Source: Cool Earth
A new report has suggested that far from helping the rainforest, depopulation could actually be leaving tropical forests open to more exploitation.
According to a study published in Conservation Letters and cited on Monga Bay, falls in the population levels in parts of the rainforest have not led to a reduction in the harvesting of natural forest resources and deforestation.Luke Parry, from Lancaster University, took part in the survey and noted that when rainforest communities are left by indigenous people, more commercial populations often move in.
Rainforest land which has been abandoned is often taken over by those looking to make gains on the rising value of tropical forest pastures.
"When people leave the villages they leave behind a vacuum. When the land isn't occupied the forest is exposed to the threat of large scale deforestation," he explained.
The Amazon is constantly under threat from large levels of deforestation linked to industry, with many big players in the global food industry choosing the area to raise cattle.