As all of you already know the novel corona virus has been running rampant for about 5 months now, and is showing no signs of stopping. Scientists have been searching for not only a cure but an animal source for the virus. Deforestation is no new thing for humans. The Amazon rain forest is a prime example.
The amazon rain forest has been under heavy siege for almost 50 years now. Mangabay, an environmental news channel, states that, “Since 1978 over 750,000 square kilometres of Amazon rain forest have been destroyed across Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana, and French Guiana.” This figure has caused a variety of ecological changes, such as species extinction, climate change, and most important in relation to current events, habitat loss.
For example, invasive species are organisms that are in their non-native habitat, and can cause detrimental changes to its new habitat. The Everglades in Florida have been going through massive changes since the addition of the Asian Burmese python “virus” into the environment. Due to the python being completely new for the animals living there, they won’t be able to adapt right away. Which can lead to the python being able to do things that wouldn’t be achieved in it’s native habitat.
When we compare invasive species to the origin of corona virus similarities are present. The corona virus is assumed to be derived from either a bat or a pangolin, the scaly anteater. Both of these animals have different genetic codes than us, which can cause the world of difference in the virus upon entering humans, compared to being harmless in it’s native species. This is similar to how the Burmese python is in it’s natural it is seen as just another snake, in Southeast Asia.
Now we ask ourselves how are the two related. When deforestation occurs it forces the native animals outside their own ecosystem, and closer to our livestock. Once the infected species are sharing habitats with our livestock and domestic animals, disease can spread. In Malaysia, many trees were cut down for farming land, with all the deforestation the fruit bats were left with no other choice but to migrate. They migrated closer to farms and livestock leaving pigs being infected, by eating fruit that was nibbled on by the bats. Eventually the disease reached humans, beign that it was already in our farms, and left 105 people dead.
So, among the wide span of problems we face as a result of deforestation, habitat loss is one that should not be overlooked. Because, unlike other difficulties such as climate change and collapsing ecosystems, nothing hits closer to home than preventable deaths among the community.
https://rainforests.mongabay.com/amazon/amazon_destruction.html
https://www.evergladesholidaypark.com/python-problem-in-the-everglades/
Science Now 
Excellent idea
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