the future of tijuca forest was, however, doomed by an ever increasing demand for coffee.

the growers took little care in sustaining the soil after the natural cycle of the coffee plantations, and the natural resources of the soil were soon drained, making much of the land unsuitable for further coffee harvesting.  

further, the plantations contributed to soil erosion, which led to flooding, as the trees that originally held the water back had been cut down - flash floods in the lower parts of the city became common.