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Articles on Tropical deforestation

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There are more than 3,600 territories in Brazil that are home to Quilombola, descendants of escaped slaves, but few hold titles to the land. (Elielson Pereira da Silva)

Indigenous and Afro-Brazilian lands are under greater threat in Brazil during COVID-19

Jair Bolsonaro’s government has put forward laws that could put Indigenous land into the hands of mining, agricultural and timber businesses.
An Amazon forest in Brazil’s Para state after deforestation and wildfires March 9, 2019. Unlike in some tropical forests, the animals of the Amazon are not adapted to survive fire. Gustavo Basso/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Dung beetles help rainforests regrow – but extreme drought and wildfires in the Amazon are killing them off

A new study finds 70% of Amazonian dung beetles were killed by the severe fire and droughts of 2015 to 2016. By spreading seeds and poop, dung beetles fertilize forests and aid regrowth of vegetation.
Collecting firewood on the Waiapi indigenous reserve in Amapa state, Brazil, Oct. 13, 2017. A new bill could open Brazil’s Native lands to development. APU GOMES/AFP via Getty Images

Indigenous people may be the Amazon’s last hope

Native Brazilians are among the Amazon’s most effective defenders against logging and mining, because they’re fighting not just for the environment but for their people’s very survival.

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