Deforestation is a worldwide phenomenon. However, there are some areas that experience more deforestation than others.

Which of the following South American regions has experienced the greatest extent of deforestation (net loss, 2000-2015) ?

a. Cordillera Occidental (Andes)

b. Pampas Patagonia

c. Desierto de Atacama (the Atacama Desert)

d. Brazilian Highlands

Brazilian Highlands

Explanation:

The Brazilian Highlands are a vast area of Brazil that include not only jungles to the west but also the Atlantic forests to the east. These latter forests have been drastically reduced in the past decades and now less than ten percent of their original extension remains.

The western reaches of the Highlands border the Amazon and also experienced deforestation to the expansion of farms and also of land used for cattle ranching. Another factor that rapidly accelerates deforestation in the region is the expansion of urban areas.