The lungs of the earth “Brazil’s Amazon Forest” is on fire for a month declaring a state of emergency in the region.
“Fire on fire would normally kill us
With this much desire, together, we’re winners
They say that we’re out of control and some say we’re winners
But don’t let them ruin our beautiful rhythms.”
The lungs of the earth “Brazil’s Amazon Forest” is on fire for a month declaring a state of emergency in the region. Approximately, 72,000 fires have been detected so far in Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, etc. by National Institute for Space Research (INPE), Brazil’s research center.
Amazon Rainforest--The most biodiverse region on earth
Amazon rainforest is the most biodiverse region on earth, providing shelter to three million species on plants and animals. Billions of trees absorb tons of carbon dioxide every year and slow down the climate change along with producing 20% of earth’s oxygen, hence named ‘Lungs of Earth.’ The center also claims that about 99% of Amazon fires start from human actions, either on purpose or by accident. It has been mentioned by international bodies that fires have been set up to clear the land for cattle ranching, farming, and logging. The number of human-made fires is growing and growing, which has literally plagued the Amazon in recent years and disturbed the ecosystem drastically. Large animals like Jaguars and Puma might escape from fire, but slow-moving animals like sloths, pangolins, small creatures like frogs and lizards might die due to not having the capability to move out quickly from this fire.
The wildfire effect
The wildfires will have a devastating effect on the flora and fauna of the region. The impact on species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians and bird species will come in two phases i.e. immediate and long-term. In the long run, the entire food chain will be disturbed due to opening of the canopy due to massive fire and destruction of the forest, as direct bringing in of sunlight will fundamentally change the energy flow of the entire ecosystem.
Not just animals living on land, animals surviving underwater might also be affected due to change in water chemistry. There are certain species, who use land as well as water both for their survival, these species also bear the risk of getting killed by fire.
Where will the animals go?
There is no sign of rains, fire is growing day by day, where will the animals go? They can only try to hide in a burrow or maybe going into a water body. But in the current situation, most of the animals are dying due to flames and its heat/smoke. Not just multiple populations of different animals will be affected, but fires could portray a pressure on species which are already moving towards extinction like the white-cheeked spider monkey, Milton’s titi monkey, Mura’s saddleback tamarin and much more.
These fires are not only destroying millions of our green land but also creating a chamber of large amounts of carbon dioxide. This ongoing channel of collecting carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will create a reason for ice sheets to melt and cause catastrophic effects of climate change.
Tribes are getting affected by the wildfires
Not just animals, but several tribes are getting affected due to these wildfires. There will be no food available, the atmosphere will be more disturbed, the ecosystem will be drastically altered an much more worst consequences. The amazon forest doesn’t need any development as we are getting developed through a number of advantages from the forest.
These fires have covered the Brazilian city in dark smoke and have framed a light on that fact that one of the most biologically diverse regions on earth might get shifted to the newly fragmented regime from land clearing operations and other activities intended to transform the land for agricultural use.
What is our disaster team doing?
Our disaster team is rushing to Brazil to assess the animals impacted from the record-breaking fires and our disaster response team is on standby and reaching to local authorities. These two baby sloths were rescued from a fire in Rio Branco, Brazil.
