After 40 years of government induced settlement of the Brazilian Amazon, the core of this region has experienced surprisingly little deforestation. The agriculture and ranching that cause deforestation depend upon reliable roads, which are concentrated along the eastern and southern flanks of Amazonia. This ‘passive protection’ of central Amazonia may soon be lost, however, unless the proposed paving of roads through the core of the region is reassessed.
Effects of experimental fires on litter decomposition in a seasonally dry Amazonian forest
Effects of experimental fires on litter decomposition in a seasonally dry Amazonian forest
Litter decomposition is a fundamental process for nutrient cycling but we have a limited understanding of this process in disturbed tropical forests. We studied litter decomposition over a 10-mo period in a seasonally dry Amazon forest in Mato Grosso, Brazil. The...