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Increasing concern
as to how human activities impact the Earth has led to documentation
and quantification of environmental changes taking place on land, in the water, and in the air.
Through a combination of ground photographs, current and historical satellite images, and
narrative based on extensive scientific evidence, this publication illustrates how humans
have altered their surroundings and continue to make observable and measurable changes
to the global environment.
Go to: Chapters
— Site Images — Powerpoints
— Posters
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ONE PLANET MANY PEOPLE
Chapter 3 - Forest |
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Iguazú, South America
Iguazú National Park, located in Argentina near its borders with
Brazil and Paraguay, contains remnants of the highly endangered Paranaense Rain Forest. Isolated from other rain
forests by natural barriers, the Paranaense developed a distinct and highly diverse ecosystem with thousands of
species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians unique to the area. The famous Iguazú Falls are located
within the boundaries of the National Park and are shared by Argentina and Brazil.
Between1973 and 2003, dramatic changes to the landscape occurred in this region. In 1973 the forested area
spread across the borders of the three nations. By 2003, however, large areas of the forest in Paraguay and
Brazil, and smaller amounts in Argentina, had been converted to other forms of land cover, creating a mosaic
of differently colored land use areas. Note the variation in land cover patterns among the different
countries-reflections of different land use polices and practices.
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