Amazon Rainforest under risk of desertification

Question

Explain why Amazon Rainforest is under the risk of desertification, despite having the great biodiversity?

Answer 1

The natural soil of Amazon Rainforest is not so fertile however it is enriched by the vegetal covering made up of the leaves and branches which fall from the trees. Deforestation decreases this enrichment. In the deforestation zones, the rain falls directly over the ground resulting the erosion, ‘washing’ large areas (leaching) and contributing to form the soil even less fertile. Besides that, the deforestation does not allow the recycling of necessary nutrients for the plants, such as nitrogen. In this way, those regions and their neighboring regions undergo the process of the desertification.

Image Diversity: Amazon Rainforest