Human impact Atlantic Forest

atlantic forest fragmentation



deforestation of atlantic forest in rio de janeiro

the incorporation of modern human societies , needs forest resources has reduced size of atlantic forest, has resulted in species impoverishment. 88% of original forest habitat has been lost , replaced human-modified landscapes including pastures, croplands, , urban areas. deforestation continues @ annual rate of .5% , 2.9% in urban areas.

agriculture: major portion of human land use in atlantic rain forest agriculture. crops include sugar-cane, coffee, tea, tobacco , more soybean , biofuel crops.
pasture: more common using land agriculture conversion of forest cattle pastures. commonly done method of slash , burn increases forest chance of human-induced burning.
hunting: species in fragmented forest more susceptible decline in population size because in confined area more accessible hunters. larger animals make highest percentage of biomass. these animals rewarding hunters , heavily hunted in accessible fragments. results in change in species interactions such seed dispersal , competition resources.
logging: logging removes 10 80% of canopy cover of forest making habitat more susceptible natural elements such wind , sunlight. causes increase in forest heating , desiccation. large amounts of organic litter , debris builds results in increase in forests vulnerability fires. additionally, logging roads create accessibility humans; , therefore increases amount of human land disturbances , decreases amount of natural forest.
fire: human activity such logging causes increase in debris along forest floors makes atlantic forest more susceptible fires. forest type not accustomed regular fire activity, human induced fires dramatically affect forest understory because plants not have fire adaptations. in result, forest becomes more vulnerable secondary fires, far more destructive , kill many more species including large trees.

results of human activity

habitat fragmentation leads cascade of alterations of original forest landscape. example, extent of human disturbances, including habitat destruction, in atlantic forest has led extinction crisis. endemic species in region vulnerable extinction due fragmentation because of small geographic ranges , low occurrence. in study of atlantic forest fragments, community level biomass reduced 60% in plots less 25 hectares. key ecological processes such seed dispersal, gene flow, colonization , other processes disturbed fragmentation. many key vertebrate seed dispersers going extinct, predicted many regional, fruit-bearing tree species in atlantic forest become extinct due failure of seedling recruitment , recolonisation. these species threatened, predicted persistence of current deforestation rates atlantic forest see continued extinction of species.