Deforestation in Brazilian Amazonia: the rates and causes of forest destruction

Abstract

While the proportion of Brazilian Amazonia which has been cleared is still small relative to the region's total area, if the explosive surge in the rate of clearing which has taken place in recent years is allowed to continue it will quickly lead to the disappearance of the entire forest. Lack of sufficient capital and labour can temporarily slow the rate of deforestation, but the process will run to completion unless fundamental changes are made in the structure of the legal and economic system underlying forest clearance. Ranching, colonization and industrilization are currently the main causes of this destruction with logging gaining in importance. -from Author