Amazon
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Environment
The mercury concentration in the tree ring may allow the tree to become a “witness” to illegal gold mining activities in the Amazon
Mining often occurs in artisans and small-scale mining operations that burn gold-mercury amalgams to extract gold particles. Credit: Simon Topp. For hundreds of years, Amazon has been misused for money. Today, precious metals are required in the same way, but the remaining small gold particles are much more difficult to find. Mining often occurs in artisans and small-scale mining operations…
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Earth
Modeling studies suggest that Amazon Rainforest is more resilient than expected
Credit: CC0 Public Domain The imminent loss of Amazon rainforests due to deforestation has been linked to scientists, activists and citizens around the world. The region’s unparalleled biodiversity and natural habitats that maintain important carbon stores are at risk, and the global climate is far-reaching. Previous research warned that Amazon was moving towards a tipping point, but beyond that the…
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Biology
Newly discovered microbes in Amazon Peatlands could impact global carbon balance
Aerial view of a remote village in the Amazon’s Pasta Maranhão Foreland Basin where Hinsby Cadillo Quiros conducts fieldwork. Rich in biodiversity and cultural heritage, this region serves as an important site for studying microbial life and its impact on climate change. Credit: Hinsby Cadillo-Quiroz Complex organisms, thousands of times smaller than grains of sand, can form large-scale ecosystems and…
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Science
The number of fires in Brazil’s Amazon is the highest in 17 years, authorities say.
Thick smoke occasionally clouded major cities such as Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo last year. Brazil’s Amazon rainforest experienced the most wildfires in 2024 in 17 years after months of prolonged drought, according to government data released Wednesday. According to the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), there were 140,328 fires detected through satellite imagery each year. This…
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Environment
Study finds future climate change could reduce the Amazon rainforest’s ability to absorb carbon
Schematic diagram of the physical mechanisms of climate-induced changes in the carbon cycle in the Amazon forest. Courtesy of the National Institute for Environmental Studies. The Amazon is the world’s largest tropical forest and is often referred to as the “lungs of the Earth.” It plays a vital role in the Earth’s climate system due to its vast carbon stores.…
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