Threats to the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest
Camila Mujica Thesis Dossier
Fall 2022 Thesis Research
ons
A though t s the argest reg on of Peru the Pe uv an Amazon s the east populated t s home to approx ma e y 5% o the country s popu at on Low ung e Largest region n Peru and has he ghts ang ng from 260 o 1 300 ft (80 to 400 m) ts c mate s warm has a h gh hum d ty and exper ences ex ens ve a nfal s The Amazon R ver f ows through ow and ung e through Putumayo Ucaya Ma añón Yavar Napo T gre and Pas aza n Peru
We must start a conversat on on how o enable ci ies to br ng rea benefi s to the r popu a ons wi h much ess fo es mpac -Thomas Love oy
eads o
cove s near y 60% of Peru s andscape
dr v ng spec es out of thei habi at and eaving count ess peop e w th no efuge
Peru s domest c market absorbs most of the mbe ; wha s exported goes ma n y to Ch na
mbe extract on s done wi hout permi on
t s est mated that ough y 20% of the Amazon a nfo est has d sappea ed dur ng he past 50 years
o the wor d s largest and most ex ens ve network o waterways wh ch s fed by the r vers of Ucayal and Marañon Amazon r ver
one of the mos b od ve s ty reg ons on the p anet
How does the ecosystem change when a part s ex inct?
the d scovery o Fer de Lance venom (a trop ca viper ound n he Amazon) he p hundreds of m ons of peop e contro hype ens on a ound the wor d I s very mportan to unders and that every t me a spec es d sappears an mbalance s gene ated n i s ecosys em, caus ng the death of other an mals or the ove popu at on of another spec es wh ch causes the space where these be ngs nte act to suffe great changes that can even affect us as humans
F ora and Fauna
Abou 70% o p ants found to have ant cancer propert es are found on y n the ra nfores
An estima ed 90% of Amazon ra n orest p an s used by Amazon nat ves have no been stud ed by modern sc ence
Amph b ans: 262 B rds 806 Mamma s: 293 F ower ng P ants: 7 372 • Ferns: 700 F sh 697 Rept es 180
Amazon b od vers ty p ays a cr t ca ro e as part of g obal sys ems nf uenc ng he globa carbon cyc e and hus c mate change serv ng as an mportant ancho for South Amer can c mate and ra nfa l
Indigenous peop e have a very mportant o e to play They have extraord na y know edge of oca an ma s and p ants and have been remarkab y success u over m enn a n developing d f eren ways of benef t ng from the forest
The spec es that make up an ecosystem are connec ed n comp ex ood webs of ea er and eaten f there s no pro ect on of nd genous ter itor es and r gh s here w a so be no so u ion o he c imate cr s s, because we are pa o hat so u ion
When one spec es d sappea s ts predators can no onger eat t and ts prey are no onger ea en by i
3 940 un que and threatened spec es home to hundreds of nd genous communi es v ta n the globa ight aga ns clima e change as one of our p anet s most mportant carbon s ores conta n ng ove 48 2 bi on metr c tons of carbon transi ion zone between he Andes moun a ns and the ra nforest ow ands r ch n m croc imates and ecology De orestat on h b h d i ? • big businesses such as pa m o compan es; entrepreneu ia cr m nal ne works wh ch prof t from the trade n t mber land or drugs cheap labor poor y pa d worke s who cut down rees and p ant coca c ops he second- a ges ra nfores of the Amazon after the Braz ian Monitor ng of the Andean Amazon Pro ec (MAAP repor s that deforestat on n the Peruvian Amazon has h t s x h stor ca h ghs n the past ten years The wo st year eve was 2020 when Peru lost around 170 000 hec ares o Amazon a nfo est Peruvian Amazon Gove nment The po i ca cr s s has d st acted us a ot from env ronmenta prob ems sa d ormer m n ster of Envi onment Manue Pu gar-V da The current government a so promotes act v t es ke ega m n ng and lega ogg ng High ungle: Located n the easte n ooth s of the Andes w th a t tudes rang ng rom 1 300 o 3 280 ft (400 to 1000 m) The c mate s cooler More so a ed f om the rest of the Amazon region the habi at hos s an abundance of un que an mal spec es Peru s Ra nforest Region Consists of 5 Departments: Lore o the cap ta qu tos Amazonas: Chachapoyas San Ma n: Moyobamba Ucaya Puca pa • Mad e de D os Puerto Maldonado 2 jung e eg
threats Most of the go d exportat on goes to Sw tzer and the Un ted Sta es nd a and Canada A ound 28 percent of Peru s go d product on is i egal • The depth of the Amazon R ve var es f om 30 to 100 ft (10 to 30 m) The w dth of the Amazon R ver var es between 1 and 10 m (1 8 and 16km) The Amazon R ver f ows a ength of app ox mately 4 040 m (6 500 km) of wh ch 443 m (713 km un through Peru Weathe It s one
• The ung e s cha acter zed by a trop ca c mate w th an average annua tempe atu e between 72 F and 79 F (22 C and 26 C) wh ch makes t the we test eg on of Peru • The h gh jung e has a tropica c ima e w th an average temperatu e of 88 F (31 C) and few emperature var at ons th oughou
ag icu tural deve opment S ash-and-burn • ack of government ab l y to f ght env ronmenta c me rais ng herds of anima s ega m n g • coca planta ions road expans on commercia hunt ng More than 20% of Earth s oxygen s produced n his area thus he name Lungs of the P anet
the year mak ng t the hottes • The ow jung e has a warm and hum d w th ra n a no more than 3 000 mm
Literature Map
c v soc ety he med a and the pub c at arge ht p / t h g/ /2022 0603mmersed n Cr sis Peru Neg ects Amazon s Destruct on | Amazon Watch Peru has descended into one of the wo s po t ca cr ses n s h story and p o ect on of ts Amazon ra n ores s fa ng accord ng to a eport pub shed Thursday Peru s home o the second- a ges port on of the Amazon ra nforest after Braz The country had p edged to stop de o estat on by 2021
ht ps: /www peru-exp o er com ra nfores /threa
Threats to the Rainforest Nowadays the hrea s o the a nfo est are ncrease a ong the yea s an desp te that there have been c eated severa o gan zat ons hat f ght aga nst them at he same me we cont nue damag ng w hout s opp ng We mus know n o de o take mo e n cons de a on and th nk ng twice before o p ovoke some damage that the ra nfores s
Can we coexist with ecosystems in the Peruvian Amazon that are in trouble without endangering them further?
Why s t mportan ? h tps / www wor dbank org/en/news/ eatu e 20
? The Amazon s fores and vers host an ext aord nary var e y o spec es some endemic others endangered and many o wh ch are s l unknown
biod versity n the Trop ca Andes s cri ical to anyone and everyone who re es on ts biod versity for a food sou ce which s actua y much of the wor d
s Amazon ra nforest is threatened by an ecosystem of env ronment crime (commentary)
he Sca et Macaw to he g ass frog Pe u s a and o trop ca splendors A east ha f the country s b anketed by Amazon ra nfores t s one of the mos b od ve se count es n the wor d and home o an est mated 10 pe cent o the p anet s f o a spec es
Every spec es n th s ncred b y biod verse system represents so ut ons to a set of bio og ca chal enges wh ch most of them cou d generate g obal human benef ts ike medicine
ht ps //www p Ra nforest Fact Peru Explorer The Amazon is o te he Wo d and n P nea y 2 3rds o h he eas popu a ed of f o a and fauna d know edge o Peru acts h tps / www nathab com/know-be o e-you-go/ Peruv an Amazon W ld ife Gu de The e a e very ew p aces ha of e a be te opportun ty o observe w d an ma s in the r natu a hab a han the a n orests of the Amazon Bas n 10 percent of the wor d s spec es are ound here
The trees n the Amazon a one generate an est mated 20% o the wor d s oxygen Therefore as CO2 em ss ons ncrease th s ain orest becomes ncreas ng y mpor ant or ba anc ng our atmosphere
ht ps //www c Ma n Detai s
ht ps: /one r beg oba com/c mate-act on-new
Why Sav ng the Peruv an Amazon Ra nforest is mportant
We are go ng o d scuss he mportance o sav ng the peruv an amazon ra nfo est espec a y fo the nd genous communt es and w d fe that depend on t
ht p / d sco e -pe o g pe -ecosyste Sav ng Peru s Ecosystems and B od vers ty | D scover Peru t s mportan o he wor d and for the en oymen o u ure generat ons o preserve Peru s ecosystems and b od vers ty Peru has a w de range of ecosys ems because of ts great va at on n e evat on or he gh above sea
but is home to on y 5 percent of i s popu at on border w th 8 countr es covers near y 60% of Peru s landscape The health of the Amazon and the hea th of the p anet are rela ed t he ps stab l ze the oca and g oba c ma e Peruv an Amazon what are problems the threat ng t? eg ons Loreto the capi al: Iqu tos Amazonas Chachapoyas San Mart n Moyobamba Ucaya Puca pa Madre de D os Puerto Ma donado ht ps: /www at mes com/wo ld-na on/sto y 20 Immersed n po tical cr sis Peru neg ects Amazon s destruct on report says Pe u has descended nto one o the wors po t ca c ses n s h story and p otec on of ts Amazon ra nfores s fa ng accord ng to a eport pub shed Thursday Pe u s home o the second- a gest port on of the Amazon a nfo est after Braz The country had pledged to stop de oresta on by 2021 ht ps: /www amazonconse vat on org the-cha Deforestat on in the Amazon | Amazon Conservation Associat on To understand and The u t mate goa of MAAP s to d st bu e mpo tant techn ca nformat on n a t me y manner and n an easy o unders and o mat Our n ended aud ence s po cy makers
one of the most mportant ecosys ems n the wo d The Peruv an gove nment cont nues to pr or t ze econom c deve opment over the protection of the Amazon ra nforest Agricu tura development Logg ng l ega M ning Coca p antat ons Road construct on l ega hunt ng/poaching Lack of government Suff ciency Effects of Deforestat on h tps //amazona d org resources/about- he-am Effects of Deforestation on the AmazonAmazon A d Foundation D s upt o of L e hoods o A a o a Peop esDe o estat on of fores s d rec y a fec s and educes the fores na ura esources and ecosys em serv ces Cut ng down a n o ests can damage hab tat d m n sh eve s o biod vers ty and ood sources deg ade he so po u e r ve s and ands and cause areas to d y out a fect ng the overal p oduc v ty for the peop es and an ma s ha l ve he e h tps / www wor dw ld fe org p aces/amazon# Amazon | Places | WWF Each yea the Amazon oses thousands of square m es of forested a ea Ag cu tu a expans on h g f t p t gy exp orat on and ega ogg ng are o b ame We add ess he o ow ng Soy farm ng: WWF works w th he Soy Round able-made up of soy p oduce s p ocesso s a d e po e s-to p o e the susta nab ty of the pa t c pants pract ces and m n m ze the mpact on he Amazon and ts w d fe Literature Map h
Peru
tps / news mongabay com/2022 07/perus-am
From
Why the Amazon s B od vers ty is Crit cal for the G obe: An Interv ew w th Thomas Love oy The Amazon s one o he ew ema n ng w derness areas and s home to poss b y one-fourth of the o d s te est a spec es Why s th s b od e s y so mportan
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Biod versi y e u-exp ore com/ra n orest fac s s and Peruvian Amazonn re e red o as the Lungs of e u th s trop ca reg on covers e count y yet t rema ns one o and p otec s an nsane amoun vers ty Amp up you s Amazon w th these a nfo est bd nt/count es/p o le/?country The ma n threats to Peru s ecosystems are and use change c ma e change deforestat on and extract ve act v t es The ma n threats to ts cont nenta water ecosystems re ate to po ut on degradat on damm ng and overf sh ng https /ra n ores foundat on o g/engage/10-th n 10 Th ngs You Can Do - Rainforest Foundat on US Ra nforest Foundat on US s ack ng he wor d s b ggest cha enges de ores a on the c mate c s s and human r ghts v o at ons Your dona on t p t at g a susta nab e and us u ure Hove over the amounts o see wha your dona on can ach eve A key st ategy to preserving th s ra nfores reg on is to reserve areas for natura parks o natural rese ves However, in Manu Nat ona Park, even these reserved parks are not always 100% protected therefore better enforcement of hese protect ons s a so necessary for them to be effec ive at a ht ps //www amazonconse vat on org/what-we Wi d fe n the Amazon Forest | Amazon Conservation Assoc at on We dep oy came a t aps a throughout he weste n Amazon at our resea ch stat ons and at mu p e conse vat on areas we he p manage We have d p y d 100 a a t ap a d gath d 10 000 photos and v deos of mo e than 40 spec es of mamma s and b ds https //ra nfores s mongabay com/1001 htm How to Save Tropical Rainforests Sav ng What Rema ns Ju y 22 2012 Today trop ca rainfores s a e d sappear ng rom he ace o he g obe Despi e g ow ng n erna iona conce n rainfores s con nue o be destroyed a a pace exceed ng 80 000 acres 32 000 hectares pe day What s Coexistence? the s ate o v ng or ex st ng at the same time or n the same place liv ng harmon ous y wi h w ld fe We are l v ng in the Anthropocene the modern era character zed by human-dom nance humans and w dl fe co-adapt o v ng n shared andscapes bu wha can we do? Mutual sm wo organ sms work w th each other and benef t by th s cooperat on P ants and anima s often work ogether to help each other out examp e Why s mutua sm an mportant part o nature? or cruc a to the reproduct on and surv va of many p ants and an ma s and to nutr ent cyc es n ecosystems Capuch n monkeys ove to eat the f owers from certa n trees When they eat po en st cks to them As the monkey trave s the po en is ca ried and dropped a ow ng for new f owers to grow spec es can benefi from a re at onsh p nstead of hurt ng the other wo spec es ve together n ha mony Both spec es rece ve an advantage by working with the other better al ance between humans and wi d nature s needed n order to ma nta n a susta nab e ba ance of fe Our econom c sys em based on un im ted growth s unsusta nable ht ps: /www cbc ca news/sc ence/amazon-spe Over 10 000 Amazon ra nforest species risk extinction andmark report warns | CBC News Mo e tha 10 000 spec es of p a ts a d a a s a e at h gh sk of ext nc on due to he des ruct on o Brazi s Amazon ra nforest 35 per cent o wh ch has a ready been de orested or degraded according to he d a t of a andmark sc ent f c repo t pub shed Wednesday
Terms + Definitions:
• Amazon: rainforest that regulates a huge par t of the world's O2 and CO2 located in south america
• Deforestation: the action of chopping big amounts of trees
• Habitat: environment where plants and animals lived free
• Rainforest: dense and tropical forest
• Eco-regions: ecosystem that is divided by different solar radiation and moisture
• Biodiversity: variaty of life in a par ticular area
• Indigenous: people living in a completely natural environment.
• Conservation: Protection of a threatened area
• Organism: a living thing that has an organized structure, can react to stimuli, reproduce, grow, and adapt
• Endangeres Species: any species that is at risk of extinction because of a sudden rapid decrease in its population or a loss of its critical habitat.
Spring 2023 Thesis Research
Abstract
The Peruvian Amazon is facing increasing deforestation rates due to many threats such as slash-and-burn agriculture, logging, coca plantations, and illegal mining. This project uses literature reviews and interviews to trace the issues of deforestation and explores speculative design if we can coexist with ecosystems in the Peruvian Amazon without endangering them further by centering indigenous knowledge. Various indigenous communities like the Asháninka have been forced to sell their lands to guerrillas and drug traffickers. In addition to ethical issues, this threatens the Amazon by depriving the strong and loving relationship with the environment and inducing extractive measures with nature. Establishing sustainable measures like the cultivation of cacao beans is a great beginning to repatriate indigenous communities control of their lands, minimize the typical slash-and-burn agricultural techniques that distress rainforests, and encourage people to pursue sustainable products. The result of this thesis is composed of two parts, a book design that tells the story of the Asháninka people and a speculative design in the form of a chocolate packaging to provoke the present situation and envision possible futures.
Written Description
Problem/Observation: The Ashaninka community has been affected by mafias, illegal industries and guerrillas in order to gain control of their lands for a lucrative business. Resulting in a number of threats for the Amazon rainforest.
Argument: Encouraging sustainable practices and giving indigenous communities control of their lands reduces the threats to the Amazon rainforest.
Anticipated Investigation: Focusing on the sustainable practices of cocoa beans, I want to create a speculative design in the form of packaging. With this product I would question the present and imagine possible futures. Additionally, I want to make a product that contributes to the Amazon and at the same time to all the indigenous communities that are behind the production process..
Anticipated results: Create a Speculative design that focuses on cuestioning the present and envisioning the possible future instead of solving a problem.
Analysis of Design: Develop the design of a book that narrates the story of the Ashaninka people. Through this book I’ll introduce the topic of cocoa cultivation in indigenous communities with the purpose of promoting control of their lands. In addition, I’ll create a speculative design in the form of a chocolate packaging to demonstrate how the Ashaninka community can support the Amazon through sustainable agriculture.
BY camila MUJICA
Asha n n i ka
Protectors of the Amazon Rainforest
Speculative Design (Packaging)
Annotated Bibliography
Miranda, J. a. R., Corral, L., Blackman, A., Asner, G. P., & Lima, E. (2016). Effects of Protected Areas on Forest Cover Change and Local Communities: Evidence from the Peruvian Amazon. World Development, 78, 288–307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2015.10.026
Mutualism - Rainforest Plants and Animals Working Together. (n.d.). https://www.edtechlens.com/ blog/rainforest-kids-science-me-ill-you-working-rainforest
The Amazon rainforest: The world’s most important ecosystem. (n.d.). https://www.regnskog.no/en/ what-we-do/the-amazon
Menezes, F. (2021). The wisest rainforest conservation solution that doesn’t get enough press. BrightVibes. https://www.brightvibes.com/the-wisest-rainforest-conservation-solution-that-doesnt-getenough-press/
Laura. (2022). Indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon equipped with remote sensing technology can reduce deforestation, study finds. Rainforest Foundation US. https://rainforestfoundation. org/indigenous-communities-in-the-peruvian-amazon-equipped-with-remote-sensing-technology-can-reduce-deforestation-study-finds/
Carolina Schneider Comandulli,Apiwtxa Association. (2022). This Amazonian Indigenous Group Has Lessons in Sustainable Living for All of Us. Scientific American. https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0522-70
Chávez, U. D. P. N. M. C. (2022, November 12). Indigenous Groups Are Key to Reversing Amazon Destruction. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/indigenous-groups-are-key-to-reversing-amazon-destruction/
Landa, D. E. L., & Bueno, C. P. (2021). “Climate change might have caused our small harvest”: indigenous vulnerability, livelihoods, and environmental changes in lowland and high jungle indigenous communities in Peru. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 12(2), 216–231. https://doi. org/10.1007/s13412-021-00722-0
Really Raw Chocolate from Bean to Bar. (2016, May 11). https://lovingearth.net/blog/blog/2016/05/11/ really-raw-cacao-from-bean-to-bar-2/
The Asháninka of the Amazon: from war to sustainable chocolate | Ethical Consumer. (2018, September 6). Ethical Consumer. https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/food-drink/ashaninka-amazon-war-sustainable-chocolate
Empresa ashaninka de cacao gana Premio Ecuatorial de la ONU | Servindi - Servicios de Comunicación Intercultural. (n.d.). https://www.servindi.org/actualidad-noticias/05/06/2019/productores-ashaninka-ganan-prestigioso-premio-ecuatorial-de-naciones
Ashaninka. (2014). Peru, Ministerio De Cultura. https://bdpi.cultura.gob.pe/pueblos/ashaninka
Webb, J. (2022, September 12). Indigenous-led Conservation in the Amazon: A win-win-win solution - Amazon Frontlines. Amazon Frontlines. https://amazonfrontlines.org/chronicles/indigenous-conservation-amazon/
Design and Editing by Camila MujicaPhotography credits to Michael Lohse Fonts used Swera Banner, Fraunces, Fixture, Eklektyk, SA No Rules Printed on Bristol Paper
Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications Design at Pratt Institute, May 2023.
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