The burning of the amazon
The burning of the amazon
Embedded Files
This precious natural ecosystem faces a grave threat
In 2019, the world was devastated by the enormous wildfires engulfing the Amazon Rainforest in South America. Now, in 2020, not only are these same fires at a record high, but another large wildlife habitat on the continent has also caught fire-- the Pantanal Wetlands-- and the current climatic conditions mean that the conflagration has no end in sight.
Smoke from the Amazon fires as seen from a satellite
Amazon Fires
If you were alive in 2019, you probably heard sometime around August that the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil had caught fire. However, did you know that the fires actually started back in January of 2019? Or better yet, that the Amazon hasn’t really stopped burning at all? Compared to previous fires, the current flames in the Amazon are at a record high, as commercial deforestation and an ongoing drought fuel the fires. After unsuccessful prior attempts to contain the fires, the Brazilian government initially attempted to opt out of fighting the inferno, citing that they could not afford to keep going; not only until the issue received immense international backlash did they resume their battle. The fires have rid many animals of their habitats, as well as displaced multiple indigenious tribes as over 2.2 million acres of area have been burned.
Pantanal Fires
The Pantanal Wetlands are the largest area of tropical wetlands at 72,517 miles in area. It is located mostly in Brazil, but also stretches into Paraguay and Bolivia. Various rare, if not endangered species can be found in this habitat, which makes the fires all the more alarming.. But how is a wetland on fire? As a wetland, the soil of the biome is saturated with water, and additional water rests on the surface of the ground. As the area “floods,” multiple elements are brought in with the water. One especially prominent element in this scenario is carbon, which is a major contributor to making the wetland so flammable. The obstruction of the Amazon has also influenced the burning of the Pantanal, as the rainforest’s moisture created “flying rivers” that generated additional rainfall for the wetland and the continent as a whole. As the amount of trees in the Amazon declines, so does the available moisture of the rainforest, meaning no flying rivers and additional rainfall for the wetland- rainfall that could be very helpful in quenching the wetland’s own fires.
The lively ecosystem of the Pantanal Wetlands is under threat
Unless further efforts are made to contain these fires, the South American continent could lose hundreds of unique native species. Irreparable deforestation of the Amazon and Pantanal wetland, possibly resulting in desertification across the continent, will occur if these fires continue to wreak their havoc across South America.
Sarah has been attending Edgewood since 7th grade, and this is her first year on the Edge staff. She enjoys drawing and playing tennis. As a 2020 staff writer, she hopes to reach students with stories she believes they’d find interesting.
Page updated
Report abuse