Drought brings Amazon tributary to lowest level in a century

One of the most important tributaries of the Amazon river has fallen to its lowest level in over a century, following a fierce drought that has isolated tens of thousands of rainforest inhabitants and raised concerns about the possible impact of climate change on the region.

Photo courtesy of Raimundo Valentim/EPA/CORBIS

UN fears 'irreversible' damage to natural environment

The third "Global Biodiversity Outlook" found that deforestation, pollution or overexploitation were damaging the productive capacity of the most vulnerable environments, including the Amazon rainforest, lakes and coral reefs.

Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Yamaguchi/Flickr

Half the Amazon Could be Lost by 2050, Says Study

According to a report from Globo Amazônia, the study conducted by Gilvan Sampaio of National Institute of Special Research (INPE) found that the vegetation of the Amazon will be particularly impacted by rising global temperatures in the years to come, in addition to the continued threats posed by deforestation and fires.

Photo courtesy of Alberto Cesar/Greenpeace

Saving the rainforests will save Florida

In short, it's going to be very difficult to protect Florida's natural wonders and the health of our economy from climate change unless we protect the world's rainforests.

Map Card courtesy of Striderv/Flickr

Is deforestation rising or falling in the Amazon?

Last week Brazil's National Space Agency INPE reported a 51 percent drop in Amazon deforestation in the six months ended February 2010 compared with the year earlier period. But the seemingly happy news for environmentalists may be premature.

Photo courtesy of apoloniox70/Flickr

Peruvian Amazon trees a niche market for carbon trading

Trees grow faster in the Amazon rainforest -- the lungs of the planet -- than anywhere else in the world, and can reach between six to 12 metres (18 to 36 feet) in just one year.

Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Yamaguchi/Flickr

Forest protected areas important for slowing climate change

The authors highlight analyses showing that since 2002, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has been 7 to 11 times lower inside of indigenous lands and other protected areas than elsewhere.

Photo courtesy of apoloniox70/Flickr

Amazon confusion: new research shows forest is resilient to drought, but is this the whole picture?

Given the differing opinions, more research may be needed before consensus can be reached on how the Amazon will react to climate change, especially in light of other threats such as deforestation.

Photo courtesy of sibauch/Flickr

French President Calls for Stronger Forest Preservation Effort

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is calling for rich nations to contribute more to fighting deforestation, particularly in the Congo and Amazon River basins in Africa and Latin America.

Photo courtesy of StreetPress/Flickr

Rainforest revival: has Brazil turned the tide on deforestation?

The sheer visible scale of both the destruction, and of what remains, is breathtaking. It’s one of Brazil’s greatest hopes, and greatest challenges.

Photo courtesy of Lalo de Almeida/NY Times

Deforestation Pushing Amazon to Its Ecological Limits

When you don’t know the effects of damaging a highly complex, invaluably important ecological system, make sure not to damage it.

Photo courtesy of Leonardo Freitas/Flickr

Big business leaves big forest footprints

Consumers around the globe are not aware that they are "eating" rainforests, says Andrew Mitchell. In this week's Green Room, he explains how many every-day purchases are driving the destruction of the vital tropical ecosystems.

Photo courtesy of Tom Spaulding/Flickr

Amazon River Water Being Stolen and Bottled Abroad

A recently published report is exposing some shocking exploitation of the Amazon's natural resources--and this time it's water being stolen. Where is this water headed? According to the report, "tankers are quietly removing water" to be bottled and sold in Europe and the Middle East.

Photo courtesy of Brian Ritchie/Flickr

To save Amazon rainforest, expert pushes smarter farming to replace slash-and-burn

Brazilian officials and environmentalists agree that cattle ranching is the biggest cause of deforestation of the nation's Amazon, an area the size of the U.S. west of the Mississippi River, about 20 percent of which has been destroyed.

Photo courtesy of Charles Thomas/Flickr

Uproar in Brazil over huge Amazon dam plan

"It's a project that only benefits companies. Despite all they say, it's not 'clean energy:' it generates methane gas, which provokes climate change, and it will displace 30,000 residents," Antonia Melo of the Xingo Vivo Movement that groups 150 indigenous and social groups opposed to the dam told AFP.

Photo courtesy of Pedro Martinelli/ISA

The Amazongate fiasco

"The IPCC could have picked a better citation than the WWF report, but the data were there, published in a few places to support their statement," Nepstad told mongabay.com. "The latest attack on the IPCC is bizarre and unfounded."

Photo courtesy of Luis Vasconcelos/AP

Biodiversity: The Amazon Is Not Eternal

Lovejoy, head of the committee responsible for this major scientific investigation, said the Amazon has already lost 17 to 18 percent of its forests. Furthermore, "it has a remarkable hydrogeological system where the forest generates at least half of its own rainfall."

Photo courtesy of Lalo de Almeida/NY Times

Suriname president calls for 'unequivocal incentives' to preserve rainforests

Suriname is part of the Amazon rainforest region, with its large tracts of intact natural tropical forests, and have already protected thirteen percent of its territory and through longstanding and consistent conservation policy, Suriname has forest cover of over ninety percent and a minimal deforestation rate.

[Map by: The World Atlas Guide]

Brazil's river of death

The once free-flowing Manaquiri River, which runs through the state of Amazonas in northwest Brazil, is in the fight of its life against a spell of dry weather - and it appears to be losing the battle.

[Photograph by: Bruno Kelly/REUTERS/Amazonaspress]

Barack Obama backs Norway-Brazil forest protection plan

Speaking after he accepted the Nobel peace prize in Oslo, Norway, Obama said: "I am very impressed with the model that has been built between Norway and Brazil that allows for effective monitoring and ensures that we are making progress in avoiding deforestation of the Amazon.

[Photograph by: Lise Aserud/AP]