Forest fires in the Amazon: short-term individual benefits versus long-term societal costs
Forest fires in the Amazon: short-term individual benefits versus long-term societal costs
Fire is the least expensive and most broadly used method of clearing land and converting forest biomass into soil nutrients for pastures and crops in the tropics. Fire is also used to control weeds and to reinvigorate palatable pasture grasses. Even if beneficial for farmers over the short run, intensification of deforestation and burning impose long-term costs on individuals and society.