Why Forests Aren't Coming Back After Gold Mining in the Amazon

'It's like trying to grow a tree in an oven': Gold mining is sucking the Amazon rainforest dry

Gold mining in the Amazon removes so much water from the ground that it's too hot and dry for seedlings to survive.

Why forests aren't coming back after gold mining in the Amazon

Forests in the Peruvian Amazon aren't growing back after gold mining—not just because the soil is damaged by toxic metals, but because the land has been depleted of its water. A common mining method known as suction mining reshapes the terrain in ways that drain moisture and trap heat, creating harsh conditions where even replanted seedlings can't survive.

Why Amazon gold mining blocks forest recovery

Researchers uncover the culprit behind the Amazon rainforest’s slow recovery from gold mining damage: water loss caused by reshaped terrain

Environmental News Network - Why Forests Aren’t Coming Back After Gold Mining in the Amazon

Forests in the Peruvian Amazon aren’t growing back after gold mining — not just because the soil is damaged from toxic metals, but because the land has been depleted of its water.

The search for gold risks losing treasure

Research by Abra Atwood and colleagues finds why the Amazon forest isn’t healing when gold miners move on. The team used drones, soil sensors & underground imaging to assess the damage of suction mining. They found the land isn’t cursed by poison in the soil. It’s lack of water. Gold mining is ripping the Amazon apart. “In suction mining, topsoil is washed away into ponds and surrounding forests and rivers (leading to further forest and river de…