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Servicios ecosistémicos: definición, tipos y cómo tu empresa puede evaluarlos

Ya lo hemos dicho antes: todas las empresas tienen a la naturaleza en algún punto de su cadena de valor, y por lo tanto, todas dependen directa o indirectamente de ella y de la existencia de ecosistemas saludables. Bien sea en su cadena de suministro para la obtención de materias primas, en sus procesos de producción o en la distribución de los productos y servicios que ofrecen, el mundo natural tiene un rol fundamental para garantizar el correcto funcionamiento de las empresas de distintos sectores a través de toda su operación.&nbsp;Los ejemplos pueden encontrarse allí donde mires. Las empresas agrícolas, de alimentos, de bebidas, de cosméticos, de farmacéuticos y de textiles dependen de suelos fértiles y polinizadores para los cultivos de donde extraen sus productos y materias primas. Las empresas mineras, de construcción y de tecnología dependen de la disponibilidad de agua para la extracción de minerales, la transformación de materiales y los procesos de enfriamiento. Y las empresas de transporte, inmobiliarias, energéticas y turísticas dependen de ecosistemas funcionales que regulan fenómenos naturales y las protegen de eventos disruptivos. &nbsp;Estas dependencias, como ya podrás intuir a partir de los ejemplos, conllevan a una realidad ineludible: al depender de la naturaleza las empresas están expuestas a riesgos naturales que pueden afectar su cadena de valor, sus operaciones y su relación con clientes, comunidades y accionistas. Comprender estos riesgos, y tomar medidas para enfrentarlos, puede ser la diferencia entre garantizar la estabilidad y viabilidad de una empresa a largo plazo o enfrentar interrupciones críticas, daños a su reputación y pérdidas financieras irreparables.En este artículo vamos a revisar cómo los riesgos naturales pueden impactar a las empresas y cómo las empresas pueden anticiparse a escenarios de disrupción, proteger sus activos, cumplir con regulaciones emergentes, mantener la confianza de sus clientes e inversionistas y, sobre todo, construir modelos de negocio más resilientes y adaptados al contexto actual.<h2>¿Qué son los riesgos naturales y cómo pueden impactar a las empresas?</h2> Los riesgos naturales son amenazas derivadas de fenómenos ambientales como sequías, inundaciones, incendios, deslizamientos, pérdida de polinizadores o degradación de ecosistemas, que pueden afectar el funcionamiento y la viabilidad de una empresa.Acentuados en los últimos años por la crisis climática y la crisis de pérdida de biodiversidad, los riesgos no solamente están ligados a eventos extremos, sino también a cambios graduales en las condiciones del entorno natural que sostienen las operaciones de una empresa, como la disponibilidad de agua, la salud de los suelos o la estabilidad climática local.&nbsp;Los impactos para las empresas se presentan de distintas maneras:1. Impactos económicos y operacionales: los riesgos naturales pueden generar interrupciones logísticas, encarecer la producción y afectar cadenas de suministro, generando pérdidas financieras significativas.&nbsp;Por ejemplo, el sector agrícola en Chile enfrenta amenazadas crecientes debido a la sequía prolongada y la disminución de la disponibilidad de agua para riego, lo que reduce los rendimientos de cultivos y encarece la producción.&nbsp;En sectores como infraestructura y energía, los incendios forestales pueden dañar instalaciones críticas, como redes eléctricas y plantas, provocando interrupciones de servicio y altos costos de reparación.2. Impactos legales y regulatorios: ante un escenario en el que las regulaciones ambientales son cada vez más estrictas y se alinean progresivamente con estándares internacionales exigentes, ignorar los riesgos naturales puede llevar a incumplimientos normativos, sanciones y pérdida de acceso a ciertos mercados.Marcos internacionales como TNFD (Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures), SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board) y GRI (Global Reporting Initiative), exigen a las empresas identificar, evaluar y reportar no solo sus impactos sobre la naturaleza, sino también los riesgos que enfrentan producto de sus dependencias.Las empresas que no reporten adecuadamente su exposición a riesgos naturales podrían enfrentar sanciones o ser excluidas de cadenas de suministro de grandes compradores internacionales, que hoy exigen cumplimiento con marcos como TNFD.3. Impactos reputacionales: cada vez más, clientes, inversionistas y comunidades esperan que las empresas actúen de manera responsable frente a los desafíos ambientales. No gestionar los riesgos naturales puede erosionar la reputación de una marca, afectar la lealtad de los consumidores y limitar el acceso a financiamiento.Por ejemplo, una empresa minera que no evalúa correctamente los riesgos de escasez de agua y afecta los recursos hídricos de una comunidad local puede enfrentar protestas, pérdida de licencias sociales para operar y litigios comunitarios.Con la creciente presión social y mediática sobre temas ambientales, las malas prácticas o la falta de acción preventiva frente a los riesgos naturales se exponen rápidamente y afectan la imagen pública de las compañías. En un escenario en el que la competitividad está ligada a la sostenibilidad esto puede tener consecuencias directas en las ventas, en la relación con clientes estratégicos y en la atracción de inversionistas que observen criterios ESG (ambientales, sociales y de gobernanza).&nbsp;<h2>Primeros pasos para la evaluación y gestión de riesgos naturales&nbsp;</h2> Gestionar los riesgos naturales de manera efectiva comienza por entender la relación directa que una empresa tiene con la naturaleza a través de toda su cadena de valor. Esta relación, conocida como la interfaz de la empresa con la naturaleza, es la combinación de las dependencias frente a los servicios que provee la naturaleza (como agua, suelos, polinizadores, regulación climática), y los impactos que la empresa genera sobre los ecosistemas (como contaminación, deforestación o degradación del suelo).Sin comprender esta interfaz, es imposible anticipar, mitigar y adaptarse a los riesgos naturales que pueden afectar la estabilidad de la empresa a corto, mediano y largo plazo. En próximas entradas de nuestro blog profundizaremos en cada uno de los siguientes apartados, que expresamos acá como puntos de partida para las empresas que quieren dar un paso adelante y entender mejor sus dependencias, impactos, riesgos y oportunidades en relación al mundo natural. Dicho esto, para gestionar riesgos naturales, las empresas pueden comenzar por: &nbsp;<h3>1. Conocer las dependencias de la naturaleza en la cadena de valor&nbsp;</h3> Esto es identificar de qué elementos y servicios de la naturaleza depende la empresa para funcionar. Estas dependencias pueden encontrarse en diferentes etapas de la cadena de valor, desde la extracción de materias primas hasta la distribución final de productos. En cualquier caso, las empresas deben levantar un inventario riguroso de dependencias para saber dónde están más expuestas y planificar qué pueden hacer al respecto.&nbsp;Por ejemplo, una empresa alimentaria que depende de cultivos que requieren polinizadores, puede diseñar acciones basadas en la naturaleza como la conservación de los ecosistemas en sus zonas de interés, la restauración de ecosistemas degradados en otras zonas para atraer nuevamente polinizadores o un proyecto para ampliar la población de abejas que podrían encargarse de esta tarea.&nbsp;<h3>2. Cuantificar el impacto en ecosistemas naturales</h3> Además de las dependencias, es fundamental entender cómo la empresa impacta en la naturaleza. Ya antes hemos explicado algunos de los <a href="https://le.mu/blog/technology/medicion-de-impacto-ambiental/">principales desafíos y soluciones para la medición de impacto ambiental</a>. En definitiva, cuantificar el impacto que una empresa tiene sobre el mundo natural es determinante para garantizar la disponibilidad de recursos y reducir el riesgo de que estos dejen de estar a su alcance más adelante.&nbsp;Por ejemplo, una empresa del sector textil que depende del algodón debería conocer con precisión su impacto en la degradación del suelo, el uso de recursos hídricos y la biodiversidad en sus zonas de interés, para de esa forma implementar tecnología que permita un uso más eficiente del agua junto a prácticas de agricultura regenerativa para mejorar la salud del suelo y la biodiversidad.<h3>3. Identificar las zonas de interés expuestas a riesgos naturales&nbsp;</h3> Una vez que una compañía entiende sus dependencias e impactos, es necesario mapear los territorios con mayor exposición a riesgos naturales como incendios, sequías, inundaciones o erosión, entre otros. Esto puede incluir territorios donde se lleva a cabo la operación, territorios de proveedores o territorios que contienen infraestructura clave para el negocio.&nbsp;Por ejemplo, una empresa de bienes raíces que desarrolla proyectos habitacionales o turísticos necesita mapear los terrenos donde construye y evaluar riesgos asociados a fenómenos naturales. Al conocer estos riesgos, pueden diseñar proyectos más resilientes, elegir ubicaciones seguras o evitar inversiones en zonas vulnerables.<h3>4. Priorizar los riesgos según impacto potencial</h3> No todos los riesgos naturales afectarán igual a cada empresa. Por eso, es necesario evaluar qué riesgos tienen mayor probabilidad de ocurrir y mayor impacto podrían tener en la operación, reputación y finanzas de la compañía. Este análisis ayuda a priorizar acciones, enfocando recursos donde son más necesarios.&nbsp;Por ejemplo, una empresa de telecomunicaciones con antenas y redes en zonas rurales debe considerar tormentas eléctricas, incendios forestales y deslizamientos. Si puede identificar que el mayor riesgo son los incendios, la empresa puede invertir en protección de antenas, crear anillos de seguridad y asegurar redundancia de redes, garantizando así la continuidad del servicio y evitando pérdidas económicas por interrupciones prolongadas.<h3>5. Establecer indicadores clave de monitoreo ambiental&nbsp;</h3> Finalmente, es necesario monitorear de forma continua los ecosistemas, el impacto que la empresa tiene sobre ellos y las amenazas naturales que podrían generar afectaciones. Esto se hace a través de indicadores medioambientales relevantes para cada negocio en temas como, vegetación, biodiversidad, agua o clima que permiten entender cómo un ecosistema evoluciona a través del tiempo.Por ejemplo, una compañía forestal que busca anticipar problemas que afecten su producción y la viabilidad a largo plazo de sus plantaciones puede definir <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DGV7ISONK81/?img_index=1">indicadores de cobertura vegetal</a>, presencia de especies animales, presencia de especies vegetales invasoras, temperatura en la superficie, gestión de riesgo de agua y riesgo de incendios forestales para seguir la trayectoria de un ecosistema y tomar decisiones para protegerlo y garantizar su estabilidad.&nbsp;<h2>Atlas: datos para entender la interfaz de tu empresa con la naturaleza&nbsp;</h2> Entender y gestionar el impacto de una empresa en el mundo natural y los riesgos a los que está expuesta producto de sus dependencias exige tener acceso a datos medioambientales confiables que ayuden a informar y agilizar la toma de decisiones estratégicas.&nbsp;Atlas, nuestra plataforma de inteligencia de la naturaleza, cumple este propósito. A través de los indicadores aplicados al territorio disponibles en Atlas —<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DG3qa_6Rf9m/?img_index=1">construidos a partir de datos satelitales, diversas fuentes de datos globales y modelos de inteligencia artificial</a>— &nbsp;las compañías pueden cuantificar su relación con el mundo natural en sus zonas de interés.&nbsp;A partir de una zona de estudio determinada nuestra herramienta entrega múltiples indicadores que miden, por ejemplo, el contenido y la tendencia del carbono sobre y bajo el suelo, los cambios en la cobertura vegetal, la salud de los ecosistemas con base en la biodiversidad que albergan, la disponibilidad del recurso hídrico, las variaciones en el clima y las amenazas a los ecosistemas.&nbsp;Si tu empresa quiere entender su interfaz con la naturaleza para evaluar sus dependencias, su impacto y los riesgos a los que está expuesta, ponte en contacto. <a href="https://le.mu/es/atlas/">Puedes agendar fácilmente una demo gratuita de Atlas</a>. Juntos podemos construir el camino para que tu empresa sea más resiliente a los fenómenos naturales, cumpla con regulaciones, reporte siguiendo estándares ambientales globales y en general mejore su reputación como líder en sosteniibilidad ambiental.&nbsp; &nbsp;

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Gestión de los riesgos naturales: por dónde puede iniciar tu empresa 

We've said it before: every company has nature embedded at some point in its value chain. As a result, all businesses, directly or indirectly, depend on nature and the existence of healthy ecosystems. Whether in their supply chain for raw materials, production processes, or the distribution of their products and services, the natural world plays a fundamental role in ensuring the proper functioning of businesses across all industries. Examples can be found everywhere you look. Agriculture, food, beverage, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and textile companies depend on fertile soils and pollinators for the crops that provide their products and raw materials. Mining, construction, and technology companies rely on water availability for mineral extraction, materials transformation, and cooling processes. And transportation, real estate, energy, and tourism companies depend on functional ecosystems that regulate natural phenomena and protect them from disruptive events. As you might already infer from the examples, these dependencies lead to an unavoidable reality: by relying on nature, companies are exposed to natural risks that can affect their value chain, operations, and relationships with customers, communities, and shareholders. Understanding and taking measures to address these risks can make the difference between ensuring long-term business stability and viability or facing critical disruptions, reputational damage, and irreparable financial losses. In this article, we will explore how nature risks can impact businesses and how companies can anticipate disruptive scenarios, protect their assets, comply with emerging regulations, maintain the trust of customers and investors, and, most importantly, build more resilient business models that are better suited to today's context.<h2>What Are Nature Risks and How Can They Impact Businesses?</h2> Nature risks are threats arising from environmental phenomena such as droughts, floods, wildfires, landslides, pollinator loss, or ecosystem degradation, all of which can impact a company's operations and viability. Exacerbated in recent years by the climate and biodiversity loss crises, these risks are not only linked to extreme events, but also to gradual changes in the environmental conditions that sustain business operations, such as water availability, soil health, or local climate stability. The impacts on businesses manifest in different ways: 1. Economic and Operational Impacts: Nature risks can disrupt logistics, increase production costs, and affect supply chains, leading to significant financial losses. For example, Chile's agricultural sector faces growing threats due to prolonged droughts and reduced water availability for irrigation, which lowers crop yields and increases production costs.In the infrastructure and energy sectors, wildfires can damage critical facilities such as power grids and plants, causing service disruptions and high repair costs.2. Legal and Regulatory Impacts: With increasingly stringent environmental regulations aligned with demanding international standards, ignoring natural risks can lead to non-compliance, penalties, and loss of access to certain markets. Global frameworks such as TNFD (Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures), SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board), and GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) require companies to identify, assess, and report not only their impact on nature but also the risks they face due to their dependencies. Companies that fail to properly report their exposure to nature risks may face sanctions or be excluded from major international buyers' supply chains that now require compliance with frameworks like TNFD. 3. Reputational Impacts: More than ever, customers, investors, and communities expect companies to act responsibly in addressing environmental challenges. Failure to manage natural risks can erode brand reputation, affect consumer loyalty, and limit access to funding.For example, a mining company that fails to assess water scarcity risks and impacts local community water resources may face protests, loss of social licenses to operate, and legal disputes.With increasing social and media scrutiny on environmental issues, poor practices or lack of preventive action on nature risks are quickly exposed, damaging public perception of companies. In an era where competitiveness is linked to sustainability, this can directly affect sales, relationships with strategic clients, and the ability to attract ESG-focused investors.<h2>First Steps for Evaluating and Managing Nature Risks &nbsp;</h2>Effectively managing nature risks begins with understanding a company's direct relationship with nature across its entire value chain. This relationship, known as the company's interface with nature, combines its dependencies on nature's services (such as water, soil, pollinators, and climate regulation) with the impacts it generates on ecosystems (such as pollution, deforestation, or soil degradation).Without understanding this interface, it is impossible to anticipate, mitigate, and adapt to natural risks that may threaten business stability in the short, medium, and long term. In upcoming blog posts, we will delve deeper into each of the following areas, which we present here as starting points for companies looking to take a step forward in understanding their dependencies, impacts, risks, and opportunities related to the natural world.<h3>1. Identify Nature Dependencies in the Value Chain &nbsp;</h3>This means determining which natural elements and services the company depends on for its operations. These dependencies can exist at various stages of the value chain, from raw material extraction to final product distribution. In any case, companies should carry out a rigorous inventory of dependencies to understand where they are most exposed and what they can do about it.For example, a food company reliant on pollinator-dependent crops can design nature-based solutions such as conserving local ecosystems, restoring degraded areas to attract pollinators, or launching a project to increase bee populations that could take over this task.<h3>2. Quantify the Company's Impact on Natural Ecosystems &nbsp;</h3>In addition to dependencies, it is crucial to understand how a company impacts nature. <a href="https://le.mu/blog/technology/impact-on-nature-measurement/">We've explained the main challenges and solutions for measuring environmental impact before</a>. The point is quantifying a company's impact on the natural world is crucial to ensuring the availability of resources and reducing future resource depletion risk.For example, a textile company reliant on cotton should accurately assess its impact on soil degradation, water use, and biodiversity in its areas of interest. It can then implement technologies for more efficient water use and regenerative agriculture practices to improve soil health and biodiversity.<h3>3. Identify Key Areas Exposed to Nature Risks &nbsp;</h3>Once a company understands its dependencies and impacts, it must map out territories with the highest exposure to nature risks such as wildfires, droughts, floods, or erosion. These areas may include operational sites, supplier territories, or locations that host key business infrastructure.For example, a real estate company that develops housing or tourism projects needs to map the land where it builds and evaluate risks associated with natural phenomena. By understanding these risks, the company can design more resilient projects, select safer locations, or avoid investments in vulnerable areas.<h3>4. Prioritize Risks Based on Potential Impact &nbsp;</h3>Not all natural risks will affect every company in the same way. Therefore, evaluating which risks are most likely to occur and could have the most significant impact on the company's operation, reputation, and finances is necessary. This analysis helps to prioritize actions, focusing resources where they are most needed.For example, a telecommunications company with antennas and networks in rural areas should consider thunderstorms, forest fires, and landslides. Suppose it can identify that the greatest risk is fire. In that case, the company can invest in antenna protection, create safety rings, and ensure network redundancy, thus guaranteeing continuity of service and avoiding economic losses due to prolonged interruptions.<h3>5. Establish Key Environmental Monitoring Indicators &nbsp;</h3>Lastly, continuous monitoring of ecosystems, company impact, and natural threats is essential. Companies should track environmental indicators relevant to each business in categories such as vegetation, biodiversity, water, and climate to understand how ecosystems change and evolve.For example, a forestry company seeking to anticipate problems affecting its production and the long-term viability of its plantations can define indicators of vegetation cover, presence of animal species, presence of invasive plant species, surface temperature, water risk management, and forest fire risk to follow the ecosystems trajectory and make decisions to protect them and ensure their stability.<h2>Atlas: Data to Understand Your Company's Interface with Nature &nbsp;</h2>Understanding and managing a company's impact on the natural world—and the risks it faces due to its dependencies—requires access to reliable environmental data to inform and accelerate strategic decision-making.<a href="https://le.mu/atlas-web/">Atlas</a>, our nature intelligence platform, serves this purpose. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DG3qYVfRHYL/?img_index=1">Using satellite data, global databases, and AI-powered models</a>, Atlas provides companies with a broad portfolio of carbon, vegetation, biodiversity, water, climate, and risk indicators to quantify their relationship with nature in their areas of interest.If your company wants to assess its dependencies, impacts, and risks related to nature, get in touch. <a href="https://le.mu/atlas-web/">You can easily book a free Atlas demo</a>. Together, we can build a path for your company to become more resilient to natural phenomena, comply with regulations, report according to global environmental standards, and enhance its reputation as a leader in environmental sustainability. &nbsp;

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Managing Nature Risks: Where Your Company Can Start

Todas las empresas tienen a la naturaleza en su cadena de valor. Ya sea de forma directa o indirecta, las empresas de todos los sectores dependen de los recursos naturales y de los servicios ecosistémicos para desarrollar productos, ofrecer servicios y mantener la estabilidad de su operación. La naturaleza no solo proporciona materias primas como agua, madera, minerales o productos agrícolas, sino que también ofrece servicios esenciales como la regulación del clima, la polinización de cultivos y la purificación del aire y el agua, procesos fundamentales para el equilibrio de los ciclos naturales en nuestro planeta, el bienestar humano y el desarrollo de las actividades económicas de diversas industrias.&nbsp; Preservar la salud de los ecosistemas naturales es una responsabilidad compartida de la que cada vez más empresas son conscientes. Prueba de ello son los compromisos medioambientales que organizaciones de distintos tamaños asumen públicamente; la creación de roles y áreas dedicadas a desarrollar estrategias de sostenibilidad ambiental; el progreso de movimientos globales como Net Zero o <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DC9maqkJowO/">Nature Positive</a>; y los avances en regulaciones medioambientales que exigen a las empresas mayores obligaciones frente al cuidado del mundo natural.&nbsp; Esta responsabilidad compartida viene acompañada de una exigencia ineludible: que las compañías sean capaces de medir su impacto en la naturaleza de forma precisa y transparente. Sin datos concretos y precisos, es difícil evaluar avances, optimizar estrategias y demostrar su compromiso. Hacerlo, sin embargo, supone un enorme desafío, toda vez que la medición de impacto ambiental es un proceso que puede ser costoso, lento y logísticamente complejo. ¿La buena noticia? Hoy en día existen <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DFGjjTqNJsO/?img_index=1">herramientas de monitoreo ambiental y análisis ambiental</a> que utilizan tecnología avanzada para hacerlo de manera más eficiente.&nbsp; En este artículo, vamos a repasar algunos de los principales desafíos asociados a la medición de impacto en la naturaleza en grandes extensiones de terreno, al tiempo que te mostramos cómo tu empresa puede hacerlo de forma ágil y costo eficiente a través de <a href="https://le.mu/es/atlas/">Atlas</a>, nuestra plataforma de inteligencia de la naturaleza, que combina tecnología avanzada con metodologías verificadas científicamente para entregarte datos de la naturaleza sobre tus zonas de interés.<h2>Cuantificación ambiental: 6 beneficios de medir impacto en la naturaleza&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2> Hacer estudios de impacto ambiental no es un ejercicio periférico a tu estrategia empresarial. Todo lo contrario. Entender en detalle la relación de tu empresa con el mundo natural a través de su cadena de valor tiene el potencial de impactar directamente tu modelo de negocio y las metas de tu empresa, asegurando la estabilidad de la operación y desbloqueando nuevas oportunidades de crecimiento. Acá hay 6 beneficios para las empresas que invierten en análisis ambiental:&nbsp; 1. Mayor resiliencia frente a fenómenos naturalesComo las empresas dependen directa o indirectamente de la naturaleza, la degradación ambiental o los cambios en los ecosistemas pueden representar riesgos operacionales y financieros. Al medir su interfaz con el mundo natural las compañías pueden identificar con claridad sus dependencias, anticipar los riesgos a los que están expuestas y desarrollar estrategias de adaptación para garantizar su sostenibilidad a largo plazo. &nbsp; 2. Optimización del uso de recursosMuchas empresas utilizan recursos naturales sin comprender completamente la eficiencia de su consumo o su impacto ambiental. Medir el impacto permite identificar oportunidades para reducir el desperdicio de agua, energía y materias primas, lo que no solo minimiza la huella ambiental, sino que también genera ahorros significativos. Por ejemplo, el monitoreo del uso del suelo a través de datos satelitales puede ayudar a empresas agrícolas a mejorar sus prácticas de riego, optimizando el consumo de agua sin comprometer la producción. 3. Facilidad en cumplimiento normativoLas regulaciones ambientales están en constante evolución y cada &nbsp;vez se hacen más estrictas en distintos países, incluido Chile. Desde normativas sobre emisiones hasta requerimientos de conservación de ecosistemas, las empresas deben demostrar cumplimiento para evitar sanciones económicas y daños reputacionales. Contar con datos sólidos sobre impacto ambiental facilita el cumplimiento de estas regulaciones y permite a las empresas anticiparse a futuros cambios legislativos, reduciendo el riesgo de multas y restricciones operativas. 4. Mejor toma de decisiones basadas en evidenciaLa medición precisa del impacto ambiental proporciona datos científicos que permiten a las empresas diseñar estrategias más efectivas y maximizar su impacto positivo, evitando así estrategias ineficaces o inversiones con retornos inciertos, que pueden ser resultado de tomar decisiones sin información confiable. Por ejemplo, una empresa de energía renovable puede usar indicadores de biodiversidad y cambios en el ecosistema para evaluar la ubicación óptima de nuevos proyectos y evitar impactos negativos en el entorno. 5. Capacidad de demostrar avances en compromisos ambientalesCada vez más empresas se comprometen públicamente a reducir su huella ecológica, para lo cual diseñan estrategias de sostenibilidad. Sin datos verificables, es imposible demostrar progreso frente a los compromisos y las estrategias, lo cual puede poner en duda la credibilidad de estas promesas y causar una afectación difícil de reparar en la reputación de la empresa. 6. Respuesta a exigencias de inversionistas y consumidoresLos inversionistas y consumidores valoran cada vez más la sostenibilidad. Y cada vez exigen mayor transparencia y compromiso ambiental a las empresas. Los fondos de inversión evalúan el impacto que una empresa tiene en la naturaleza al momento de tomar decisiones de financiamiento, así como los consumidores priorizan la responsabilidad empresarial en sus decisiones de compra. Por lo tanto, contar con métricas ambientales verificables puede abrir nuevas oportunidades comerciales y de financiamiento.<h2>Desafíos y soluciones en estudios de impacto ambiental</h2> Los beneficios de medir el impacto en la naturaleza son incuestionables. Sin embargo, decirlo es distinto que hacerlo. Y hacerlo, como adelantamos, presenta varios desafíos. Estos son algunos de los principales, acompañados por lo que Atlas, nuestra plataforma de inteligencia de la naturaleza, puede hacer para solucionarlos:&nbsp;<h3>1. Costo y recursos necesarios para la medición</h3> Medir el impacto ambiental de manera rigurosa requiere inversiones significativas en múltiples herramientas de medición y equipos multidisciplinarios. Enviar expertos a terreno es logísticamente complejo, demorado y costoso, así como lo es cubrir grandes extensiones de territorio para instalar sensores y herramientas de monitoreo ambiental. Atlas: a través del uso de imágenes satelitales nuestra plataforma permite evaluar el impacto de manera remota y eficiente, reduciendo significativamente los costos y la logística operativa. Adicionalmente, la plataforma entrega hallazgos asociados a los distintos datos e indicadores, validados científicamente por un equipo multidisciplinar de expertos en ciencias de la naturaleza.&nbsp;<h3>2. Disponibilidad y calidad de datos ambientales</h3> Para entender la trayectoria de un ecosistema las compañías dependen de datos históricos y datos actualizados que sean confiables y consistentes. Trabajar con información fragmentada de distintas fuentes, datos de baja resolución o bases de datos sesgadas dificulta hacer una evaluación real del impacto y obtener una perspectiva histórica. Atlas: los modelos a través de los cuales se construyen los indicadores de la naturaleza disponibles en Atlas combinan diversas fuentes de datos y son desarrollados teniendo en cuenta sesgos potenciales. Los indicadores combinan datos históricos con datos actualizados en las mejores resoluciones disponibles para garantizar mediciones precisas y profundas.<h3>3. Procesamiento, almacenamiento y análisis de datos</h3> El mundo natural es complejo y seguirle la pista a lo que sucede en un área específica implica considerar una enorme cantidad de puntos de datos. Procesar, almacenar y analizar esos grandes volúmenes requiere de una infraestructura computacional robusta y de expertos en ciencia de datos que no todas las empresas tienen a su disposición.&nbsp; Atlas: la infraestructura tecnológica sobre la que está construida nuestra plataforma hace el trabajo pesado que representa este desafío técnico. La idea es que las compañías puedan acceder a la información de su interés sin fricciones, permitiéndoles tomar decisiones estratégicas de manera ágil al tiempo que ahorran tiempo, energía y dinero.&nbsp;<h3>4. Dificultad para interpretar y comunicar los datos</h3> Contar con grandes volúmenes de datos de la naturaleza sin una forma clara de analizarlos y visualizarlos puede ser abrumador para muchas empresas. Bien sea para comunicar su progreso en sostenibilidad frente a inversionistas, consumidores y entidades reguladoras, o presentarlos al interior de la organización, interpretar y comunicar datos medioambientales no siempre es sencillo.&nbsp; Atlas: nuestra solución fue construida para que tanto los perfiles técnicos como aquellos que no lo son puedan interpretar y presentar métricas ambientales complejas a audiencias especializadas y no especializadas. Atlas tiene una interfaz intuitiva que ofrece diversas visualizaciones, mapas interactivos, listados rigurosos y hallazgos fáciles de entender para cada uno de los indicadores.&nbsp;<h3> 5. Falta de metodologías estandarizadas</h3> No existe un único marco globalmente aceptado para medir el impacto ambiental, lo que lleva a diferencias en los resultados según la metodología utilizada. Sin estándares claros, los resultados pueden ser inconsistentes y dificultar la comparabilidad entre sectores, industrias y empresas que ejecutan estrategias de sostenibilidad y reportan sobre su impacto en la naturaleza.&nbsp; Atlas: los indicadores de Atlas pueden adaptarse a distintas metodologías y marcos de reportería globales y de vanguardia, como GRI, SASB, Nature Positive y TNFD. Nuestro equipo tiene la capacidad de guiar a cualquier empresa en este proceso, asegurando la validez y comparabilidad de los datos entregados.<h3> 6. Cumplimiento de regulaciones medioambientales</h3> Las regulaciones ambientales son cada vez más estrictas y están en constante actualización, lo que implica que las compañías deben adaptarse continuamente a nuevas normativas para evitar sanciones económicas y daños reputacionales. Esto es particularmente desafiante para empresas que operan en varios países o jurisdicciones, lo cual las obliga a adaptarse a diferentes normas y estándares ambientales.&nbsp; Atlas: a través de indicadores precisos y transparentes, nuestra solución permite cuantificar el impacto de una empresa en la naturaleza desde una perspectiva de cumplimiento frente a regulaciones y normativas vigentes. Además de expertos en tecnología, ciencias de la tierra y ciencia de datos, nuestro equipo también cuenta con un área especializada en legislación ambiental.<h3> 7. Falta de integración con otras fuentes de información</h3> Muchas empresas ya cuentan con datos ambientales en terreno o plataformas de medición, pero carecen de herramientas para combinar todas sus métricas y lograr una visión holística sobre sus áreas naturales de interés. Compatibilizar distintos sistemas de monitoreo ambiental y diversas fuentes de datos es un dolor de cabeza común para las áreas de sostenibilidad. Atlas: además de los indicadores propietarios que hemos desarrollado y de otros indicadores de la naturaleza disponibles en la plataforma, Atlas permite integrar múltiples fuentes de datos en un solo lugar para servir como una fuente única de verdad (SSOT). Por ejemplo, en Atlas pueden convivir datos de cámaras trampa, imágenes satelitales y bases de datos externas.&nbsp;<h2> ¿Quieres saber más sobre Atlas?&nbsp;</h2> Nuestra plataforma de inteligencia de la naturaleza reúne decenas de indicadores medioambientales en categorías como carbono, biodiversidad, vegetación, clima, riesgo y agua, que pueden ser aplicados a tus zonas naturales de interés para ayudarte a tomar decisiones ágiles y basadas en evidencia sobre el mundo natural.&nbsp; Una de las características principales de la plataforma que hemos desarrollado es su flexibilidad y su capacidad de adaptarse a distintas empresas para ayudarlas a solucionar sus desafíos de medición de la naturaleza. Si tu empresa quiere entender con mayor detalle su relación con el mundo natural o tiene un desafío de medición de impacto ambiental, no dudes en ponerte en contacto. <a href="https://le.mu/es/">Puedes agendar una demo gratuita en pocos minutos.</a> De esa forma podemos conocer las necesidades particulares de tu compañía y explorar soluciones juntos.&nbsp;

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Medición de impacto ambiental: desafíos y soluciones para empresas

All businesses have nature in their value chain. Whether directly or indirectly, companies across all sectors depend on natural resources and ecosystem services to develop products, offer services, and maintain operational stability. Nature not only provides raw materials such as water, timber, minerals, and agricultural products but also provides essential services like climate regulation, crop pollination, and air and water purification—fundamental processes for maintaining the balance of natural cycles on our planet, ensuring human well-being, and supporting economic activities across various industries.Preserving the health of natural ecosystems is a shared responsibility that more and more companies are becoming aware of. Evidence of this includes public environmental commitments made by organizations of all sizes, the creation of roles and departments dedicated to developing environmental sustainability strategies, the progress of global movements such as Net Zero and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DC9mQeOqK9r/">Nature Positive</a>, and advances in environmental regulations that impose more stringent obligations on businesses to protect the natural world.This shared responsibility comes with an unavoidable requirement: companies must be able to measure their impact on nature accurately and transparently. Without concrete and precise data, assessing progress, optimizing strategies, and demonstrating commitment is difficult. However, achieving this poses a significant challenge, as environmental impact measurement can be costly, time-consuming, and logistically complex. The good news? <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DFGglemIeEG/?img_index=1">Environmental monitoring and analysis tools</a> that leverage advanced technology are readily available today to make this process more efficient.This article will explore some of the main challenges of measuring environmental impact across large territories. Additionally, we will show you how your company can achieve thin agilely and cost-efficiently using <a href="https://le.mu/atlas-web/">Atlas</a>, our nature intelligence platform, which combines advanced technology with scientifically validated methodologies to provide nature-related data for your areas of interest.<h2>Environmental Quantification: 6 Benefits of Measuring Impact on Nature</h2> Conducting environmental impact assessments is not a peripheral exercise in your business strategy—quite the opposite. Understanding in detail how your company interacts with the natural world throughout its value chain has the potential to directly impact your business model and corporate goals, ensuring operational stability and unlocking new growth opportunities. Here are six benefits for companies investing in environmental analysis:1. Greater resilience to natural phenomenaSince companies depend directly or indirectly on nature, environmental degradation or ecosystem changes can pose operational and financial risks. By measuring their interface with the natural world, companies can identify their dependencies, anticipate risks, and develop adaptation strategies to ensure long-term sustainability. 2. Optimization of resource useMany companies use natural resources without fully understanding their consumption efficiency or environmental impact. Measuring impact allows them to identify opportunities to reduce water, energy, and raw material waste, minimizing their ecological footprint and generating significant savings. For example, monitoring land use through satellite data can help agricultural businesses improve irrigation practices, optimizing water consumption without compromising production.3. Easier regulatory complianceEnvironmental regulations are constantly evolving and becoming stricter in different countries, including Chile. From emissions regulations to ecosystem conservation requirements, companies must demonstrate compliance to avoid financial penalties and reputational damage. Having solid data on environmental impact facilitates compliance with these regulations and allows businesses to anticipate future legislative changes, reducing the risk of fines and operational restrictions.4. Better evidence-based decision-makingAccurate environmental impact measurement provides scientific data that enables companies to design more effective strategies and maximize their positive impact. This helps avoid ineffective strategies or investments with uncertain returns resulting from decisions without reliable information. For example, a renewable energy company can use indicators for biodiversity and ecosystem changes to assess the optimal location for new projects and avoid negative environmental impacts.5. Ability to demonstrate progress on environmental commitmentsMore and more companies are publicly committing to reducing their ecological footprint and designing sustainability strategies. Without verifiable data, it is impossible to demonstrate progress toward these commitments and strategies, which can cast doubts on the credibility of these promises and cause lasting damage to the company's reputation.6. Meeting investor and consumer demandsInvestors and consumers increasingly value sustainability. They demand greater transparency and environmental commitment from companies. Investment funds assess a company's impact on nature when making financing decisions, just as consumers prioritize corporate responsibility in their purchasing choices. Therefore, having verifiable environmental metrics can open new business and financing opportunities.<h2>Challenges and Solutions in Environmental Impact Studies</h2> The benefits of measuring the impact on nature are unquestionable. However, saying it is different from doing it. And doing it, as we have mentioned, presents several challenges. Here are some of the main ones, along with what Atlas, our nature intelligence platform, can do to solve them:<h3>1. Cost and resources required for measurement</h3> Rigorous environmental impact measurement requires significant investments in multiple measurement tools and multidisciplinary teams. Sending experts to the field is logistically complex, time-consuming, and costly, as is covering large land areas to install sensors and environmental monitoring tools.Atlas: By using satellite imagery, our platform enables remote and efficient impact assessment, significantly reducing costs and logistical complexity. Additionally, Atlas provides scientifically validated insights from a multidisciplinary team of nature science experts.<h3>2. Availability and quality of environmental data</h3> To understand an ecosystem's trajectory, companies rely on both historical and updated data that must be reliable and consistent. Working with fragmented information from different sources, low-resolution data, or biased databases makes it difficult to conduct an accurate impact assessment and gain a historical perspective.Atlas: The models used to build Atlas' nature indicators combine various data sources and are developed with potential biases in mind. These indicators integrate historical data with the best resolutions available to ensure precise and in-depth measurements.<h3>3. Data processing, storage, and analysis</h3> The natural world is complex, and tracking changes in a specific area requires managing vast amounts of data points. Processing, storing, and analyzing these large volumes of information requires robust computational infrastructure and data science experts, which not all companies have at hand.Atlas: The technological infrastructure on which our platform is built takes on the heavy lifting of this technical challenge. The goal is to provide companies with seamless access to the information they need, enabling them to make strategic decisions quickly while saving time, energy, and money.<h3>4. Difficulty in interpreting and communicating data</h3> Having vast volumes of environmental data without a straightforward way to analyze and visualize it can be overwhelming for many companies. Whether communicating sustainability progress to investors, consumers, and regulators or presenting data internally, interpreting and conveying environmental information is not always easy.Atlas: Our solution is designed so that both technical and non-technical profiles can interpret and present complex environmental metrics to specialized and non-specialized audiences. Atlas features an intuitive interface with various visualizations, interactive maps, rigorous lists, and easy-to-understand insights for each indicator.<h3>5. Lack of standardized methodologies</h3> There is no single globally accepted framework for measuring environmental impact, leading to differences in results depending on the methodology used. Without clear standards, results can be inconsistent, making it challenging to compare sustainability strategies and impact reports across sectors, industries, and companies.Atlas: Atlas indicators can be adapted to various global and cutting-edge reporting frameworks, such as GRI, SASB, Nature Positive, and TNFD. Our team can guide any company through this process, ensuring the validity and comparability of the data provided.<h3>6. Compliance with environmental regulations</h3> Environmental regulations are becoming increasingly strict and are continuously updated, meaning companies must constantly adapt to new rules to avoid financial penalties and reputational damage. This is particularly challenging for companies operating in multiple countries or jurisdictions, requiring them to comply with different environmental standards. Atlas: Through precise and transparent indicators, our solution quantifies a company's impact on nature from a compliance perspective per current regulations and standards. In addition to experts in technology, earth sciences, and data science, our team includes experts on environmental legislation.<h3>7. Lack of integration with other information sources</h3> Many companies already have environmental data from fieldwork or other measurement platforms but lack the tools to integrate all their metrics and achieve a holistic view of their areas of interest. Compatibility issues between environmental monitoring systems and data sources are a common challenge for sustainability units.Atlas: In addition to the proprietary indicators we have developed and other nature indicators available on the platform, Atlas enables the integration of multiple data sources, serving as a single source of truth (SSOT). For example, Atlas can combine camera trap data, satellite imagery, and external databases in one platform.<h2>Want to Learn More About Atlas?</h2> Our nature intelligence platform gathers dozens of environmental indicators in categories such as carbon, biodiversity, vegetation, climate, risk, and water. Our indicators can be applied to your areas of interest to help you make agile, evidence-based decisions about the natural world. In addition, one of the key features of our platform is its flexibility and ability to adapt to different companies and needs, helping them solve nature measurement challenges. If your company wants to understand its relation with the natural world in greater detail or has a particular challenge in measuring environmental impact, don't hesitate to get in touch. <a href="https://le.mu/">You can schedule a free demo in just a few minutes.</a> That way, we can learn about your company's needs and explore solutions together. &nbsp;

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Environmental Impact Measurement: Challenges and Solutions for Businesses

Welcome to the inspiring journey of Salvamontes, a group of dedicated individuals determined to protect the threatened Magnolia trees in the Tropical Andes hotspot, Alto de Ventanas, Antioquia, Colombia. Their efforts have not only safeguarded these majestic trees, but also a myriad of critically endangered species, from orchids to frogs, birds, and mammals. Join us in supporting their cause by downloading the Lemu App.<h2>A tale as old as forests</h2>This remarkable story traces back to a group of passionate individuals, deeply concerned about three species of endangered Magnolia trees in the biodiverse-rich Alto de Ventanas region of Antioquia, Colombia. As time passed, the urgency of their mission escalated, extending their reach to not only the Magnolias, but also to a host of other endangered species including orchids, frogs, birds, and mammals.Today, Salvamontes proudly oversees three natural reserves spanning 528 hectares in Alto de Ventanas. Within these cloud forests, they protect no less than 16 endangered species, including 8 animals, 3 trees, and 5 orchids, some of which are unique to this region.<h2>Almanegra (Magnolia guatapensis): A Tree Beyond Compare</h2>Magnolia guatapensis, or Almanegra de Guatapé, is a species endemic to the northern central cordillera of Antioquia, Colombia. Discovered in the municipality of Guatapé, its name bears testament to its origin. Thriving in humid to very humid forests at elevations between 1800 and 2500 meters, its largest and healthiest population resides in the municipality of Yarumal, within the DRMI Alto de Ventanas.With the potential to grow over 30 meters tall, Almanegra boasts long, straight, slender trunks that rise above the forest canopy. Its exquisite, cream-colored, large flowers emit a strong, inviting fragrance that beckons pollinators from afar. Classified as an endangered species by the IUCN Red List due to its restricted distribution and habitat fragmentation, Almanegra faces threats from habitat destruction and logging for its valuable wood.<h2>Handley’s Slender Opossum (Marmosops handleyi): A Nocturnal Acrobat of the Rainforest</h2>Residing within the borders of Antioquia, specifically in the breathtaking landscape of Alto de Ventanas, Handley’s Slender Opossum is a master of the rainforest. This diminutive creature, native to South America, possesses distinctive features that set it apart. Its lithe, elongated body facilitates seamless navigation through dense vegetation, while its large, round eyes grant exceptional night vision for nocturnal foraging.Equipped with a prehensile tail that acts as an extra appendage, aiding in branch-grasping and tree-climbing balance, this opossum is a nimble acrobat. When threatened, it employs agile maneuvers, making capture by predators a formidable challenge. Notably, Handley’s Slender Opossum possesses the unique ability to produce clicking sounds with its tongue, enabling communication and prey location in the forest's depths.<h2>Ghost Monkey Orchid (Dracula lemurella): A Peculiar Vision in the Deep Forest</h2>Dracula lemurella, with its narrow, pubescent leaves and delicate cream-colored flowers, teeters on the brink of critical extinction due to its severely restricted distribution and rapid habitat loss. The only known natural populations of this exquisite orchid are safeguarded within the natural reserves of Alto de Ventanas.<h2>Salvamontes: Unearthing Nature's Hidden Gems</h2>As Salvamontes' ranks swelled with specialists, they embarked on a journey of unexpected discoveries. In 2020, amidst the lush Bosque Pluvial Premontano of the Los Magnolios Natural Reserve, they stumbled upon a new miniature orchid species of the Lepanthes genus. Through rigorous botanical study, it was christened Lepanthes gloriae in honor of the late Gloria C. Arcila García, mother of one of the discoverers, who is a member of Salvamontes.The following year brought another revelation: Pristimantis carylae, a new species of frog, nestled alongside the Pristimantis chocolatebari (also known as the "Chocolate frog") in the La Selva de Ventanas Natural Reserve. These discoveries underscore the imperative of preserving ecosystems in their natural state.<h2>Their Aspirations and Goals</h2>Salvamontes envisions the restoration of the Los Magnolios reserve in Colombia, achieved through a tree nursery and the planting of endangered endemic species. Additionally, they are fervently working towards creating the Alto de Ventanas ecological corridor by expanding three natural reserves, all while spearheading conservation initiatives for threatened species like the Ventanas Magnolia tree, the Ghost Monkey Orchid, and Handley's Slender Opossum.<h2>Be there for them</h2>Embark on this incredible journey with Salvamontes and become a part of their mission. Download the Lemu App to support their vital conservation efforts in Alto de Ventanas. Together, we can make a difference for these remarkable species and the precious ecosystems they call home.

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Salvamontes: A tale of passionate people who decided to take action

More than <a href="https://sentientmedia.org/effects-of-deforestation/">4 billion</a> hectares of our planet are covered by forests - that’s around 30% of its land surface. As you can imagine, forests are kind of an important global resource. When we clear lands, another expression to say “cut trees down”, we’re boosting climate change and global warming, and causing critical damage to plant and animal species. This includes us, humans.If we continue to deforest at the pace we’re doing right now, we won’t be able to recover from the effects of deforestation. Don’t forget that, as we talked about in other articles, forests are also necessary to balance the levels of carbon dioxide that are released into the atmosphere.Here we’ll explore: the causes of deforestation, the effects of deforestation, and what we can do to reduce it. So without further ado, let’s go, let’s take care of our forests 🌳<h2>What are the main causes of deforestation?</h2>A known cause of deforestation is illegal logging. Logging is the base of a whole multi-billion-dollar industry. What is it about? Mainly about illegally harvested timber and related products like paper and packaging. Plus, illegal logging can also be connected to the “need” of some people to replace natural forests with monoculture plantations.But deforestation causes are not always illegal. There are some known causes that are allowed to happen despite the damage that is generated in our environment and our own lives. Let’s explore some of them.<h3>Agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation</h3>80% of deforestation is done for agricultural purposes. Plus, <a href="https://youmatter.world/en/definition/definitions-what-is-definition-deforestation-causes-effects/">33%</a> of agriculture-caused deforestation is a result of subsistence farming like local peasant agriculture found in developing countries. Commercial or industrial agriculture also ends up with the need to search for areas in which to grow food, fibers, or biofuels—like soybeans, palm oil, rice, cotton, and sugar cane.Note that also almost 500,000 hectares of forest are deforested to grow soy, and around 77% is mainly for feeding livestock—it’s believed that livestock is accountable for more than 14% of deforestation in the world. Therefore, animal agriculture is also an issue: 41% of tropical deforestation, which means 2.1 million hectares a year, is related directly to the broadening of pasture for feeding beef cattle.<h3>Palm oil: the second biggest cause of deforestation along with soy</h3>In 1980 4 million hectares were used to grow palm oil. That number increased to 19 million by 2018. Plus, it’s threatening almost 200 species that are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List, like tigers and orangutans. Want to know how many tons of palm oil are produced each year? Almost 66 million tons and they’re used in household products, animal feed, food, and also as fuel for power and vehicles.Note that although it’s the second greatest cause of deforestation, it's responsible for less than half the amount of deforestation generated by cattle ranching.<h3>More frequent and intense forest fires:</h3>Fires are something that can naturally happen. Actually, they occur in some forest ecosystems naturally or as controlled fires. Controlled fires have been used mostly by Indigenous communities for centuries to clear small areas for agriculture. But some fires are started intentionally and people lose control of them. What’s the reason? Clearing land for non-forest uses.Plus, it’s important to take into account the fact that as Earth’s temperature rises, lands get drier. This paves the way for more intense and ferocious forest fires.Want some numbers? Here they are:<ul><li>In 2019 the Amazon rainforest suffered over 9,000 fires.</li><li>In 2021, Russia had its worst fire season since 2001: 18.13 million hectares of forest were destroyed.</li><li>In France, in one month alone, 17,000 hectares of pine forest burned to the ground.</li></ul><h3>Mining:</h3>Another well-known cause of deforestation is mining: around 44% of large-scale mining operations take place in forests. That’s why experts have already highlighted the fact that, for example, if governments like the Brazilian one keep on giving mining licenses to develop that activity in areas like the Amazon, which actually is protected, it will end up in thousands of square kilometers of brand new deforestation.And if that’s not already enough, we also have to deal with illegal mining. It’s done mainly to extract gold, and it’s accountable for the destruction of more than 40,000 hectares of forest between 2001 and 2014 in the Tambopata National Reserve located in Peru.<h3>Overpopulation:</h3>Do you know how many people live on Earth? The human population is almost on the cusp of 8 billion and will exceed 10 billion at the turn of the next century. This will translate into the need to increase food production. This will also mean an increase in deforestation: more lands will be cleared in the name of agriculture.But that’s not the end of the story. Overpopulation also means that more people will need places to live. Therefore, forests will be cleared in the name of urbanization too. People will need more roads and highways for transportation. Plus, they will also need furniture, paper, building materials, and many more products that come from logging industries that cut down trees to manufacture those things.<h3>Paper:</h3>400 million tons a year - that’s the world’s entire paper production and also between 13 to 15% of total wood consumption. Sadly, the demand for those products is increasing. For instance, a lot of forest regions are being cleared for making toilet paper among other tissue products.Note that just the amount of paper that we throw away each year is <a href="https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-solutions-of-deforestation.php">equivalent to approximately 640 million trees</a>. Just by recycling, we have the power to save 27.5 million tons of atmospheric carbon dioxide - plus, we also save many trees from being cut.<h3>Urbanization:</h3>We kind of spoke about this when we discussed overpopulation as a cause of deforestation. But let’s go a little bit deeper. It’s believed that 68% of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050— contributing to deforestation. More people means more roads, airports, and houses.The last sentence drives us to another key point: urbanization. <a href="https://youmatter.world/en/definition/definitions-what-is-definition-deforestation-causes-effects/">New constructions are responsible for 10% of deforestation</a>. New constructions include transportation, transformation, and energy generation.<h2>What are the effects of the deforestation?</h2>Problems from deforestation are already part of our planet’s daily routine. Sadly, there are effects of deforestation on animals, the environment, and on us. Let’s check out the most important negative effects of deforestation.<h3>How is deforestation affecting humans?</h3>What are the impacts of deforestation on humans? The effects of deforestation on people’s health are also a concern. Clearing forests has a great impact on human health in different ways. Picture this: the fragmentation of wildlife habitat as a result of deforestation, promoting the animals and insects movement to agricultural and human-inhabited areas, increasing the spread of novel pathogens from wildlife to domestic animals and humans.But that’s not the only effect. The World Wildlife Fund says that deforestation also puts potential medicinal resources at risk because there’s a point of view that says that they won’t be enough to cover all the damage caused by deforestation.Deforestation contributes to and boosts the impact of climate crisis like floods, therefore, it increases the chances of death, especially in areas of the world that are more vulnerable to extreme weather. This also means that clearing lands can be translated into the loss of direct health benefits like enhanced mental and physical well-being and cleaner air.Increased food insecurity is another effect. There are 2.4 billion people who use fuelwood for cooking, mostly in developing countries. Apart from that, it’s known that forests also help provide food for millions of people. They do so by lending a hand in maintaining soil quality, regulating the climate, and giving habitats and food to animals and plants. Deforestation puts all of these at risk and increases problems for food supplies worldwide thanks to its contribution to the climate crisis.Among the effects of deforestation on humans, local people and their livelihoods are at risk being at risk is an important one. The World Bank proved that rural households living near forests depend on them. 22% of their income is from forest resources. This includes timber, food, fodder, construction materials, fuel, and even medicine. So as you can imagine, when deforestation takes place, those resources decrease, making communities from Cameroon to India have trouble making ends meet.Another common effect connected to local people and their livelihoods is the fact that many of them have to migrate because of that and even because of extreme weather events. This makes people suffer social disruption and face important conflicts.You can help fight deforestation by supporting conservation projects that focus on restoring natural environments. How? Easy. Download the Lemu app and start funding them.<h3>How does deforestation affect animals?</h3><a href="https://medium.com/@FastTreeRemovalServicesAtlanta/deforestation-causes-effects-solutions-c718cc3ebb5#:~:text=The%20loss%20of%20trees%20and,causes%20the%20most%20deforestation%20worldwide">80%</a> of the world's known animal and plant species live in forests. So apart from the effects of deforestation on humans, deforestation affecting animals is also a reality. Picture this: trees, plants, animals, insects, carbon-sequestering fungi, and microorganisms live in forests, so clearing their lands leaves them without a home. Note that we discussed what happens when this situation takes place in terms of human health.Plus, when we remove trees we are causing fatal effects on plant and animal species. That’s mainly because we are not only destroying their habitats but we are also helping temperature variations, increased sunlight, and vulnerability take place.<h3>Effects of deforestation on wildlife</h3>Another consequence that deforestation causes to wildlife includes extinction. More than 4,000 species are at immediate risk when deforestation and unsustainable logging take place. We’ve already discussed what happens with their habitats, and as expected, many forest-dwelling species have issues surviving in the small pieces of land that are left. As the available land gets smaller, it can support fewer populations and species.That’s not the only reason why deforestation causes wildlife extinction. When animals live in smaller pockets of forests, they’re more vulnerable to hunting, poaching, and predators. Plus, some species can only live in forests so they can easily be extinct when their habitat is destroyed. Some forest-dependent animals that are extinct include the Mount Glorious torrent frog of Australia, the Formosan clouded leopard of Taiwan, and the cryptic tree hunter bird of Brazil.<h2>Impact of deforestation on the environment</h2>We’ll divide the impact of deforestation on the environment by discussing how it contributes to climate change and global warming while highlighting its effects.<h3>How does deforestation lead to climate change?</h3>When analyzing deforestation's causes and impacts, we have to discuss climate change. Why? Because deforestation paves the way for releasing more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, it causes Earth’s climate to change. Which leads to other effects.Psst, before we continue, if you’re wondering how you can help stop deforestation, check out our restoration page and discover conservation projects you can support on the Lemu app.<h3>Floods</h3>According to a study published in Global Change Biology, there’s evidence that proves that deforestation increases the frequency of flooding events and intensifies its impacts by, for example, increasing its duration, the number of people affected, and the physical damage.Other studies have also shown that deforestation contributes to the increase in floods in many ways. One of them is what the Water Resources Research proved in 2012. They revealed that in Canada clearing areas of forests in snowy regions can double or even quadruple the number of floods around streams and rivers.<h3>Soil erosion and deforestation</h3>Deforestation effects on the environment include soil erosion and desertification. But why does deforestation cause that? Trees and natural vegetation help soils to stay in place and balanced. When lands are cleared, the nutrient-rich topsoil erodes. Therefore, heavy rains and winds easily wash it.On the other hand, forests also play a role in regulating the water cycle. In consequence, clearing them paves the way for making local climates drier and for desertification.<h3>Acidic oceans</h3>Soils are not the only environment that’s affected by deforestation. As there are fewer trees to work as natural sinks, more carbon dioxide is absorbed by the oceans, which makes their pH decrease and causes acidification. This also contributes to important changes in their environment.<h3>How does deforestation contribute to global warming?</h3>First things first: more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, as it’s a greenhouse gas, leads to an increase in Earth’s temperature. With that being said, it’s a very well-known story that trees work both as natural sinks and as a source of carbon dioxide.Why do we say that? Because forests are a huge storage of carbon when we cut them they release it into the atmosphere. Actually, nowadays tropical forests are emitting more than they can store: between 10 and 15% of the anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions come from deforestation. Note that agriculture is accountable for 24% of greenhouse gas emissions generated by humans.<h2>Is there anything we can do to stop deforestation?</h2>We know that maybe it’s pretty hard to stop all the deforestation around the globe by ourselves. But we can certainly do something about it by taking small actions that can be turned into significant changes for our planet.We’ve explored some solutions for the climate crisis recently, and now it’s time to see what we can do about deforestation. Some solutions are:<ul><li>Plant a tree. In your backyard, in a square. Find a place where you can help restore a natural sink. Of course, you have to look for the right species for that place and select the perfect planting location so the tree can grow smoothly. Don’t worry, it might sound a little bit complicated but it’s information that’s easy to find on the Internet and you can even ask your local government for some help if you wanna do it in a public space.</li><li>Reduce meat consumption.</li><li>Join an organization. You can become a subscriber, donor, or even member of a local or global organization that’s helping reduce deforestation.</li><li>Learn. Research is a key part of taking action to fight deforestation. You’ll find insights that will help you find the right way to reduce deforestation. Plus, you’ll also be more fueled to spark a conversation about deforestation and incentivize others to join you in the journey of taking care of our planet.</li></ul>Here at Lemu, we’re developing great content to help you pass smoothly through this learning path. We have a blog with a lot of information about the climate crisis, global warming, and more. Plus, our website is waiting for you to jump in, and learn about what we’re doing and how you can join a project that’s focused on supporting new ways to protect Earth.Ready to learn and be part of the change? Discover what we’re doing at Lemu 🌱

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Effects and causes of deforestation: find out what we can do about it

Three hundred thousand hectares of land at the world's end are home to alpine meadows, peat bogs (wet spongy ground of decomposing vegetation), numerous river valleys, ancient forests, and incredibly diverse wildlife. Karukinka Park, located on the Isla Grande of Tierra del Fuego in Chile, showcases precious elements that make our world sublime.&nbsp;Situated at the southern tip of the globe, Fuegian culpeo foxes (Lycalopex culpaeus lycoides) meet (but probably don’t greet) Andean condors (Vultur gryphus). Ringed kingfishers (Megaceryle torquata) compete with Magellanic woodpeckers (Campephilus magellanicus) for the title of "Most Attractive Bird in the Patagonian Region," while elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) molt and rest in Jackson Bay, seemingly oblivious to their own adorableness.This territory, referred to as Karukinka by the indigenous tribes who first inhabited the area (the Selk'nam or Onas), has significantly wet weather. Consequently, it provides a habitat for abundant fungi, flora, and fauna. This land is also home to trees as ancient and as tall as cathedrals, crowned with emerald-green foliage that blankets over half of the territory.These magnificent natural structures include Southern, Antarctic, and Evergreen Beech trees—all members of the Nothofagus family—coexisting harmoniously under the watchful gaze of remarkable birds like the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), the Black-chested Buzzard Eagle (Geranoetus melanoleucus) and the Black-Browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophris), which has been designated as a near-threatened species by the IUCN.This breathtaking landscape is one of the most ideal environments for biodiversity to flourish. Karukinka is one of the last remaining pure subantarctic ecosystems on the planet. And that, without a doubt, is something worth preserving, don't you think?A conservation program preserves the integrity of Karukinka ParkAs you may already know, not all valuable things can be easily safeguarded. The park encompasses an immense area, equivalent to four times the size of Gran Santiago, and houses countless species in need of protection. Since 2004, a program implemented by <a href="https://chile.wcs.org/">WCS Chile</a> (Wildlife Conservation Society) has been dedicated to precisely that goal.The organization strives to achieve effective conservation by undertaking the following tasks to preserve and nurture this remarkable place:<ul style="list-style-type:disc;"><li>Ecosystem conservation and restoration.</li><li>Prevention of direct threats to terrestrial and aquatic wildlife.</li><li>Control of exotic species.</li><li>Research and monitoring.</li><li>Promotion of ecosystem conservation beyond Karukinka.</li><li>Development of sustainable economic policies that involve collaborative efforts with the local community of Magallanes and surrounding areas.</li></ul>&nbsp;Undoubtedly, they require all the support they can get. This is why the organization behind Parque Karukinka is now our newest steward. You can find it by searching for it on our app (if you haven't already downloaded it, <a href="https://le.mu/">please do so</a>! It's free). Furthermore, you can explore its location on our atlas to precisely identify the ecosystem you will soon be helping protect.Together we can make a positive impact. Get to know WCS Chile and Karukinka Park through Lemu app, and help them preserve this irreplaceable habitat.&nbsp;

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A Biome of Ice and Fire: Why is Karukinka Park in Tierra del Fuego an Oasis for Biodiversity? 

Is it a bird I hear? No, it is not. That is the sound that little Eywa makes when she is hungry, and her caretaker Dylan shows her where the new yummy plant is. But tapirs as young as her can’t eat anything and require very special care, particularly those who have lost their family.&nbsp;Discover how Eywa found new life at a reserve in Peru 👇Tapirs (Tapirus) like Eywa need special care because they have a hindgut fermenter gastrointestinal system, similar to horses. Alongside a specific diet, she needs goat's milk supplemented with specific vitamins to replace her mother's milk since she was orphaned at birth.Considering that tapirs need to be with their mothers for up to two years, it is understandable that Eywa needs emotional and psychological support too. Fortunately, she found her home and the special care she needed in a reserve located in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest.Eywa and other species living there include ocelots (Leopardus pardalis), kinkajous (Potos flavus), jaguars (Panthera onca), and margays (Leopardus wiedii), among many others, all with difficult pasts and an immense need for rehabilitation, attention, and love.This and other incredible work are carried out by our steward Hoja Nueva, located in a 7k-acre nature reserve in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. The project focuses on wildlife research and rescuing injured, ill, and endangered animals like Eywa and many others. They are also the first to rewild ocelots and margays 🐾.&nbsp;You can support their amazing work by downloading the Lemu app and looking for them inside our Atlas or typing "Hoja Nueva" in the search bar.

Ecology