Illegal Gold Mining in Peruvian Amazon Turns Pristine Rainforests Into Heavily Polluted Mercury Sinks
Scientists record the highest levels of atmospheric mercury pollution in the world in a pristine patch of the Peruvian Amazon. If you had to guess…
Amazon
Trees Are Biggest Methane “Vents” in Wetland Areas – Significant Emissions Even When They’re Dry
Most of the methane gas emitted from Amazon wetlands regions is vented into the atmosphere via tree root systems – with significant emissions occurring even…
“Mystery of Manu” – A Strange Tree in the Amazon Rainforest Left Scientists Scratching Their Heads for 50 Years
“Mystery plant” from the Amazon declared a new species after nearly 50 years of flummoxing scientists. In 1973, a scientist stumbled upon a strange tree…
More Than 47,000 Brazilians Hospitalized Every Year From Exposure to Wildfire Air Pollution
Largest and most comprehensive study to date of the health effects of wildfires in Brazil reveals the serious health consequences of this burning, linking exposure…
Smoky Skies in the Western Amazon – Fire Activity Driven Primarily by Deforestation Fires
Increasing numbers of deforestation fires are darkening skies in Rondônia and Amazonas. Since the 1970s, tree clearing in the Amazon basin has reduced the size…
Big Differences Exposed Among Amazonian Countries in Their Rates of Forest Recovery As Well as Deforestation
Amazonian regions that have undergone the most extensive deforestation and have the greatest potential for large-scale forest recovery currently have the lowest levels of recovery….
2.5 Billion Trees and Vines Killed in Epicenter of Major Amazon Droughts and Fires
A major drought and forest fires in the Amazon rainforest killed billions of trees and plants and turned one of the world’s largest carbon sinks…
High Risk of Extreme Drought: Unchecked Climate Change Will Cause Severe Drying of the Amazon Rainforest
Amazon rain forests could be at far higher risk of extreme drought than previously thought, according to new research. An international study, led by the…
Threat of Major Human Nutritional Shortages From Declining Biodiversity in Wild Amazon Fisheries
A new study of dozens of wild fish species commonly consumed in the Peruvian Amazon says that people there could suffer major nutritional shortages if…
Exploring Earth From Space: Amazon Rainforest
Ahead of the International Day of Forests, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over part of the Amazon rainforest in the Amazonas – the largest…
Gold Rush in the Peruvian Amazon Leads to Deforestation
An astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) took this photograph of numerous gold prospecting pits in eastern Peru. The pits—usually hidden from an astronaut’s…
“Sistine Chapel of the Ancients” Discovered: Amazon Rock Art Shows the Rainforest’s Earliest Inhabitants Living With Giant Ice Age Animals
Amazonian rock art newly discovered by researchers provides further proof the rainforest’s earliest inhabitants lived alongside now-extinct giant Ice Age animals. The thousands of pictures…
Scientists Unravel How and Why Amazon Trees Die & Why Tree Mortality Is Increasing
The capacity of the Amazon forest to store carbon in a changing climate will ultimately be determined by how fast trees die – and what…
NASA Finds Conditions Ripe for Active Amazon Fire, Atlantic Hurricane Seasons
Warmer than average sea surface temperatures in the tropical North Atlantic Ocean so far in 2020 have set the stage for an active hurricane season…
“Point of No Return” – Amazon Rainforest Could Be Gone Within 50 Years
Large ecosystems, such as the Amazon rainforest, will collapse and disappear alarmingly quickly, once a crucial tipping point is reached, according to calculations based on…
Despite International Media Frenzy, 2019 Burned Area Trends in the Amazon Similar to Previous Years
Thousands of fires broke out in the Amazon last year – sparking an international media frenzy. A detailed analysis, using data from the European Space…
To Save the Amazon Rainforest, It Helps to Learn About Fish
High fish diversity is a good indicator of forest health. Think of the Amazon, and you probably think of jaguars, monkeys, or parrots. But many…
Amazon Forest Regrowth Much Slower Than Thought – May Take Well Over a Century to Fully Recover
The regrowth of Amazonian forests following deforestation can happen much slower than previously thought, a new study shows. The findings could have significant impacts for…
