Forests throughout the world are shrinking in size due to the ever increasing demand in timber and other resources. The most threatened forest today is Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. A new law passed in Brazil will destroy the remains of the previously massive Atlantic Forest.
The Atlantic Forest used to be a huge forested land stretching along the coastline of Rio Grande does Norte to Rio Grande do Soul. This is basically the distance between Maine to Florida. Statistics show that only 7% of the forest area remains today. However, even this remaining area will not be there if this law is passed by the Brazilian government.
According to the recent law proposal, the Brazilian government seems to support the deforestation of the remaining Atlantic Forest (also known as Mata Atlantica). Once the Brazilian government passes the bill, the following things will happen:
* Farmers will be allowed to deforest without any assessment of forest area.
*Also, the local municipalities will have no say on the forest clearing issue.
* This will threaten the already endangered species present in this particular region. This region is famous for 20,000 plant species. Of these, 40% are endemic plants. Also more than 2 dozen of vertebrate species are dependent on the Mata Atlantica.
Biologists and other environmentalists believe that this should be conserved and conservation cannot be done without funds.
According to Dr. Flesher, an environmentalist:
there are no funds available to the forestry department of Brazil.
The international environmental agencies are slowly helping the Brazilian government with funds.These agencies are extending whatever monetary help they can to protect this biologically diverse hotspot.
Even though all this is being done, it’s not enough. The local laws need to be enforced and made strict so that the forest can survive. If forest areas like these are not saved, the next generation will soon find itself without these biodiversity hotspots.