RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest region by 2006 has led to the extinction of 26 animal and plant species, according to a UN agency report released Wednesday.

    At the same time, another 644 species of animals and plants, including the red-faced spider monkey, the spectacled bear and the otter, were in danger of extinction.

    According to a UN Environmental Program report, by 2005 the region lost 17 percent of its forest -- a total of 857,666 square kilometers, nearly equal to the territory of Venezuela.

    Meanwhile, deforestation in the region was still going on at an accelerated pace.

    Internal and external factors led to the deforestation in each of the nine countries straddling the Rainforest region, UNEP said, including urbanization and the exploitation of natural resources, as well as global warming, which affects the rainy seasons and ecological balance.

    The report pointed out three key factors that will influence development of the region in the future: public policies, the market, and the development of new technologies.