There are fires in the Amazon rainforest again, after last years forest fires.
Last years Amazon rainforest fires began to be reported last year at the end of August. By the 29th of August 2019, there was 80,000 different Amazon rainforest fires. This resulted in worldwide attention being drawn to the Amazon rainforest, with the hashtag #PrayForAmazonia being used across social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram to draw attention to the fires.
Even though reports only started to surface about the Amazon rainforest fires in the Summer of last year, the fires had been burning well before that. The fires started in January 2019, and lasted throughout most of the year; the Amazon rainforest fires only ended in October 2019.
Therefore, the 2019 Amazon rainforest fires lasted for 10 months.
The Amazon Rainforest Fires 2020
The photo above is a screenshot of fires in South America between the 4th of January 2020 to the 31st of January 2020. Therefore, fires have been burning from the start of this year too.
The Amazon rainforest is in South America.
There is a map of where the Amazon rainforest is located on the map of South America below. As you can see from comparing both maps, many of the fires look like they occurred deep into the heart of the Amazon rainforest during January 2020.
Information from the NASA Fire Map shows that there have been fires within the Amazon rainforest have been happening all this year (2020) again.
From the picture below, you can see the fires have been happening in the Amazon rainforest throughout July in the picture below, which shows the fires that have been raging in the Amazon rainforest from the 28th of June to the 25th of July (the present date).
Greenpeace itself wrote a piece showing pictures of the fires that have been happening within the Amazon rainforest throughout July 2020.
It's not just NASA's Fire Maps which show that the Amazon rainforest fires have continued; Greenpeace also has evidence from the photos and information they share that fires within the Amazon rainforest are continuing and have continued since the fires last year.
Greenpeace and other sources also say that the fires could end up being worse this year in the Amazon rainforest, than last year. We may still be to see the worst of this year's fires, as Mongabay reports that August to September may be the months we see the worst of the fires.
The Fires Of June 2020
The fires within the Amazon rainforest in 2020 have already been devastating. It was reported earlier this month that fires within the area had ''sharply increased'' throughout June.
Amazon rainforest fires were so bad last month, that they hadn't been that devastating in June for over a decade. That's because in June 2020 there was a 13-year high for forest fires this June.
What also happened last month was that forest fires increased by 20% within the Amazon.
Why The Forest Fires In The Amazon Are Important
The fires within the Amazon rainforest are important for many different reasons.
One of the main reasons that the Amazon rainforest is important is because it is rich in biodiversity.
The Amazon rainforest is home to many unique animal and plant species. The Amazon rainforest is so rich in biodiversity, that it is home to one-in-ten species in the world.
It is also home to 40,000 different species of plants.
It's not just home to beautiful wild animals, but also gorgeous scenery, as the Amazon rainforest is absolutely beautiful, which is thanks to the beautiful waterfalls and trees found there.
Which leads us to another reason for the importance of the forest.
Another reason that the Amazon rainforest is important, is because it is an important carbon sink. As a carbon sink, it absorbs carbon dioxide: this is important because carbon dioxide is the cause of climate change. The Amazon rainforest has 1.4 billion acres of dense forest, therefore, it is a very important ecosystem to help tackle climate change.
The Threat To The Amazon Rainforest
The biggest threat to the Amazon rainforest is human destruction of the forest.
Human destruction of this forest can come in several ways, such as logging and forest fires started deliberately to clear the land. Forest fires started to clear the Amazon rainforest is known as slash and burn. Most of the fires within the Amazon rainforest were caused by the slash and burn technique. Therefore, because of this, most fires last year were deliberate and manmade.
What About The Rest Of 2020?
It remains to be seen whether or not the forest fires are, or have been worse than last year. There are some indications that the fires have been worse than last year; through the information, we have from June this year. But, August and Setempber are predicted to be worse.
Hopefully, they won't be.
But, as of today, the 25th of July 2020, fires in the Amazon are still burning.
Comments