Amazon study reveals the best strategies for protecting biodiversity and carbon
New research in the Amazon suggests that protecting existing forests from disturbances like fires and logging can be more effective and cost-efficient for safeguarding biodiversity and carbon than solely focusing on stopping deforestation or restoring cleared land. The study systematically compared various conservation strategies across millions of hectares in the Brazilian Amazon.
Why it matters
This study provides critical insights for conservation policy, advocating for increased focus and resources on preventing degradation within standing forests, especially as climate change-induced events like El Niño intensify threats to tropical ecosystems.
As the 2026 El Ni o strengthens across the Amazon, new research is drawing attention to a conservation priority that often receives less emphasis: protecting forests that are still standing from damage caused by fires and logging.
Efforts to stop deforestation and restore cleared land are central to many conservation programs. But a new study published in Science suggests that preventing disturbances within existing forests, including selective logging and wildfires, can sometimes deliver the greatest benefits for the money spent.
An international research team from the UK, Brazil, Sweden and Australia, led by scientists at Lancaster University, carried out what the researchers describe as the first systematic comparison of its kind. The team evaluated different strategies for protecting existing forests and restoring forests on agricultural land.
Comparing Conservation Strategies Across the Amazon
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in