Land Use in Amazon Rainforest
Global warming, logging, mining, dams, all thirsty for land.
Statistics
Rainforests once covered about 14% of the earth's land surface but now covers only 6%. This change is very threatening. Experts say that 1.5 acres of land are lost in a rainforest every second. On top of that, over 50,000 species of plants, insects and animals are lost each year.
"The Amazon Watch"
The Amazon Watch is a group that works to defend the Amazon Rainforest and it's indigenous tribes. They are currently working on protecting 18 million acres of rainforest in Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, and most of all the Amazon.
Amazon tribes affected
The Kayapo tribe is located near the Amazon Basin in the east. They have a population of around 8,000 and have scattered villages throughout the Amazon. The Kayapo are known for fighting off illegal loggers, ranchers and gold miners. In the 1980's and 1990's they fought and won official recognition of their land.