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There is no single cause for the deforestation of the rainforests in South America. There are several causes all playing a roll. Put them all together and you end up with a HUGE problem.
Causes include:
- Infrastructure Expansion- Although building a road sounds like a harmless idea, it sets in motion a domino effect. Building a road is itself a small version of deforestation. Trees and other plants need to be removed to make way for the structure. However, what is meant to simply speed up the transport of goods opens another avenue of deforestation as well. These new roads provide an entry to previously inaccessible, unclaimed areas of land. After the road is complete the land goes through a series of cycles. Logging, both legal and illegal, often follows the completion of the road. The loggers come and remove all the valuable timber then move on. Studies show that areas that have been selectively logged (only one or two valuable tree species are harvested) are eight times more likely to be settled than the untouched Rainforest! Next, farmers and ranchers are drawn to the logged area. They use the slash and burn technique to remove what is left of the forest. They then utilize the space as crop land or cattle pasture. With that, the deforestation chain that began with building a road is complete.
- Logging – Logging in the Amazon is supposed to be controlled by licenses which allow timber to be harvested in selected areas. However, illegal logging is a problem.
- Colonizing and Subsequent Agriculture-A large quantity of deforestation is caused by the subsequent activities of poor farmers. The farmers use the slash and burn method. This method consists of cutting down trees, letting them dry out, and then burning the area. Crops are planted immediately after burning. The first crop yield is often quite large. This is due to the nutrients from the burned trees being made obtainable to the soil. However, this effect does not last. The richness of the soil declines quite quickly causing a decrease in crop production. After a few years, farmers must move and start the entire process over again, cutting down even more of the forest.
- Commercial Agriculture- Selling marketable goods for a profit also contributes to deforestation. In order to grow their crops, people are cutting into the rainforest to meet their needs. Soybeans, for example, have become one of the biggest contributors to the deforestation of the Amazon. Their high profit return has encouraged the expansion of soybean farming.
- Clearing for Cattle Pasture- The clearing of trees for cattle pastures can happen one of two ways:
- Usually ranchers wait for the first few cycles of deforestation before moving on to a piece of land.
- First come the roads which give loggers both legal and illegal access to forest once unreachable.
- After the loggers have left, farmers arrive, cutting down what is left setting on fire to clear the ground and then planting their crops. After about two or three years the soil loses its nutrients and the farmers move on.
- It is then that the ranchers move onto the land. However, just as in farming, they cannot stay there indefinitely. After five to ten years time, overgrazing and nutrient loss turns the land into an eroded wasteland.
- Fuel-wood Collection-Less developed countries, such as those in Latin America, still depend on firewood to provide heat and to cook with. Unfortunately, firewood is being harvested from the forest in such high amounts and so quickly that the forest is disappearing faster than it can replenish itself.
- The Debt Burden-In hopes of improving their own economy, developing countries borrowed a large sum of money from development agencies located in industrialized nations during the 1970’s and 80’s. These countries now feel they need to make money in order to repay this duty. Many countries are having difficulty paying off these debts due to rising interest rates. This very thing is prompting the abuse of natural resources and the destruction of the rainforests.
- Mining-In the ground below the rainforest you can find a treasure trove of items. Diamonds, oil aluminum, copper and gold can all be found underneath the forest. Rainforests are being destroyed in order to gain access to these treasures. As if that were not bad enough, the use of chemicals is poisoning the water. Miners sometimes use chemicals to separate minerals from other material. The chemicals find their way into the river killing fish and the animals that eat them.
- Oil Companies-The search for oil is yet another cause of deforestation. There is also the concern of a pipeline rupture. When this happens, gallons of oil spill into the forest. This often kills animals and pollutes the water supply. Oil companies frequently build roads into untouched forests in order to build pipelines and extract the oil. This gives settlers access to the areas.
- Dams-Dams are built for the use of energy production. This often involves flooding large areas of the forest. Dams built in the rainforest have a short life. The submerged foliage begins to rot. This causes the water to become acidic. Over time, the water eats away at the dam.
