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Amazon Rainforest Case Study

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The Amazon is the largest rainforest in the world it covers 6.7 million square kilometers which are larger than the area of Europe (About, 1). It extends from the low slopes of the Andes to the Atlantic coast of Brazil and supplies 20% of the world’s oxygen (Why is, 1). It is home to thousands of species of flora and fauna and hosts indigenous tribes who rely on the land to survive. In recent years, with the development of science and technology, the rapid growth of standards of living across the world the more resources are needed at an alarming rate to keep up with demand. Industrialization has brought the world countless luxuries which many would argue are modern necessities. In order to meet the needs of others; in Brazil, there is currently a financial crisis plaguing the country and is faced with the moral dilemma to provide employment opportunities for millions or protect their ecosystems which are vital for the health of the Earth. Today, the Amazon rainforest faces various problems such as deforestation, extinction of flora and fauna, desertification, and the interruption of indigenous tribes. With industrial development, population growth, and poverty; forest resources have dropped. Industrialization is the main reason of the forest resources dropped in the Amazon. In 1970, in order to remedy the stifling poverty in the northeast of Brazil, the Brazilian president made the decision to develop on the Amazon rainforest. This decision resulted in about 80,000 square kilometers of virgin forest destroyed each year. From 1969-1755, the forests of the Midwest and the Amazon were destroyed by more than 110,000 square kilometers (Butler,1). In order to increase profits people made a variety of tools to destroy the rainforest to supply wood. Logging is one major contributor to deforestation. Loggers clear hundreds of acres at a time when harvesting trees. In 40 years people have managed to deforest 20% of the Amazon which will have an irreversible consequence for many species of plants and animals (Farming,1). Due to the diversity of the Amazon, it is home to endangered species of trees which has made selective logging in the area commonplace. Selective logging is when people selectively cut down

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