Current Human Impacts on the Ecosystem

Human impacts on this ecosystem have been mainly negative, resulting in deforestation. The main method utilized for deforestation in the Amazon is known as slash and burn. Of the many factors involved in the deforestation of the Amazon, one is poorly planned infrastructure, which leads to illegal logging. Also an effect of this is building and improving dams for hydropower, to keep up with Brazil’s high demand for energy. Building dams is destructive to the ecosystem in terms that it blocks river connectivity and disrupts the accessibility of the fish to the river. Due to high demand for natural resources, the Amazon is also a target for illegal extraction because of its richness in those natural resources. The result of this illegal extraction of natural resources is disruption of nature and its inhabiting species. The biggest human impact on this ecosystem involves cattle ranching and agricultural expansion. The high demand for beef and soy results in industries requiring more space for the cattle grazing pastures and crop cultivation; thus, leading to the clearing away of the forest and affecting the wildlife in the specific region. As time goes by, these huge corporations cause a chain reaction, driving out small farmers, which results in them adopting subsistence agriculture for their own survival. In conclusion the current human impacts on this ecosystem have been devastating.

Source: http://rainforests.mongabay.com/amazon/amazon_destruction.html

Source: http://rainforests.mongabay.com/amazon/charts.html

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/06/amazon-deforestation-nasa-photos_n_1748759.html