Deforestation and extinction

Second life

Biologists debate the scale of extinction in the world’s tropical forests

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What was not discussed was the prospect of the expansion of rain forest into what is currently temperate forest, due to global warming.


In the late 1800's in the US when the native Americans were all but wiped out they created the Ghost Dance Movement. In the face of stark and dire truths, this pseudo-religion gave hope to those who faced extinction. But in reality things did not change.Is it possible that we are in another Ghost Dance Movement so that we can avoid looking at our current course? Are we as a whole delusional?The economics of greed, fear and self-interest are no longer viable. But where do we go from here?


It makes very little difference that the world human population is slowing—we have already exceeded the limit of exploitation which the terrestrial ecosystem can sustain.

In addition, the human appetite is almost insatiable and
the poorer inhabitants will want more and more as
their power grows.

Everywhere we look wild species are being decimated, and this includes wild plant species.

This total desertification of the planet bodes no good for
the human species. Like bacteria on a petri dish we are
reaching the Stationary Phase. The next phase is the Death Phase.

Random Scientist

Geographic variation is likely to trump size. Localised rainforest habitats (esp. islands in Indonesia and Philippines and mountain valleys and ridges in the Andes) hold endemic species, which are likely to be lost. From this perspective, saving 1000km2 of Amazonia does not equal losing 10 times of 100km2 of Andean valleys or Indonesian islets. This gets complicated, because many areas are politically unstable or socio-politically hostile to conservation. But this doesn't change that they hold species found nowhere else.


Well it depends on the ease or not of access to the forest. In Colombia, I do not see destruction, as the forest is remote,accessible by river or not all. Huge areas are natural parks or indigenous peoples' reserves. Maybe the guerrilla and coca growing protects against massive destruction. I had to spend an involuntary time in the rainforest, and it is obvious that insects are in control. And even in country areas near to Bogota, re-growing of trees have increased the population of birds and squirrels and butterflies. What you report is in agreement with what I see in Colombia.


It does not make sense talking about the extinction in the tropical forests without the scale of the habitats' devastation. In 2008 the Brazilian Amazon's deforestation reached 706.9 thousand square kilometers, an area equivalent to the land surfaces of France, Nederland and Belgium together. In other words, during the last 20 years there was a growth of 97% from the 358.7 thousand square kilometers registered for 1988 (ício TuffaniSão Paulo, SP, Brazil



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