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1 1 (September 9, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govbaze0001 and id is 1 raw text is: ~~~I lnfrri the eiI livedb% sincr11 September 9, 2019 Fire and Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon Media coverage of fires in the Brazilian Amazon forest is widespread. According to stakeholders, this media coverage is largely due to an increase in fire events and deforestation rates in the region this year compared to the past years, as well as statements made by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro indicating his intent to pursue development in the region. Figure I. Map of the Legal Brazilian Amazon inta foret Brazilian 4,f d~Zl A imzon < Defoete afre in 2019 nao Source: Compiled from satellite data provided by the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE) by CRS, September 2019. Notes: Dots are locations of hotspots and do not indicate size of fires. The Legal Brazilian Amazon is a defined area under Brazilian law that comprises nine states that contain the Amazon forest. The Amazon forest (Amazon) extends through several countries in South America, including Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia, with approximately 62% of the Amazon located in Brazil (Figure 1). The Amazon is estimated to contain one-half of all global terrestrial carbon in tropical forests and consists of approximately 40% of all remaining tropical rainforests, according to scientific studies. The fate of the Amazon is a concern for many because of the biodiversity it hosts, its role in the global carbon cycle, and its effect on regional climate. Some scientists claim that 20%-25% deforestation in the Amazon can cause it to shift to a non- forest ecosystem, exacerbating the concerns above. Fire in the Amazon Humans intentionally set the majority of fires in the Amazon, largely for agricultural purposes. Most of the fires in the Brazilian Amazon are set every year from approximately July to October to burn recently cleared trees and woody debris, crop residue, overgrown pastures, and roadside vegetation. This is done to prepare land for pastures and crops and is typically referred to as slash and burn agriculture. Burning plant and woody debris transfers nutrients to poor tropical soils and facilitates land clearing. These intentionally set fires can spread beyond their intended perimeters into virgin forests and neighboring fields. Fires in pristine forests are largely low-lying, and they mainly affect the cambium layer of the bark of larger trees and consumes understory saplings and seedlings. These types of fires can cause tree damage or mortality in rainforest ecosystems. Excess tree mortality creates gaps in the forest, which can alter the ecosystem and increase the susceptibility of forests to more severe future fires. The extent and spread of fires in the Amazon can also be exacerbated by droughts or long-term reductions in precipitation and moisture. For example, an El Nifio event (i.e., typically less precipitation) can increase the susceptibility, severity, and extent of some fires. Many observers are concerned about fires in the Brazilian Amazon this year because the number of fire hotspots- burning activity detected by satellite-in the Brazilian Amazon are higher than they were at this time in the last several years (Figure 2.) The number of hotspots in the Legal Brazilian Amazon in 2019 through September 6 is approximately 60% more than in 2018, according to satellite data. However, over the past 20 years (1999-2018), the number of hotspots in the Brazilian Amazon observed through September 6 are approximately equal to the average of 66,847 hotspots during the same period and approximately half of the peak number of hotspots in that period in 2005. August is early in the burning season, the number of fires has historically risen through September and October in the Brazilian Amazon. Figure 2. Fire Hotspots in the Legal Brazilian Amazon Annually Through September 6 of Each Year 219 mm 9565 mmmm 61914 2015 smn50260 99 m 4 O 400N '0 00; 1C 0D 4 0 Source: Data from INPE, September 2019. Fire hotspots in the Amazon are calculated from satellite data, which cannot determine the size of individual fires; detect fires under the tree canopy; or distinguish if burning https://crsreports.congress.go

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