Assignment task:
The deforestation of the Amazon rainforest has been occurring for decades at this point. There are many reasons for deforestation, but a primary driver is a desire for more pasture land for raising cattle. Read more about the deforestation here: Brazil's forests By Rhett A. Butler
Unfortunately, deforestation can have a dramatic impact on plant and animal biodiversity. As the forest is fragmented into smaller sections by deforestation and also by building roads, plant and animal populations get cut off from each other, reducing gene flow.
Read this article on the effect of habitat fragmentation
Article: As habitat degradation threatens Amazon species, one region offers hope by Taran Volckhausen
Watch this video from an elected official in Brazil talking about the human needs that drive deforestation.
YouTube Video: Root Cause of Deforestation - and How to Stop It? Go to the Amazon!
Read this page from National Geographic, which lists the different stakeholders and their competing needs and interests.
Case Study: The Amazonian Road Decision
Make a discussion post about how decisions regarding the Amazonian forest should be made. Who should get to make decisions about whether particular land is conserved or cleared? How can biodiversity be protected while meeting the needs of humans living in the area? With so many stakeholders, how can the rights of each group be respected, if they sometimes are in conflict?