According to newly published research findings, the area of forest in the Amazon region that has been destroyed due to illegal logging is nearly double what was previously estimated. Scientist Greg Asner explained in the latest issue of the American journal “Science” that satellite images of the Amazon region show that from 1999 to 2002, the annual forest area decreased by 12,000 to 21,000 square kilometers.
For decades, the forests in this area have been illegally logged, and no one has been able to provide an accurate figure for the area of forest lost.
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| Amazon captured by satellite in 1999 |
Asner noted that today, thanks to satellite technology, we can have an accurate picture of the amount of forest that has disappeared. Asner currently works for the private Carnegie Institution in the United States. The American scientist was stunned to realize that each year, the Amazon forest is disappearing at a rate comparable to the state of Connecticut. To date, 70% of the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed.
The Amazon rainforest is considered the “lungs of the Earth.” Once these lungs are destroyed, it will be difficult for humanity to survive. The negative consequences of deforestation disrupt the ecological balance. Plants and wildlife must bear unpredictable repercussions.
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