of the entire forest ecosystem.
The Amazon is home to more than half of the animal and plant species found on Earth e its survival is essential for the whole planet.
The more than 30 plant species present in the rainforest regulate the global climate by storing enormous quantities of carbon, while the animal species are essential for the vital functions of the ecosystem, for example by ensuring the dispersion of seeds and pollination of plants.
For over a month the flames have been ravaging the area 265 species already endangered are at risk, including 180 animal and 85 plant species.
To sound the alarm is the WWF, which emphasizes that the fires are the colpo of grace for plants and animals, many of which are already at risk and placed under protection as they are threatened by habitat loss caused by deforestation.
In an analysis published by the WWF at the beginning of August, in fact, the environmental organization warned about reduction of birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals: from 1970 to 2014 the populations that inhabit the forests are decreased by 53%.
In most cases, the risk for these animals is represented by human activities and mainly concerns the Amazon rainforest.
The fires of recent weeks in the Amazon have caused the loss of almost 25 thousand km2 in the Brazilian forest alone, destroying 150% more green areas than the previous year. It is clear how this determines the loss of many plant species and causes the death of many animals, nullifying the conservation and protection efforts made to date.
The fire in the Amazon is seriously endangering the survival of endangered species including the giant armadillo, thecrowned eagle and gray tinamus, but also animals that do not fall within forms of protection such as Caluromysiops irrupta, a species of opossum.
Destruction of trees also exposes them to serious risks aquatic environments, no longer protected by vegetation and threatened by dust released by fires, soil erosion and the silting up of rivers.
We are facing a planetary emergency, which according to the WWF must be dealt with urgently. The organization asks governments for a "New Deal for Nature and People" to ensure the protection of ecosystems a concrete commitment to resolve the climate crisis in place by 2020.
Also read all our articles on the fires in the Amazon and in particular:
- We, the peoples of the Amazon, are afraid. Soon you will have it too
- Fires in the Amazon are also making children of uncontacted tribes sick
- Countdown to extinction: we are losing an area of forest the size of Spain
- Leonardo DiCaprio and Will Smith team up to save the Amazon… with a pair of shoes
- Fires in the Amazon: carbon monoxide pollution cloud visible from satellites
Tatiana Maselli
