Gold mining causes long-lasting damage in the Amazon rainforest

A recent study has found that efforts to restore forests in the Peruvian Amazon after gold mining are failing – not only because of toxic soil, but because the land has lost its water.

A popular method called suction mining reshapes the landscape so dramatically that it strips away moisture and traps heat, creating extreme conditions that young trees cannot survive.

The study was led by Abra Atwood of the Woodwell Climate Research Center, alongside collaborators from Columbia University, Arizona State University, and Peru’s Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco.

Read more on Earth.com.