{"id":24628,"date":"2025-06-02T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-02T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=24628"},"modified":"2025-05-30T17:38:07","modified_gmt":"2025-05-31T00:38:07","slug":"amazon-gold-mining-impedes-reforestation-efforts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/amazon-gold-mining-impedes-reforestation-efforts\/","title":{"rendered":"Why forests aren\u2019t coming back after gold mining in the Amazon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                          \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/05\/suction-gold-mining-peru-dornsife-v1-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/05\/suction-gold-mining-peru-dornsife-v1-1920x1080.jpg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/05\/suction-gold-mining-peru-dornsife-v1-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/05\/suction-gold-mining-peru-dornsife-v1-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Aerial view of deforestation due to gold mining\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Gold mining in Peru\u2019s Amazon rain forest leaves land hot, dry and barren of vegetation. (Image source: iStock.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=sustainability\">Sustainability<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>Why forests aren\u2019t coming back after gold mining in the Amazon<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  While gold mining\u2019s environmental toll is well known, a team led by USC Dornsife researchers has uncovered a hidden culprit behind the Amazon rainforest\u2019s slow recovery: water loss caused by reshaped terrain.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Ileana Wachtel<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">June 2, 2025<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 4.0350275 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xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m8.14285714 9.42857143c-.17142857 0-.34285714 0-.51428571.08571428l7.28571427 6.34285719c.3428572.2571428.6857143.2571428.9428572 0l7.2857142-6.34285719c-.0857142-.08571428-.2571428-.08571428-.4285714-.08571428zm-1.28571428 1.11428567v.1714286 8.5714286c0 .6857143.6 1.2857143 1.28571428 1.2857143h14.57142856c.6857143 0 1.2857143-.6 1.2857143-1.2857143v-8.5714286c0-.0857143 0-.0857143 0-.1714286l-7.2 6.3428572c-.7714286.6857143-1.8857143.6857143-2.6571429 0z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -9)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Email<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                  <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-highlights \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-highlights\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Key findings:\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n      <ul>\n              <li><p>Scientists found that small-scale gold mining in the Peruvian Amazon is stripping away topsoil and reshaping the land in ways that deplete water \u2014 a key reason forests fail to grow back.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n              <li><p>The process leaves behind hot, dry piles of sand and stagnant ponds. These sandy mounds can reach 145 degrees F (60 C) and drain water up to 100 times faster than forest soil, making the terrain inhospitable to tree growth.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n              <li><p>Sites near ponds or at lower elevations retain more moisture and show signs of natural regrowth, suggesting that water access \u2014 not just soil quality \u2014 plays a critical role in forest recovery.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n              <li><p>To improve reforestation, the researchers recommend flattening the sand piles and filling in mining ponds so plant roots can reach the water table more easily.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n          <\/ul>\n  <\/div>\n  \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>Forests in the Peruvian Amazon aren\u2019t growing back after gold mining \u2014 not just because the soil is damaged from 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\u2019t survive.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s43247-025-02332-y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">findings<\/a>, published in <em>Communications Earth &amp; Environment<\/em>, revealed why reforestation efforts in the region have struggled. One of the study\u2019s co-authors is <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/josh-west\/\">Josh West<\/a>, professor of Earth sciences and environmental studies at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve known that soil degradation slows forest recovery,\u201d said West, who is also a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.com\/impact\/article\/josh-west-explorer-story\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Geographic Explorer<\/a>. \u201cBut this is different. The mining process dries out the land, making it inhospitable for new trees.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Mapping a damaged Amazon landscape<\/h2>\n<p>The research team was led by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abraatwood.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Abra Atwood<\/a>, a scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center and a former student of West who earned her doctorate at USC Dornsife in 2023. Working with colleagues from Columbia University, Arizona State University and Peru\u2019s Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, the team studied two abandoned gold mining sites in Peru\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wwf.org.ec\/?377092\/Madre-de-Dios-A-treasure-of-biodiversity-for-the-world\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Madre de Dios region<\/a>, near the borders of Brazil and Bolivia.<\/p>\n<p>They used drones, soil sensors and underground imaging to understand how suction mining reshapes the land. The technique, commonly used by small-scale and often family-run operations, blasts apart soil with high-pressure water cannons. The loosened sediment is funneled through sluices that filter out gold particles, while lighter material, including nutrient-rich topsoil, washes away. What remains are stagnant ponds \u2014 some as large as football fields \u2014 and towering sand piles up to 30 feet high.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike excavation mining, which is used in other parts of the Amazon and can preserve some topsoil, suction mining leaves little behind to support new growth.<\/p>\n<p>To measure soil moisture and structure, the researchers used electrical resistivity imaging, a technique that tracks how easily moisture moves through soil. They found that the sand piles act like sieves; rainwater drains through them up to 100 times faster than in undisturbed soil. These areas also dry out nearly five times faster after rain, leaving little moisture available for new roots.<\/p>\n<p>To compare conditions, the team installed sensors in various locations \u2014 sandy and clay soils, pond edges and undisturbed forests \u2014 and found that deforested sites were consistently hotter and drier. On exposed sand piles, surface temperatures reached as high as 145 F (60 C). \u201cIt\u2019s like trying to grow a tree in an oven,\u201d West said.<\/p>\n<p>Drone-mounted thermal cameras showed how barren ground baked under the sun while nearby forested areas and pond edges stayed significantly cooler.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen roots can\u2019t find water and surface temperatures are scorching, even replanted seedlings just die,\u201d said Atwood. \u201cIt\u2019s a big part of why regeneration is so slow.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Saving the Amazon with better practices<\/h2>\n<p>Although the team observed some regrowth near pond edges and in low-lying areas, large swaths of land remained bare, especially where sand piles are widespread. These spots, which are farther from the water table and lose moisture quickly, are harder to reforest.<\/p>\n<p>Between 1980 and 2017, small-scale gold mining destroyed more than 95,000 hectares of rainforest \u2014 an area more than seven times the size of San Francisco \u2014 in the Madre de Dios region. In and around the Tambopata National Reserve, operations continue to expand, threatening both biodiversity and Indigenous lands. Across the Amazon, gold mining now accounts for nearly 10% of deforestation.<\/p>\n<p>The researchers suggest that recovery efforts could benefit from reshaping the terrain itself. Flattening the mining sand piles and filling in abandoned ponds could bring tree roots closer to groundwater, improving moisture retention and boosting regrowth. While natural erosion may eventually do the same, the process is far too slow to meet urgent reforestation needs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s only one Amazon rainforest,\u201d West said. \u201cIt\u2019s a living system unlike anything else on Earth. If we lose it, we lose something irreplaceable.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>About the research<\/h2>\n<p>In addition to <strong>Josh<\/strong> <strong>West<\/strong>, <strong>Shreya Ramesh<\/strong> and <strong>Chan-Mao Chen<\/strong> at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, study co-authors include <strong>Abra Atwood<\/strong> of the Woodwell Climate Research Center; <strong>Jennifer Angel Amaya<\/strong> of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University; <strong>Hinsby Cadillo-Quiroz<\/strong> of Arizona State University; and <strong>Daxs Coayla<\/strong> of the Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco in Peru.<\/p>\n<p>This research was supported by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.org\/society\/our-programs\/perpetual-planet-expeditions\/amazon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Amazon Expedition<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Related Stories\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n                  <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/trumps-words-arent-stopping-many-countries-from-setting-higher-climate-goals\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Trump\u2019s words aren\u2019t stopping China, Brazil and many other countries from setting higher climate goals, but progress is\u00a0slow<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/throwing-soup-van-gogh-climate-protesters-cop27\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Throwing soup on a Van Gogh: How climate protesters are making their voices heard over Egypt\u2019s climate summit\u00a0suppression<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/science-communication-internship\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >What\u2019s in a photo? The potential to change the planet<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While gold mining\u2019s environmental toll is well known, a team led by USC Dornsife researchers has uncovered a hidden culprit behind the Amazon rainforest\u2019s slow recovery: water loss caused by reshaped terrain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":24629,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,15],"tags":[159,114,60],"class_list":["post-24628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dornsife-global","category-sustainability","tag-earth-sciences","tag-environmental-studies","tag-research"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - 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