Illegal mining also comes at the expense of the rivers that cut through the forest and are one of the main sources of food for Indigenous People in the region, and are vital for the reproduction of aquatic life in important areas for the conservation of the Amazon biome.<\/p>\n\n
Here are a few ways how mining has been affecting biodiversity in the Amazon:<\/p>\n\n
Illegal landing strips in the middle of the forest<\/h2>\n\n![](\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2023\/05\/a2d0b2cb-gp1t8s5j-1024x607.jpg\" "\\"Illegal")
\u00a9 Valentina Ricardo<\/div>. \u00a9 Valentina Ricardo” alt=”Illegal landing strip in the Yanomami Indigenous Land in the Amazon \u00a9 Valentina Ricardo<\/div>. \u00a9 Valentina Ricardo” class=”wp-image-59871″\/>Illegal landing strip in the Yanomami Indigenous Land in the Amazon \u00a9 Valentina Ricardo<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nA report by MapBiomas<\/a> revealed there are currently 320 airstrips being operated by illegal miners on Indigenous lands. Inside the Yanomami Territory alone, there are 75 airstrips. And to build these, trees and other native vegetation are cut down.<\/p>\n\nThese airstrips are used to bring supplies for the miners to maintain their operations on the forest. The presence of miners on Indigenous Territories poses a major threat to those living in the forest and depend on it for their livelihoods. <\/p>\n\n
Illegal hunting promoted by miners<\/h2>\n\n
Gold mining isn\u2019t the only way miners destroy the local biodiversity, as the people working on the mines themselves go into the forest to hunt animals for food. <\/p>\n\n
A study by the Amazon Institute for Man and Environment (Imazon)<\/a> showed that the presence of miners seriously affects the wildlife around the rivers. Miners indiscriminately hunt monkeys, armadillos, capybaras, and many other animals. Several of these species feed on fruits and play important roles in seed dispersal and pollination processes. As the size of a given animal population decreases, these ecological functions are compromised.<\/p>\n\nThe presence of miners hunting for food in Indigenous territories also impacts the lives of the People living on their land, as they have to compete for food, tipping the balance of life in their lands.<\/p>\n\n
Contamination and changes in aquatic ecosystems<\/h3>\n\n![\"Overflight](\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2023\/05\/c8324592-gp0stvw3g-1024x683.jpg\" "\\"Overflight")
Illegal gold mining is a destructive activity that poisons rivers in the Amazon. \u00a9 Christian Braga \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nIn addition to mercury<\/a>, which in itself already poses a major risk to the health of Indigenous People and to the rivers in the Amazon, illegal mining throws several other sediments into rivers. Equipped with excavators and high-pressure hydraulic systems, the mining activity is, to a large extent, one of the main sources of sediment for the region’s rivers. The introduction of hydraulic excavators<\/a>, which manage to destroy, in one day, what three men would take 40 days to destroy, exponentially expanded the pollution of the rivers in the region.<\/p>\n\nThese sediments reduce the amount of sunlight that enters the water, impacting the life of fish that depend on light to hunt. Several dynamics of predators and prey are modified. Sediment can also affect fish respiratory processes by clogging their gills.<\/p>\n\n
Illegal mining in the Amazon also affects fish species that depend on the headwaters of rivers for their spawning processes, since mining occurs mostly in these places.<\/p>\n\n
Why it is important to protect biodiversity<\/h2>\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2023\/05\/70856a8b-gp1sxns9-1024x707.jpg\" "\\"A")
A Manicor\u00e9-marmoset (Mico manicorensis) found in a forest near the Manicor\u00e9 River, in the Amazon, Brazil.
\u00a9 Valentina Ricardo<\/div>. \u00a9 Valentina Ricardo” alt=”Illegal landing strip in the Yanomami Indigenous Land in the AmazonA report by MapBiomas<\/a> revealed there are currently 320 airstrips being operated by illegal miners on Indigenous lands. Inside the Yanomami Territory alone, there are 75 airstrips. And to build these, trees and other native vegetation are cut down.<\/p>\n\n These airstrips are used to bring supplies for the miners to maintain their operations on the forest. The presence of miners on Indigenous Territories poses a major threat to those living in the forest and depend on it for their livelihoods. <\/p>\n\n Gold mining isn\u2019t the only way miners destroy the local biodiversity, as the people working on the mines themselves go into the forest to hunt animals for food. <\/p>\n\n A study by the Amazon Institute for Man and Environment (Imazon)<\/a> showed that the presence of miners seriously affects the wildlife around the rivers. Miners indiscriminately hunt monkeys, armadillos, capybaras, and many other animals. Several of these species feed on fruits and play important roles in seed dispersal and pollination processes. As the size of a given animal population decreases, these ecological functions are compromised.<\/p>\n\n The presence of miners hunting for food in Indigenous territories also impacts the lives of the People living on their land, as they have to compete for food, tipping the balance of life in their lands.<\/p>\n\n In addition to mercury<\/a>, which in itself already poses a major risk to the health of Indigenous People and to the rivers in the Amazon, illegal mining throws several other sediments into rivers. Equipped with excavators and high-pressure hydraulic systems, the mining activity is, to a large extent, one of the main sources of sediment for the region’s rivers. The introduction of hydraulic excavators<\/a>, which manage to destroy, in one day, what three men would take 40 days to destroy, exponentially expanded the pollution of the rivers in the region.<\/p>\n\n These sediments reduce the amount of sunlight that enters the water, impacting the life of fish that depend on light to hunt. Several dynamics of predators and prey are modified. Sediment can also affect fish respiratory processes by clogging their gills.<\/p>\n\n Illegal mining in the Amazon also affects fish species that depend on the headwaters of rivers for their spawning processes, since mining occurs mostly in these places.<\/p>\n\nIllegal hunting promoted by miners<\/h2>\n\n
Contamination and changes in aquatic ecosystems<\/h3>\n\n
Why it is important to protect biodiversity<\/h2>\n\n