The Amazon contains most of the biodiversity on earth, with 50% of the entire planet’s land-based animal and plant species depending on the Amazon rainforest for their survival. There are more plant species in one hectare in the Amazon than the whole of Europe and over 200 species of trees can be found on one hectare of the Amazon. Moreover, twenty million people, including countless indigenous nations, call the Amazon their home. The lives of these human beings and the plant and animal species are at risk.
Researchers are concerned about the impacts that an increased destruction of the rainforest would create
- Global warming, and the effects of increasing temperatures
- The world's production of oxygen—the Amazon rainforests are often called the lungs of the earth
- The biodiversity of the Amazon rainforest
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The biodiversity of environments worldwide.
The Brazilian Government
The Brazilian Government is faced with the tough decision of a choice between the development of the country of Brazil and the conserving of the Amazon rainforest.
Brazil is a poor and developing country. For the benefit of the Brazilian people and a wealthier country, new infrastructure projects have been suggested. However, this means land is needed and this demanded land would have to be obtained from the Amazon.
The deforestation of the Amazon for the new land would lead to numerous environmental effects that, in the long term, would be harmful for the people living in Brazil.
This is why the Government needs to balance development and destruction in order to maximize the benefits the Brazilian people would gain. Unfortunately, the Government’s interests seem to be aiming for a more prosperous country with the new plan called Advance Brazil. This plan is basically to adapt the forest into highways, logging concessions and a collection of other industrial developments.