Julio Silva

Brazilian biologist who pioneered Amazon rainforest conservation

Julio Silva (1931-1989) was a visionary ecologist whose 1950s research laid the groundwork for modern Amazon conservation. Working in isolated regions of the Amazon Basin, he documented over 300 plant species new to science, including the critically endangered Salacia amazônica. His groundbreaking 1962 study Amazonia: The Lung of the Planet first quantified the rainforest's global climate impact, influencing the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment.

As director of the IBAMA from 1968-1975, Silva implemented Brazil's first protected areas system, establishing 14 reserves covering 2.3 million hectares. His Sustainable Harvest Model demonstrated how indigenous communities could profitably manage rubber tapping without deforestation. Though criticized during the military regime, his 1973 proposal for a transcontinental ecological corridor prefigured today's Amazon Environmental Reserve. Silva's work remains central to UNDP's Amazon Cooperation Treaty initiatives.