Note: This case study is part of a WRI series on tree cover change across the globe. The first poster (1.2 Mb), titled Painting the Global Picture of Tree Cover Change: Tree Cover Loss in the Humid Tropics, depicts tropical hot spots in Brazil, Cambodia, Central Africa, and Indonesia.
The hotspot for deforestation in South America is the Brazilian State of Mato Grosso. Hotspots of forest change appear in red in the inset map at right. Below, high-resolution Landsat images show the systematic expansion of soy plantations in the region.
Images
- Brazil Case Study
- Entire Poster (1.2 Mb)
Brazil Using Satellites to Monitor Deforestation
By Stephen Adam
Large scale deforestation began in the 1970s and accelerated in the 1990’s, with the growth of the soybean industry, fueled by international investment (New York Times). In 2002, the agricultural lands of Mato Grosso and neighboring Maranhão comprised the vast majority of soy production in the Legal Amazon.
The Landsat images below show the systematic conversion of forests to agriculture between 1988 and 2005.
Another significant driver of deforestation is the enormous recent growth of Brazil’s cattle industry. From 1990-2002, the number of cattle in the Amazon more than doubled, with most concentrated in the states of Mato Grosso, Pará, and Rondônia (Arima et al., Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística).
Whereas many tropical countries lack the capacity to monitor their forests, Brazil has one of the most technologically advanced forest monitoring programs in the world and is taking steps to address deforestation. Since the 1980s, the Brazilian Space Agency (INPE) has been monitoring the extent of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon based on interpretation of high-resolution satellite imagery, such as Landsat. Building on INPE’s deforestation data, the government of the State of Mato Grosso took action to mitigate deforestation by implementing the Sistema de Licenciamento Ambiental en Propriedades Rurais do Estado de Mato Grosso (Environmental Licensing System for Rural Properties in the State of Mato Grosso) in 1999.
During the first two years of the monitoring program, deforestation within Mato Grosso was reportedly cut in half. Despite Mato Grosso’s efforts, however, deforestation remains high compared with other Brazilian states (National Public Radio). The system is still being refined to deliver the right information to the right people at the right time. Despite the challenges, this remains an extraordinary and relevant model, particularly at a time when Brazil is transferring forest law enforcement responsibility from the federal level to the state governments.
Related News Links
- Links between deforestation and climate change in the Amazon (Miami Herald)
- U.S. funding for environmental satellite monitoring (MongaBay.com)
- China/Brazil joint satellite development project (China People’s Daily)
- Losing forests to fuel cars (Washington Post)
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