50-70% of deforestation in Brazilian Amazon

Deforestation affects biodiversity in three ways:
      destruction of habitat
      isolation of fragments of formerly contiguous habitat
      edge effects (changes in microclimate, access from humans, cattle.

Deforested area increased from 78,000 km2 in 1978 to 230,000 km2 in 1988,
      whil~ total hahitat affected increased from 208.000 km2 to 588~000 km2.


By 1988, 6% of the closed-canopy forest had been cleared, and
      15% of the forest-habitat area had been affected.

They estimate the rate of deforestation to be 15,000 km2/yr,
      and the rate of habitat fragmentation and degradation at 38,000 km2/yr.

Fragmentation and degradation comes primarily from edge effects