Biodiversidad en América Latina y el Caribe

This report details the critical state of biodiversity in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting a 95% decline in wild vertebrate populations over 50 years. It identifies key drivers of degradation, including gold mining in the Amazon, lithium extraction in the Andes, and industrial agriculture in the Gran Chaco, often driven by global demand for commodities and 'green' energy transitions. The text advocates for a shift from extractivist models to regenerative, inclusive conservation that integrates indigenous knowledge and recognizes the intrinsic rights of nature.

• Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have experienced a severe decline in wildlife populations, with a 95% decrease in wild vertebrate populations over the last 50 years according to the 2024 Living Planet Index.
• The 'empty forest syndrome' (or silent forest) describes forests that appear intact but have lost most of their fauna, which disrupts critical ecological processes like pollination and seed dispersal. In the Chocó Andino region of northwestern Ecuador, more than 90% of medium and large vertebrates have disappeared, and up to 88% of tropical forests across Latin America face the threat of defaunation.
• The transition to renewable energy in the Global North is driving 'green extractivism' in LAC. Demand for copper is projected to increase by 200% to 300% by 2050 to support electric vehicles and renewable energy, threatening high-biodiversity areas in the Amazon and Chocó.
• Gold mining in the Amazon is causing 'reverse terraforming,' creating biological deserts by destroying the 'topsoil' (organic layer) and the soil microbiome. As of 2023, an estimated 1.3 million hectares in the Amazon basin were affected by gold mining. This activity impacts 34.1 million people, including 2.7 million indigenous people across 511 groups.
• Lithium extraction in the 'Lithium Triangle' (Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile), which holds over 60% of global reserves, causes severe environmental degradation. In the Salar de Atacama, the ground is sinking by 1 to 2 centimeters per year, and groundwater levels have dropped up to 10 meters below historical levels due to the high water requirements of lithium processing in arid regions.
• The Gran Chaco region, spanning Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Brazil, is one of the most deforested regions globally due to the expansion of commercial soy, corn, and cattle ranching. Much of this production is exported to Asia (60%) and Europe (20%). Specifically, Italy is a major importer of leather from the Paraguayan Chaco and extracts tannins from the Argentine Chaco, leading to the annual deforestation of approximately 30,000 hectares of quebracho forests.
• Plant extinction is often overlooked due to 'plant blindness,' yet nearly twice as many plant species have disappeared as mammals or birds. This loss threatens essential services, including food security (e.g., cocoa and coffee) and oxygen production.
• Effective biodiversity conservation in LAC requires a shift from an economic/utilitarian view of 'ecosystem services' toward inclusive conservation that integrates indigenous knowledge and recognizes the rights of nature. Indigenous lands are highlighted as key for biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation due to centuries of harmonious coexistence.

APA

Mastrangelo, M., Attanasio, A., & Torres, I. (n.d.). Biodiversidad en América Latina y el Caribe. Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/IAI_Compendio_Biodiversidad_2025.pdf

Chicago

Mastrangelo, Matías, Angelo Attanasio, and Irene Torres. Biodiversidad en América Latina y el Caribe. Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, n.d. https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/IAI_Compendio_Biodiversidad_2025.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mastrangelo |first1=Matías |last2=Attanasio |first2=Angelo |last3=Torres |first3=Irene |title=Biodiversidad en América Latina y el Caribe |publisher=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |url=https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/IAI_Compendio_Biodiversidad_2025.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mastrangelondbiodiversidad, author = {Mastrangelo, Matías and Attanasio, Angelo and Torres, Irene}, title = {{Biodiversidad en América Latina y el Caribe}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, url = {https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/IAI_Compendio_Biodiversidad_2025.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }