By Charlotte Beckett –
Deforestation has been a growing issue in the Amazon rainforest for decades, but in the past year levels of deforestation soared to an unprecedented level not seen in 15 years [1]. Deforestation is recognised worldwide as a method that is destroying the biodiversity of our Earth – a vital component of our ecosystems – but with pledges by over 140 countries to reverse deforestation by 2030 [2], will it be too late?
Figure 1: Glass-winged butterfly, Greta Oto, native to South America. Image: David Tiller, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Spaniol et al., (2020) discusses the global issue of deforestation and the detrimental impact which this is having on the biodiversity of butterflies within the Amazon [3]. This research focussed upon human disturbances to the Amazon, namely habitat loss and fragmentation – the process of forests becoming less structurally intact and sparse due to deforestation [3, 4]. To measure the extent of biodiversity loss, 60 different species were sampled over three different areas owned by the National Amazon Research Institute. [3]
Key findings showed that areas of forest that displayed higher levels of fragmentation caused the brightness and range of wing colour of butterflies to be lower than areas of well-developed forest – see Figure 1. This illustrated that more colourful butterflies were the first to be selected against – showing they are less likely to survive as the species evolves and nature’s colours are fading. Their research also showed that butterflies in fragmented areas displayed more defensive mechanisms – indicating a higher threat from predators and human disturbance [3]. The depletion of biodiversity should be of grave global concern, as butterfly biodiversity is a great indicator of measuring a healthy ecosystem as they respond sensitively to a change in climate [5].
Measures to end deforestation are essential, as over 1 million species are under threat from becoming extinct [6]. However, it seems that simply just stopping deforestation may not be enough, as other human disturbances such as wildfires and selective logging could also cause biodiversity loss to accelerate [7]. Due to fragmentation, currently, less than 50% of the world’s forests are intact [8], meaning that the world’s biosphere could reach a detrimental breaking point if it were to continue. Loss in biodiversity of just one species could cause a spiral of decline globally, especially butterflies as they provide pollination [5] which is essential for the agricultural sector [9].
Furthermore, biodiversity influences you more than you realise and may be responsible for your happiness levels, as research shows that a diverse range of plants can assist to decrease stress levels. Also in light of current global events, biodiversity loss could see the increase in future pandemics as it increases the chance of humans coming into contact with infectious animals [9], suggesting that biodiversity is crucial for the future of our Earth.
To conclude, if action isn’t taken, research shows that the colours of nature will be lost to deforestation [3]. Therefore, I believe that biodiversity conservation should be a global priority, otherwise the failure of important ecosystems will occur in the near future.
References and further reading
[1] The Guardian (2021) Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon at highest level since 2006. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/18/deforestation-in-brazils-amazon-rises-by-more-than-a-fifth-in-a-year [04/12/21]
[2] Anon (2021) Glasgow leaders’ declaration on forests and land use. https://ukcop26.org/glasgow-leaders-declaration-on-forests-and-land-use/ [04/12/21]
[3] Spaniol, R.L., Mendonça, M.d.S., Hartz, S.M., Iserhard, C.A. and Stevens, M. (2020) Discolouring the Amazon rainforest: how deforestation is affecting butterfly coloration. Biodiversity and Conservation 29, 2821-2838.
[4] Peacock, J. (2017) Ecosystem processes. In: Holden, J. (ed.) An Introduction to Physical Geography and the Environment, 4th ed, Pearson Education Limited, pp.277-297.
[5] Ghazanfar, M., Malik, M.F., Hussain, M., Iqbal, R. and Younas, M. (2016) Butterflies and their contribution in ecosystem: a review. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 4, 115-118.
[6] United Nations (2019) UN report: Nature’s Dangerous Decline ‘Unprecedented’; Species Extinction Rates ‘Accelerating’. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2019/05/nature-decline-unprecedented-report/[04/12/21]
[7] Barlow, J., Lennox, G.D., Ferreira, J., Berenguer, E., Lees, A.C., Nally, R.M., Thomson, J.R., de Barros Ferraz, S.F., Louzada, J., Oliveira, V.H.F., Parry, L., de Castro Solar, R.R., Vieria, I.C.G., Aragão L.E.O.C., Begotti, R.A., Braga, R.F., Cardoso, T.M., de Oliveira Jr, R.C., Souza Jr, C.M., Moura, N.G., Nunes, S.S., Siqueira, J.V., Pardini, R., Silveira, J.M., Vaz-de-Mello, F.Z., Veiga, R.C.S., Venturieri, A. and Gardner, T.A. (2016) Anthropogenic disturbance in tropical forests can double biodiversity loss from deforestation. Nature 535, 144-147.
[8] FAO and UNEP (2020) The State of the World’s Forests 2020. Forests, biodiversity and people. [pdf] Rome: FAO and UNEP. https://doi.org/10.4060/ca8642en [04/12/21]
[9] Marselle, M. (2021) Biodiversity: how our health and happiness depend on a thriving planet. https://theconversation.com/biodiversity-how-our-health-and-happiness-depend-on-a-thriving-planet-157261[04/12/21]
