BRAZILIAN society receives yearly an estimate of the Amazonian rainforest loss by means of a deforestation rate announced by Inpe, which in 2004 was of approximatly 26,130 km². What we do not know is how much of the natural resources is lost in each square kilometer of forest destruction. In this work, we present concrete numbers of forest loss, based on recent studies of plant densities and some animal species in the Amazon region. Our findings support the idea that it is not necessary to extend further deforestation in the region and, therefore, that deforestation licenses should be forbidden. Moreover, we propose that regional science and technology system must be gradually descentralized and enhanced through the integration and development of research programs focused in drawing and testing models of sustainable territories for the different social segments of the region.
Amazon region; biodiversity; sustainable territory; deforestation