tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:/xml/amazon1amazon news from mongabay.com2012-02-10T16:16:11Ztag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/90822012-02-09T19:18:00Z2012-02-10T16:16:11ZHumans drove rainforest into savannah in ancient Africa<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://www.mongabay.com/images/gabon/150/gabon-26730.JPG" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Three thousand years ago (around 1000 BCE) several large sections of the Congo rainforest in central Africa suddenly vanished and became savannah. Scientists have long believed the loss of the forest was due to changes in the climate, however a new study in Science implicates an additional culprit: humans. The study argues that a migration of farmers into the region led to rapid land-use changes from agriculture and iron smelting, eventually causing the collapse of rainforest in places and a rise of grasslands. The study has implications for today as scientists warn that the potent combination of deforestation and climate change could flip parts of the Amazon rainforest as well into savannah. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/90792012-02-08T18:11:00Z2012-02-08T22:13:35ZMajority of protected tropical forests "empty" due to hunting<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/j/colombia_2156.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Protected areas in the world's tropical rainforests are absolutely essential, but one cannot simply set up a new refuge and believe the work is done, according to a new paper in Bioscience. Unsustainable hunting and poaching is decimating tropical forest species in the Amazon, the Congo, Southeast Asia, and Oceana, leaving behind "empty forests," places largely devoid of any mammal, bird, or reptile over a few pounds. The loss of such species impacts the whole ecosystems, as plants lose seed dispersers and the food chain is unraveled. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/90662012-02-07T17:39:00Z2012-02-07T17:39:25ZNew rainforest and indigenous reserve established in PeruOn February 4th, the Peruvian government and a small indigenous group created a new Amazon reserve, dubbed the Maijuna Reserve. Located in northeastern Peru, the 390,000 hectare (970,000 acres) reserve is larger than California's Yosemite National Park and over three times the size of Hong Kong. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/90642012-02-07T16:20:00Z2012-02-07T16:21:10ZGuyanese tribe maps Connecticut-sized rainforest for land rights<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://travel.mongabay.com/images/jeremy_hance/150/Guyana_448.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>In a bid to gain legal recognition of their land, the indigenous Wapichan people have digitally mapped their customary rainforest land in Guyana over the past ten years. Covering 1.4 million hectares, about the size of Connecticut, the rainforest would be split between sustainable-use regions, sacred areas, and wildlife conservation according to a plan by the Wapichan tribe that will be released today. The plan says the tribe would preserve the forest from extractive industries. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/90452012-02-02T20:05:00Z2012-02-02T20:30:12ZFungus from the Amazon devours plastic Students from Yale University have made the amazing discovery of a species of fungus that devours one of the world's most durable, and therefore environmentally troublesome, plastics: polyurethane. The new species of fungus, Pestalotiopsis microspora, is even able to consume polyurethane in zero-oxygen (anaerobic) conditions, which would be important in eating plastics in the deep dark layers of landfills where little sunlight, water, or oxygen is found.Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/90442012-02-02T18:22:00Z2012-02-05T13:39:30ZPhoto of the day: super-abundance of life found in Amazon park<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/j/Baertschi-A-_7TP4584.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Surveying a little-explored park in the Peruvian Amazon has paid off in dividends: researchers with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) have cataloged 365 species that had not yet been recorded in Bahuaja Sonene National Park. The never-before recorded species included two bats, thirty birds, and over two hundred butterflies and moths. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/90392012-02-01T20:38:00Z2012-02-01T21:34:36ZGroup releases close-up photos of 'uncontacted' tribe in Peru<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/j/mashco-piro-1_screen.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>New photos provide visual evidence of just how close the long-isolated tribe of Mashco-Piro people in the Amazon rainforest are to being contacted by the outside world—a perilous moment for tribes highly susceptible to disease and likely to defend their people and territory with weapons. According to indigenous rights NGO Survival International, the Maschco-Piro tribe has been seen more frequently outside of their forest home in Manu National Park in recent years. Some experts blame illegal logging in the park and helicopters used in oil and gas projects for the sightings.Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/90382012-02-01T17:36:00Z2012-02-02T17:55:33ZNew meteorological theory argues that the world's forests are rainmakers<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://travel.mongabay.com/costa_rica/150/costa-rica_0737.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>New, radical theories in science often take time to be accepted, especially those that directly challenge longstanding ideas, contemporary policy or cultural norms. The fact that the Earth revolves around the sun, and not vice-versa, took centuries to gain widespread scientific and public acceptance. While Darwin's theory of evolution was quickly grasped by biologists, portions of the public today, especially in places like the U.S., still disbelieve. Currently, the near total consensus by climatologists that human activities are warming the Earth continues to be challenged by outsiders. Whether or not the biotic pump theory will one day fall into this grouping remains to be seen. First published in 2007 by two Russian physicists, Victor Gorshkov and Anastassia Makarieva, the still little-known biotic pump theory postulates that forests are the driving force behind precipitation over land masses. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/90312012-01-30T20:12:00Z2012-01-30T20:48:41ZSaving the world's biggest river otter<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/j/giantriverotterinterview.L93_Cierre.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Charismatic, vocal, unpredictable, domestic, and playful are all adjectives that aptly describe the giant river otter (<i>Pteronura brasiliensis</i>), one of the Amazon's most spectacular big mammals. As its name suggest, this otter is the longest member of the weasel family: from tip of the nose to tail's end the otter can measure 6 feet (1.8 meters) long. Living in closely-knit family groups, sporting a complex range of behavior, and displaying almost human-like capricious moods, the giant river otter has captured a number of researchers and conservationists' hearts, including Dutch conservationist Jessica Groenendijk.Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/90212012-01-26T23:01:00Z2012-01-27T22:29:43ZBig trees, like the old-growth forests they inhabit, are declining globally<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay/panama/150/panama_0200.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Already on the decline worldwide, big trees face a dire future due to habitat fragmentation, selective harvesting by loggers, exotic invaders, and the effects of climate change, warns an article published this week in <i>New Scientist</i> magazine. Reviewing research from forests around the world, William F. Laurance, an ecologist at James Cook University in Cairns, Australia, provides evidence of decline among the world's 'biggest and most magnificent' trees and details the range of threats they face. He says their demise will have substantial impacts on biodiversity and forest ecology, while worsening climate change.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/90172012-01-26T18:08:00Z2012-01-26T18:09:08ZPhoto of the Day: Critically Endangered brown spider monkey discovered in park <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/j/brown-spider-monkey-1.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Researchers with The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Colombia’s National Parks Unit have located at least two individuals of brown-spider monkey (Ateles hybridus) in Colombia's Selva de Florencia National Park. The discovery is important because its the only known population of this particular subspecies (Ateles hybridus brunneus) in a protected area. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/89992012-01-25T00:02:00Z2012-01-26T02:36:06ZPhotos: 46 new species found in little-explored Amazonian nation<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/j/suriname.newspecies.1007556114_FrFSE-L.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>South America's tiniest independent nation still hides a number of big surprises: a three week survey to the sourthern rainforests of Suriname found 46 potentially new species and recorded nearly 1,300 species in all. Undertaken by Conservation International's (CI) Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) the survey found new species of freshwater fish, insects, and a new frog dubbed the "cowboy frog" for the spur on its heel. While Suriname may be small, much of its forest, in the Guyana Shield region of the Amazon, remains intact and pristine. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 91 percent of Suriname is covered in primary forests, however this data has not been updated in over two decades. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/89822012-01-19T19:58:00Z2012-01-19T19:58:41ZBrazil begins preliminary damming of Xingu River as protests continueDamming of the Xingu River has begun in Brazil to make way for the eventual construction of the hugely controversial, Belo Monte dam. The Norte Energia (NESA) consortium has begun building coffer dams across the Xingu, which will dry out parts of the river before permanent damming, reports the NGO International Rivers. Indigenous tribes, who have long opposed the dam plans on their ancestral river, conducted a peaceful protest that interrupted construction for a couple hours. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/89782012-01-19T17:38:00Z2012-02-12T21:17:20ZGeology has split the Amazon into two distinct forests<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay/peru/150/peru_aerial_0495.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>The common view of the Amazon is that it is one massive, unbroken forest. This impression is given by maps which tend to mark the Amazon by a large glob of green or even by its single name which doesn't account for regional changes. Of course, scientists have long recognized different ecosystems in the Amazon, most especially related to climate. But a new study in the Journal of Biogeography has uncovered two distinct forest ecosystems, sharply divided, caused by million of years of geologic forces.Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/89752012-01-19T02:02:00Z2012-01-19T03:26:40ZDeforestation, climate change threaten the ecological resilience of the Amazon rainforest The combination of deforestation, forest degradation, and the effects of climate change are weakening the resilience of the Amazon rainforest ecosystem, potentially leading to loss of carbon storage and changes in rainfall patterns and river discharge, finds a comprehensive review published in the journal <i>Nature</i>.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/89462012-01-11T22:57:00Z2012-01-11T22:57:20ZPeruvian smugglers traffic illegal rainforest timber from Brazil to AmericaAn investigation by Brazil's Federal Police has detailed a significant trade of illegally logged rainforest wood by Peruvian nationals making its way from northern Brazil to the U.S. and Mexico, reports O Globo. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/89322012-01-10T13:58:00Z2012-01-10T17:17:00ZColonization program remains important driver of deforestation in BrazilGovernment-subsidized colonization of the Amazon rainforest remains an important driver of forest loss in Brazil, but has mixed economic value, argues a paper published in <i>Biological Conservation</i>.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/89282012-01-09T22:38:00Z2012-01-10T17:16:11ZAs Amazon deforestation falls, food production risesA sharp drop in deforestation has been accompanied by an increase in food production in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, reports a new study published in the journal <i>Proceedings of the National Academy of Science</i>. The research argues that policy interventions, combined with pressure from environmental groups, have encouraged agricultural expansion in already-deforested areas, rather than driving new forest clearing.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/89132012-01-02T17:39:00Z2012-01-02T17:59:36ZEcuador makes $116 million to not drill for oil in Amazon<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/j/0913yasunifrog.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>A possibly ground-breaking idea has been kept on life support after Ecuador revealed its Yasuni-ITT Initiative had raked in $116 million before the end of the year, breaking the $100 million mark that Ecuador said it needed to keep the program alive. Ecuador is proposing to <i>not</i> drill for an estimated 850 million barrels of oil in the Ishpingo-Tambococha-Tiputinin (ITT) blocs of Yasuni National Park if the international community pledges $3.6 billion to a United Nations Development Fund (UNDF), or about half of what the oil is currently worth. The Yasuni-ITT Initiative would preserve arguably the most biodiverse region on Earth from oil exploitation, safeguard indigenous populations, and keep an estimated 410 million tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere. However, the initiative is not without its detractors, some arguing the program is little more than blackmail; meanwhile proponents say it could prove an effective way to combat climate change, deforestation, and mass extinction.Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/88992011-12-28T18:08:00Z2011-12-28T18:44:01ZThe year in review for rainforests<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://mongabay.s3.amazonaws.com/colombia/150/colombia_3765.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>2011 was designated as "Year of the Forests" by the United Nations. While there was relatively little progress on intergovernmental forest protection programs during the year, a lot happened elsewhere. Below is a look at some of the biggest tropical forest-related news stories for 2011. We at mongabay readily acknowledge there were a number of important temperate and boreal forest developments, including Britain's decision not to privatize its forests and the severe drought in Texas, but this article will cover only tropical forest news.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/88892011-12-22T16:31:00Z2011-12-22T17:42:42ZTop 10 Environmental Stories of 2011<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/j/Sunny_Skies_over_the_Arctic_in_Late_June_2010.NASA.150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Many of 2011's most dramatic stories on environmental issues came from people taking to the streets. With governments and corporations slow to tackle massive environmental problems, people have begun to assert themselves. Victories were seen on four continents: in Bolivia a draconian response to protestors embarrassed the government, causing them to drop plans to build a road through Tipnis, an indigenous Amazonian reserve; in Myanmar, a nation not known for bowing to public demands, large protests pushed the government to cancel a massive Chinese hydroelectric project; in Borneo a three-year struggle to stop the construction of a coal plant on the coast of the Coral Triangle ended in victory for activists; in Britain plans to privatize forests created such a public outcry that the government not only pulled back but also apologized; and in the U.S. civil disobedience and massive marches pressured the Obama Administration to delay a decision on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, which would bring tar sands from Canada to a global market.Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/88202011-12-08T18:30:00Z2011-12-08T19:23:59ZPeru's Cocha Cashu biological station changes managementThe San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy is taking over management of the productive Cocha Cashu field station in Manu National Park, Peru. To date, nearly 600 scientific papers have come out of research conducted at the station, making it among the five most productive research stations in the Amazon and Andes. Located in a part of the Amazon rainforest that has seen little human impact, the station was founded in 1969, four years before Manu National Park was gazetted. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/88132011-12-06T23:59:00Z2011-12-08T03:44:12ZBrazil passes controversial Forest Code reform environmentalists say will be 'a disaster' for the AmazonThe Brazilian Senate tonight passed controversial legislation that will reform the country's 46-year-old Forest Code, which limits how much forest can be cleared on private lands. Environmentalists are calling the move "a disaster" that will reverse Brazil's recent progress in slowing deforestation in the world's largest rainforests.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/88042011-12-05T23:59:00Z2011-12-20T18:44:25ZAmazon rainforest loss in Brazil drops to lowest ever reportedDeforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell to the lowest level on record between August 2010 and July 2011 according to preliminary data from Brazil's National Institute of Space Research (INPE).Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/87842011-12-02T23:17:00Z2011-12-06T03:19:15ZDeforestation and forest degradation slows in Brazil's Amazon since AugustDeforestation and forest degradation are down moderately from August through October 2011 relative to the same period a year ago, reports a satellite-based assessment released today by Imazon. Imazon's near-real time system found that 512 sq km of rainforest were cleared between Aug 2011 and Oct 2011, the first three months of the deforestation calendar year, which runs from August 1 through July 31. The figure represents a 4 percent decline from the 533 sq km cleared in 2010Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/87692011-11-30T18:27:00Z2011-11-30T20:46:50ZBrazil's Forest Code vote delayedThe Brazilian Senate's much-anticipated vote over proposed changes to the country's Forest Code will take place Tuesday December 6, rather than today. The delay will give lawmakers more time to understand pending revisions to the code, which limits the amount of land private landowners can clear and restricts development in ecologically sensitive areas.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/87652011-11-30T05:51:00Z2011-11-30T14:47:59ZCarbon piracy, lack of recognition of indigenous rights undermining REDD in Peru, alleges reportLack of meaningful consultation with indigenous communities over forest carbon projects is causing social conflict and undermining efforts to responsibly reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in Peru under the REDD mechanism, argues a new report released during international climate talks in Durban.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/87662011-11-30T03:35:00Z2011-11-30T03:43:43ZREDD at a crossroads in BoliviaBolivia has a central role in the debate over how to shape the reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) mechanism, argues a new report published by the Democracy Center.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/87402011-11-27T16:39:00Z2011-11-27T16:40:27ZBrazilian mining giant cuts ties with pig-iron producer over deforestationBrazilian mining giant Vale has cut ties with a pig-iron producer linked to illegal deforestation, reports Reuters.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/87392011-11-27T15:49:00Z2011-11-27T16:09:16Z8 Amazon countries pledge more coordination in rainforest conservationEight Amazon countries pledged greater cooperation in efforts to protect the world's largest rainforest from deforestation and illegal mining and logging, reports <i>AFP</i>.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/87302011-11-23T18:28:00Z2011-11-23T18:37:27ZEcotourism isn't bad for wildlife in the AmazonEcotourism doesn't hurt biodiversity, and in some cases may even safeguard vulnerable areas, concludes a new study from the Amazon in Mammalian Biology. Surveying large mammals in an ecotourism area in Manu National Biosphere, the researchers found that ecotourists had no effect on the animals. However, the researchers warn that not all ecotourism is the same, and some types may, in fact, hurt the very animals tourists come to see. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/87292011-11-23T00:35:00Z2011-11-29T07:05:22ZBrazilian dam-builder quits Peru project after indigenous protestA large Brazilian construction company has pulled out of a Peruvian dam project citing opposition from indigenous communities, reports International Rivers.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/86832011-11-14T01:06:00Z2011-11-14T21:26:48ZAmazon rainforest named as one of seven nature wondersThe Amazon rainforest has been named one of the "New 7 Wonders of Nature of the World", according to the Swiss group that organized the competition.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/86522011-11-07T22:48:00Z2011-11-07T23:00:40ZPeruvian authorities raid illegal gold mining operationsPeru's Defense Ministry destroyed at least 75 illegal dredges and seized 15 vehicles from gold miners operating illegally in one of the most biodiverse parts of the Amazon rainforest.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/86102011-10-28T03:11:00Z2011-10-28T03:21:58ZAnother anti-logging activist killed in BrazilAnother opponent of logging in the Brazilian Amazon was gunned down in the state of Pará, reports <i>AFP</i>.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/86082011-10-27T20:48:00Z2011-10-27T21:32:08ZOccupy Belo Monte: indigenous stage "permanent" protest against Amazon dam in BrazilHundreds of people are participating in a protest against the controversial Belo Monte dam in Altamira, Brazil, reports <i>Amazon Watch</i>.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/86072011-10-27T18:02:00Z2011-10-27T18:50:50ZBrazil boycotts OAS meeting after sharp human rights rebuke over giant Amazon damBrazil refused to attend a hearing convened by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) of the Organization of American States (OAS) over the the controversial Belo Monte dam, reports Amazon Watch, a group campaigning against the hydroelectric project.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/86062011-10-27T17:32:00Z2011-10-28T13:49:27ZPeru's real test is a 200km pipeline<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/11/1027ru.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>One of Ollanta Humala's most striking achievements since becoming Peru's president three months ago is new legislation guaranteeing indigenous people the right to be consulted about and in agreement with any project that affects them. Leading indigenous organization AIDESEP, usually so critical of the government, cautiously welcomed the move, while Survival International called it 'a significant step away from the policies of former Peruvian president Alan Garcia, who vetoed a similar bill.'Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/85902011-10-24T23:33:00Z2011-10-26T22:06:21ZBreakthrough technology enables 3D mapping of rainforests, tree by tree<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/11/1024cao150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>High above the Amazon rainforest in Peru, a team of scientists and technicians is conducting an ambitious experiment: a biological survey of a never-before-explored tract of remote and inaccessible cloud forest. They are doing so using an advanced system that enables them to map the three-dimensional physical structure of the forest as well as its chemical and optical properties. The scientists hope to determine not only what species may lie below but also how the ecosystem is responding to last year's drought—the worst ever recorded in the Amazon—as well as help Peru develop a better mechanism for monitoring deforestation and degradation. Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/85862011-10-23T18:06:00Z2011-10-23T18:31:50ZBolivian road project through Amazon reserve canceledFollowing a violent crackdown on protestors which deeply embarrassed the Bolivian government, president Evo Morales has thrown-out plans to build a road through an indigenous reserve, reports the BBC. Protestors marched 310 miles (498 kilometers) from the Amazon to La Paz to show their opposition to the road, saying that the project would destroy vast areas of biodiverse rainforest and open up their land to illegal settlers.Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/85712011-10-19T17:58:00Z2011-10-20T19:08:38ZWorld's largest beef company breaks commitment on avoiding Amazon deforestationIn a campaign launched in Italy on Wednesday, Greenpeace accused Brazilian beef giant JBS-Friboi of breaking its commitment to exclude cattle connected with illegal deforestation and slave labor from its supply chain.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/85702011-10-19T17:57:00Z2011-10-19T18:16:38ZIsolated indigenous people and tourists collide in Peru parkNew video released by the Peruvian government shows a potentially disastrous encounter between tourists and indigenous people long isolated from the outside world. In a motor boat tourists follow a group of Mashco-Piro people walking along the shores of the Manu River in Manu National Park. At one point one of the tribal members prepares to fire at the boat with an arrow. But danger doesn't only come from the possibility of a violent clash: uncontacted indigenous people, those who have chosen isolation from the world, are incredibly susceptible to disease.Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/85612011-10-19T01:45:00Z2011-10-19T01:47:15ZBelo Monte dam license 'illegal' rules Brazilian federal judgeThe environmental license for the controversial Belo Monte dam violates the constitutional rights of indigenous communities and is therefore illegal, ruled a federal judge in Brazil on Monday.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/85602011-10-19T01:12:00Z2011-10-19T01:22:19ZBrazil plans $120 billion in infrastructure investments in the Amazon by 2020Brazil's push to expand infrastructure in the Amazon region will require at least 212 Brazilian reals ($120 billion) in public and private sector investment by 2020, reports <i>Folha de Sao Paulo</i>.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/85502011-10-14T00:59:00Z2011-10-14T02:27:04ZSoy moratorium in Amazon maintaining its effectivenessThe moratorium on clearing Amazon rainforest for soy farms in Brazil appears to be maintaining its effectiveness for a fifth straight year, reports the Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries (ABIOVE).Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/85382011-10-11T12:54:00Z2011-10-11T13:50:20ZHigh gold price triggers rainforest devastation in Peru<table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay/peru/150/peru_aerial_0165.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>As the price of gold inches upward on international markets, a dead zone is spreading across the southern Peruvian rain forest. Tourists flying to Manu or Tambopata, the crown jewels of the country’s Amazonian parks, get a jarring view of a muddy, cratered moonscape ... and then another ... and another in what the country boasts is its capital of biodiversity. While alluvial gold mining in the Amazon is probably older than the Incas, miners using motorized suction equipment, huge floating dredges and backhoes are plowing through the landscape on an unprecedented scale, leaving treeless scars visible from outer space. Sources close to the Peruvian Environment Ministry say the government is considering declaring an environmental emergency in the region, but emergency measures passed two years ago were not enough to contain the destruction, and some observers doubt that a new decree would have any more impact.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/85252011-10-09T16:27:00Z2011-10-09T16:38:15ZBrazil: Amazon deforestation higher than initially statedBrazil revised upward its estimate of how much Amazon rainforest was destroyed last year, reports the Associated Press.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/85242011-10-09T14:34:00Z2011-10-09T16:37:23Z2010 Amazon drought released more carbon than India's annual emissionsThe 2010 drought that affected much of the Amazon rainforest triggered the release of nearly 500 million tons of carbon (1.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide) into the atmosphere, or more than the total emissions from deforestation in the region over the period, estimates a new study published in the journal <i>Environmental Research Letters</i>.Rhett Butlertag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/84832011-09-29T18:51:00Z2011-09-29T19:35:03ZJudge: work must halt on monster dam, Belo MonteThe decades-long fight over Brazilian megadam, the Belo Monte, has taken another U-turn after a judge ordered work to stop immediately since the dam would devastate vital fishing grounds for local people. In June the Brazilian government gave a go-ahead to the $11-17 billion dam, despite large-scale opposition from indigenous groups along the Xingu River and international outcry, including a petition signed by 600,000 people. Jeremy Hancetag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/84392011-09-26T20:21:00Z2011-09-26T20:21:25ZRepeated burning undercuts Amazon rainforest recovery The Amazon rainforest can recover fromlogging, but has a far more difficult time returning after repeated burning, reports a new study in mongabay.com's open-access journal Tropical Conservation Science. In areas where the Amazon had been turned to pasture and was subject to repeated burning, Visima trees become the dominant tree inhibiting the return of a biodiverse forest. The key to the sudden domination of Visima trees, according to the study, is that these species re-sprout readily following fires; a capacity most other Amazonian trees lack.Jeremy Hance