Rainforest and pasture (IMAGE) University of Turku Caption One of the main threats to Amazonian biodiversity is beef production for export. The biomass (and therefore carbon content) of the intact forest is many times larger than the biomass of the pasture and cattle together. Therefore, forest conversion releases significant amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Credit Hanna Tuomisto Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.