It's clear that all three — climate change, deforestation, and the impact of fires, mining, and other human activities (such as building roads) degrading the forest — are seriously impacting the Amazon Rainforest. These issues work together and ultimately weaken one of the world's most vital ecosystems. The Amazon absorbs vast quantities of carbon dioxide, protects an incredible amount of biodiversity, and regulates rainfall throughout much of South America, therefore what happens to the forest affects everything else.

While both issues are significant, the largest threat is deforestation. It seems like large swaths of the forest are being cut down so farmers can plant cattle or soybeans. According to World Wildlife Fund (WWF), agriculture is currently the leading source of global deforestation; however, due to the actions of humans the Amazon has already experienced an immense loss of forest cover. In fact, according to UNESCO approximately 1 million km2 of Amazonian forest were lost during the last 30 years mainly for cattle grazing and planting soybeans. Forest destruction at such scales disrupts habitats for animals, releases stored carbon into the air, and decreases the integrity of the rainforest.

Climate Change is the second most detrimental to the Amazon. The Amazon ecosystem relies upon a specific type and quantity of precipitation. Changes to temperature and precipitation patterns cause increased drought within certain regions of the Amazon and increase the likelihood of wild fires in those same locations. The loss of forest further increases vulnerability to drought stress and increases fire risks. Essentially deforestation and climate change exacerbate one another. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated with very high confidence that "deforestation and wildfires release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and decrease the land's capacity to absorb CO2."

Degradation of forest is the third issue causing harm to the Amazon. While it may appear less destructive than complete clearing (clear cutting), degradation can be equally harmful to the long term health of the forest. There are several ways in which degradation occurs: logging, multiple fires within close proximity to one another, mining, road fragmentation, etc. All of these methods do not eliminate the remaining forest entirely; rather they negatively affect its vitality and ecological worth. A study in Science reported that degradation in the Amazon is increasing and that there may be places where degradation rates are higher than those associated with deforestation.

All three factors are interconnected. Deforestation creates an environment with potentially warmer and drier conditions. Climate change creates conditions conducive to drought and wildfire risk. Degradation reduces forest resilience. Therefore protecting the Amazon will require stronger regulations and enforcement, effective use of land management practices, greater financial support for indigenous and local populations who live in harmony with their forest home, and viable economic structures that do not rely on destruction of the forest. If we fail to address all three problems simultaneously then one of our planet's most valuable natural systems will continue to deteriorate.