Deforestation in South America by Country/Region

Amazonia	Ecuador
Chile	Argentina
Venezuela	Colombia

 

Deforestation in South America

South America still maintains a high percentage of the earth’s ecosystem that has not been disturbed by human activities. Unfortunately, the rate at which these are being degraded is alarming. The Amazon rainforest, spread across many countries in South America, is the world’s biggest tropical rainforest. It is home to one fifth of the planet’s plant and animal species more than 200 indigenous cultures, and 30 million people in search of sustenance and wealth. Although South America does have a large amount of forests, the rate at which these forests are being deforested arises much concern.

The Amazon, although more famous then other forests, is not the only forests being cut down and degraded. There are many other areas of South America that are going through deforestation and degradation as well. The causes of deforestation in these areas seem to correspond with each other. In general, the causes are expansion of agriculture for development of the economy coupled with unwise agricultural practices, logging, mining and expansion of industry. The effects, although somewhat different in different areas, generally is degradation of land, severe soil erosion, and loss of the earth’s biodiversity.

The responsibility of preserving our wonderful earth lies in the hands of its inhabitants. In other words, we as humans are responsible for conserving our planet. Our actions do impact our environment. Our decisions can either save our earth or completely destroy it. The many forests found on this planet are rapidly being destroyed. Whether it is because of logging or mining, or some other cause, deforestation is occurring all around us and many people chose to ignore it. After all it’s not like its affecting them, but that’s not always going to be the case. If deforestation continues without strong actions taken against, everyone will experience its impact and if we keep ignoring this problem the whole world will eventually end up like Easter Island , the civilization of which was totally destroyed by deforestation.

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazonia

The Amazon rainforest is Earth’s largest and most biodiverse tropical rainforest. It is over 1.2 billion acres and covers two-fifth of South America . It stretches across Brazil , Colombia , Peru , Venezuela , Ecuador , Bolivia , Guyana , Suriname and French Guiana . The forest embodies half of the worlds remaining forests. It has the highest diversity of plant species of the entire world. In Brazil , the Amazon rainforests extends over 4.1 million square kilometers. More than one fifth of the Amazon Rainforest has already been destroyed.

Brazil holds about one third of the earths remaining rainforests. Brazilian forests are exceedingly diverse and contain many of the world's species and indigenous peoples. Since 1970, when coincidently the Trans-Amazonian highway was build, deforestation in Brazilian Amazon has increased rapidly. In the 1970 2.4% of the Amazon's forests had been lost. Now, 12-15% of Brazil 's forests are gone. Every year an estimated 19,800 square kilometers are lost and another 11,000 square km are degraded. Since the 1900s deforestation in the Amazon has increased by 40 %. 10,000 square mile of forest destroyed between July 2001 and June 2002. Went up since 1990, when it was at 7,000 per year. A new study, conducted by Brazilian and American ecologist, found that annual deforestation rate are twice as high as before and three times as high as those of the drought years when forests fires further intensified deforestation that was already caused by logging. Some of the main causes of deforestation in the Brazilian rainforests are land acquisition practices of ranchers in association with the migration patterns of landless farmers in Brazil , cattle pasturing, improvements in transportation, commercial agriculture, and legal and illegal logging.

The leading cause of deforestation in Brazilian Amazon since the 1970s is cattle pasturing. Statistic show that 38% of deforestation from 1966-1975 is largely because of cattle ranching. Now it’s even worse. According to The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), “between 1990 and 2001 the percentage of Europe's processed meat imports that came from Brazil rose from 40 to 74 percent” and by 2003 “For the first time ever, the growth in Brazilian cattle production-80 percent of which was in the Amazon-was largely export driven.”

Another cause of deforestation is land acquisition practices of rich ranchers in association with the migration patterns of landless farmers in Brazil . Large landowners wanting to amass more land, forcefully remove small farm families from their land. These families, now landless, flee to the urban areas but are unable to get jobs, housing, and food because of high deflation. Thus they are forced to return to the countryside and find unclaimed land which they can farm on. As this cycle continues, more and more trees are cut to clear land for those poor farming families with no other option.

An additional cause is improvements in transportation. As roads were being built, trees were cut down to clear a space for the roads. In addition, roads offer access to logging and mining sites and additionally open forests frontier territory for mistreatment by poor landless farmers. Take for example the Brazil 's Trans-Amazonian highway. In the 1970s, Brazil designed a 2000 mile highway that intersects the massive Amazon forest. This would open rainforests lands for two things- settlement by poor farmers from the crowded, drought-plagued north and development of its timber and mineral resources. The government would then grant citizens a 250-acre lot, six months' salary, and easy access to agricultural loans in exchange for settling along the highway and converting the surrounding rainforest into agricultural land. Unfortunately, the plan ended up costing Brazil $65,000. Although it was one of the most ambitious economic improvement programs ever formulated, it was also one of the most incredible failures.

Another major cause of deforestation is commercial agriculture. The development of new types of soy bean has put Brazil on the verge of replacing US as the world leading exporter. However, this new development has led to destruction of an every increase amount of forests in the Brazilian Amazon. Last year alone, the Amazon lost some 10,000 square miles of forest cover, which is 40 percent more than the year before. According to Roberto Smeraldi of Friends of the Earth Brazil, “After cattle ranching, soybeans are the main driver of Amazon destruction…. Today, we have lots of areas being cut down by small holders with the idea of selling them to soybean farmers and in other areas pasture is being converted to soy.”

One of the best known causes of deforestation, not only in the Brazilian Amazon, but also in other parts of South America is logging. Despite improved logging techniques and greater international awareness and concern for the rainforests, there is an increase in unsustainable logging. . Logging companies are furthering their practices in Brazil . In 1996, 30 million acres (12 million ha) were under concession. After devastating their own livestock, timber companies are seeking new resources in areas in poor developing countries to keep up with the demand for tropical wood products, like industrial round wood, chopsticks, furniture, wood chips, decor, and paper pulp. They use such techniques as bribery, to sway the law making body to overlook violations and grant allowance, sometimes over protests by the people of the nation and those that inhabit the area.

In conclusion, deforestation is the Brazilian Amazon has reached an all time high. Despite attempts to improve these rates, deforestation is rapidly increasing. The Amazon rainforest in Brazil and other forests found all over South America have experienced the impact of deforestation and will continue to do so until strong actions be taken against it.

Deforestation in Chile

Native forests of Chile are the world’s second largest area of temperature rainforest. This includes the Valdivian Rainforest filled with forever greens which are unique to south Chile and Argentina. South Chile is home to one of the world’s two large extensions of temperature forests. In addition, one quarter of the worlds remaining temperature rainforests are found in Chile. The pudu, the world smallest deer, and a hummingbird that builds its nest entirely from moss and spider webs are two endemic forest- dependant species of Chile.

The Cascade Chile Project, implemented by the Cascade Corporation in association with Maderas Condor S.A, is constructing the world’s largest chip mill in Southern Chile’s Ilque Bay to produce and export some 530,000 cubic meters of Oriented Strand Board (OSB) to United States annually. The 5 million acres of forests being cut down belong to landowners who will log the forests and sell the timber to the Boise Company. The processed boards being exported came from 336,000 cubic meters of wood chips. Adriana Hoffmann, national coordinator of Defenders of the Chilean Forests said that The Cascade Chile project would double the rate of deforestation in Chile. According to a 1995 Central Bank of Chile study, all of Chile's native forests not set aside for protection will be deforested in 20 to 30 years due to current methods of exploitation, referring to the Cascade Chile Project. The government, despite protest of the people, is doing nothing to improve these conditions. Government policies allow for logging, but law protecting forests are being rejected by the Parliament. The abolishment of Chile’s native forest is having a major affect on the world’s biodiversity. Originally, temperature forests covered only 0.2 percent of the Earth’s land. Now, more then half of these are destroyed.

We can better understand how deforestation impacted civilizations by analyzing the downfall of Easter Island. The area known as Easter Island is located 2,000 mile from Chile in the South Pacific. Today, locals of Easter Island call it Rapa Nui . The name, Easter Island , was given by Admiral Roggeveen, who came upon the island on Easter Day in 1722. When Roggeveen first “discovered” Easter Island, it was almost completely deserted. The only sign of past inhabitant was the hundreds of mysterious statues found all over the 15 miles long island. Each of these statues weighted several tons and was taller then 30 feet . Although there are theories to the origin of these statues and who are responsible for the creation of these, nobody really knows who build them.

One explanation people seem to accept is that Easter Island was inhabited by Polynesian seafarers. Some believe that these people were following the stars, the rhythms of the ocean, the color of sky and the sun, the shapes of clouds, and the presence of birds making flights out to sea seeking food, when they came upon this island. According to this theory, they first arrived in 400 A.D but were unable to leave because the ocean currents which carried them there would not take them back. This theory also suggests that there were two classes or races of inhabitants: Those with long ears and those with short ears. The long eared people were the rulers. The short eared, who came earlier, were the workers. For this reason, most of the statues have long ears.

Prior to its downfall, Easter Island supported a sub-tropical forest complete with the tall Easter Island Palm. The lifestyles of the inhabitants of Easter Island , however, depleted the amount of resources found on the island. In a few centuries, people of Easter Island destroyed all their forests. Extinction of their plant and animal species soon followed. Soon after, they saw their society spin into utter chaos and cannibalism.

In conclusion, analyzing the current situation of deforestation in Chile , and exploring the effects deforestation had on Easter Island , we can conclude that deforestation is an unavoidable issue. It should not be pushed aside, but rather addressed. Solutions need to be found to this problem if we are to avoid the consequence which the inhabitants of Easter Island experienced. Although Easter Island was but a speck of land in comparison to the entire land mass of our earth, there is a possibility that the whole world might one day end up like Easter Island if deforestation continues without strong actions taken against it.

 

Deforestation in Venezuela

Venezuela, home of one of the worlds largest river called the Orinoco River, has a large area of rainforest that have not been affected by human activities. However, the deforestation rate of these forests has been going up at a very alarming rate in recent years. Despite its wealth in natural resources, Venezuela is going through one of its most dramatic point in time. This is reflected in its financial and political instability, and in the growing hardship of its people. The instability in Venezuela began in 1982, when its currency started dropping in valve. In addition, over the last 15 years, the proportion of the population living in extreme poverty increased from 25 percent to nearly 50 percent. Deforestation further emphasizes these problems.

The impact of the economic and political instability on the country and its population has been magnified by the abrasion of the country’s natural resource base- the forests. Deforestation rates are at their all time highest in Venezuela. According to the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization, “between 1981 and 1990 the average annual deforestation increased to more than double the rate registered in the 1970s.” That’s an average of 600 thousand hectares a year. Furthermore, between 1981 and 1990 six million hectares of forests were lost; the average rate of deforestation during this time was 1.2% a year.

The Orinoco River divides Venezuela into two regions. About 80% of Venezuela’s remaining forests are located in the half of the country south of the Orinoco River and only about 20% of the forests are found in the northern region. Most of the population lives north of the Orinoco River, and so the rate of deforestation in these regions are much higher. Nonetheless, during the last 10 to 15 years deforestation increased at a dramatic rate in the forest reserves located south of the Orinoco River. The deforestation rates are further enhanced by legal and illegal mining of gold and diamonds.

The area north of the river has also been affected by deforestation even to a greater extend. These forests are divided into small and severely degraded lots. Most are taken over by peasant farmers or cattle ranchers. About 60 percent of the original forests surfaces are lost. Some of the reserves north of the Orinoco River are almost completely deforested. For instance, less than 8% of the original Turen reserve is still covered by forest. Furthermore, about 50% of San Camilo reserve is already deforested. Similarly, the Ticoporo reserve also has been almost completely deforested.

One of the main causes of deforestation particular to Venezuela is agricultural expansion. For the establishment of cattle ranches and agro-industrial production unit’s public lands, now covered by forests had to be transferred to private companies. To do this, companies would influence large proportion of the population living in unstable social conditions. This process goes together with the limitations of small producers to have access to credits, technological assistance, and means of transportation, storage facilities and markets, as well as by limited access to such basic social services as education, health care and social security. In addition, deforestation is related to the limitations of the political establishment to fully put into operation an effective agrarian reform . Other causes include logging, mining and hydropower projects, road building, and agricultural ‘frontier’ colonization.

One particular effects of deforestation relative to Venezuela include a persistent and growing shortage of water for domestic consumption, the irrigation of agricultural land, or the production of electricity. Others include the progressive and irreversible loss of the biological heritage of the country, the significant increase in the frequency and intensity of droughts and floods, often causing severe damage to agricultural production, hydroelectric dams, irrigation systems, roads, and homes, the loss of soil fertility, and increasingly reduced supplies of firewood, food, medicines, construction materials and other products traditionally provided by forests to rural and indigenous communities.

In conclusion, deforestation rates in Venezuela have increased in the recent years. The affect of the progress of deforestation are present in the problems facing Venezuela . Although some effort has been made to solve the problem of deforestation, the rates still seem to be increasing.

 

Deforestation in Colombia

Colombia is filled with some of the most beautiful forests. It is the second most biodiverse country in the world and its forests make up 10 percent of the world’s biodiversity. In addition, 49 percent of its lands mass are its forests. Unfortunately, deforestation has been immense in Colombia . The causes of deforestation vary, and its impact is widespread.

Every year between 1.5 and 2.2 hectares of forests are deforested. One-third of the country's original forest lands have been abolished as a result of deforestation . In addition, the extinction rate of many plant and animal species are increasing rapidly. Colombia is home to 55,000 plant species, some of which have yet to be identified and analyzed for potential curability. In addition, Colombia’s forest contains 358 mammal species, 15 percent of the world's primates, and 18 percent of the world's birds. Of these, 1,000 plant species and 24 bird and mammal species are threatened with extinction largely because of mass deforestation. In addition to the plant and animal life, the impact of deforestation has affected the indigenous population of Colombia. Deforestation and human intrusion has begun to corrode the social and economic structures of these communities. Crime, alcoholism and domestic violence have sharply increased in recent years. Encroachment has also increased the rate of migration.

In attempt to improve its economy, the Colombian government has composed a plan known as Plan Pacifico. This is one of the main causes of deforestation. Colombia’s Pacific region contains lush rainforests and most of the country’s natural resources. These forests were targeted for the extraction and exportation of natural resources in the last ten years under this plan. One hundred and sixty thousand hectares, which is about 2.2 percent of the total forest area, are destroyed each year for wood and paper or cleared for agro-industrial production of African palm. The creating of commercial shrimp farms, and massive sedimentation and mercury contamination in rivers leading to a decrease in mangrove coverage was a product of deforestation and uncontrolled mining. In addition, deforestation was responsible for the erosion of riverbanks which in turn caused river beds to drop, threatening fish stocks and the ability of communities to transport goods. Furthermore, in order to promote trade, the Plan Pacifico attempts to link a 54 kilometer missing section of the Pan-American Highway between Colombia and Panama. Road construction and rapid regional development will result in massive deforestation. The road would pass through the Darien Gap which is highly rich in flora and fauna.

Another major cause of deforestation in Colombia is the drug war waged by the US and Colombian governments which consequently amplified deforestation and loss of biodiversity. More than 100,000 acres are deforested each year to grow coca, marijuana, and opium poppies. Growers of these illegal plants are forced up to the forests located in the Andes. Seventy three percent of the Andes, an area that is vital to the preservation of Colombia's water supply, have been deforested as a result of both migration and drug cultivation.

An additional cause of this problem is poverty and unequal land distribution. In a rural area the privileged few, who make up merely 3 percent of the population, own 71.3 percent of arable land while 57 percent of the people, who are poor farmers, must manage to survive off of a mere 2.8 percent of the land. The situation has been exaggerated even more by Colombia's attempts to develop their market economy with cash crops for export while ignoring and further marginalizing small farmers. As a result, much of country is deforested.

In conclusion, deforestation in Colombia is destroying what was once one of the most beautiful areas in South America. At this rate, the forests of Colombia will be depleted in forty years. Although deforestation is avoidable, strong actions are required to put a stop to the destruction of all Colombia’s forests.

 

Deforestation in Argentina

Argentina is the second largest country in South America. It is also one of the 25 most biodiverse country in the world. Argentina is home to several types of indigenous forests. Nevertheless, the rate at which these forests are being deforested is alarming.

In the start of the 20th century, Argentina had 100 million hectares of forests but now it has reduced to 20 million hectares half of which are still being degraded. The major cause of deforestation in Argentina is logging by foreign and national companies, transportation projects, and establishment of pulpwood and carbon-silk monoculture tree plantation.

The crisis of deforestation can be deeper analyzed by looking at specific cases reported all over the country. For example, during the 19 th century, Santiago del Estero experienced a great devastation of its national forests which negatively affected a local population of Quichua and Spanish descendants. The destruction of these forests was brought on by the actions of a powerful European logging companies and the encouragement of Argentina ’s own government. The logging company responsible for demolition of these forests left the country once the resources of the forests was exhausted, leaving behind a landscape of destruction and poverty.

The province of Santa Fé provides further analyzes of the problem of deforestation. Over the last 80 years, forest coverage in this area decreased to nearly 4.6 million hectares. In addition, deforestation rates between 1970 and 1984 reached 121,500 hectares per year. The party responsible for this decrease in number of forests, the British forestry company La Forestal, began to operate in the region in 1880. At this time, the company owned nearly one third of the Province's area and were able to exploit Schinopsis balansae forests. The result of this action was one of the most serious cases of environmental conflicts in Latin America caused by social unrest over the exploitation of nature and people and violent repression.

Two other example of deforestation increase can be found in the San Luis Province, and the subtropical Province of Misiones . The Prosopis caldenia forests, found in San Luis, is an open forest in a semiarid climate, where several tree species coexist with the dominant Prosopis caldenia. The last 200,000 hectares of these forests are being endangered by deforestation because of a project to produce parquet flooring and charcoal for export being executed by Orinco Argentina S.A. Misiones is a province located at the Border of Brazil and Paraguay . In the beginning of the 20 th century, 90% of its area was covered by a dense subtropical forest, now there are only 1,500,000 hectares left.

 

Deforestation in Ecuador

Ecuador, located on the equator in the tropical Andes of South America, is a moderately small country at only 283,560 sq. km. The four major regions of Ecuador are the Amazon, the Andes , the Pacific Coast , and the Galapagos Islands . It is home to at least 14 indigenous nationalities. The eastern half of Ecuador is the headwaters of the Amazon basin. Although Ecuador has many highly biodiverse forests, it also has one of the world’s highest rates of deforestation estimated at over 300,000 hectares per year. Since colonial time, native vegetation has been abolished and been replaced by crops, pasture, towns and cities, and exotic tree (eucalyptus and pine) plantations resulting in serious soil erosion. In Ecuador today only out of two percent of its original forests covers remain.

In the costal region of Ecuador , only five percent of its forest has escaped total deforestation. Nevertheless, most of these have been destroyed in the last 50 years by logging, agro industrial monocultures (banana, cacao, coffee, African palm) and colonization. Currently one of the major causes of deforestation in Ecuador is the spread of African palm plantation. The last forests of Esmeralda, located in northwest Ecuador , are being cleared for huge plantations of African palms by the timber industry. Another notable industry responsible for deforestation is the shrimp industry. The shrimp industries have eliminated over 70% of the coastal mangroves. It has also spread into Esmeralda threatening the Earth’s tallest and best conserved mangrove ecosystem and the traditional fishing communities which depend upon it for their survival.

The Ecuadorian Amazon has also been affected by deforestation as well as oil pollution. Since the 1970s, thirty percent of this area has been deforested and or polluted . Oil roads made the growth of the oil industry and also colonization effortless and in the process endangered the cultures of the indigenous population, such as the Cofan and the Huaorani. Another region of Ecuador that has experienced deforestation would be the forests of the Andes . Forests of the Andean outer slopes are being removed by land traffickers and colonists. Andes-Amazon and the Andes-Choco are among the most threatened forest ecosystem in the world.

In conclusion, every year Ecuador loses another 2.3 percent of its forests. Furthermore, it has the highest deforestation rate in all of South America. Considering the size of the country, this presents a real and alarming problem in regards to depletion of natural resources and an increasing loss in world’s biodiversity.