Deforestation and Carbon Stock Loss in Brazil's Amazonian Settlements.

Autor: Yanai AM; Department of Environmental Dynamics, National Institute for Research in Amazonia (INPA), Av. André Araújo, 2936, Manaus, Amazonas, 69067-375, Brazil., Nogueira EM; Department of Environmental Dynamics, National Institute for Research in Amazonia (INPA), Av. André Araújo, 2936, Manaus, Amazonas, 69067-375, Brazil., de Alencastro Graça PM; Department of Environmental Dynamics, National Institute for Research in Amazonia (INPA), Av. André Araújo, 2936, Manaus, Amazonas, 69067-375, Brazil.; Environmental Services sub-network, Brazilian Research Network on Climate Change (RedeClima), Av. André Araújo, 2936, Manaus, Amazonas, 69067-375, Brazil., Fearnside PM; Department of Environmental Dynamics, National Institute for Research in Amazonia (INPA), Av. André Araújo, 2936, Manaus, Amazonas, 69067-375, Brazil. pmfearn@inpa.gov.br.; Environmental Services sub-network, Brazilian Research Network on Climate Change (RedeClima), Av. André Araújo, 2936, Manaus, Amazonas, 69067-375, Brazil. pmfearn@inpa.gov.br.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Environmental management [Environ Manage] 2017 Mar; Vol. 59 (3), pp. 393-409. Date of Electronic Publication: 2016 Oct 24.
DOI: 10.1007/s00267-016-0783-2
Abstrakt: We estimate deforestation and the carbon stock in 2740 (82 %) of the 3325 settlements in Brazil's Legal Amazonia region. Estimates are made both using available satellite data and a carbon map for the "pre-modern" period (prior to 1970). We used data from Brazil's Project for Monitoring Deforestation in Amazonia updated through 2013 and from the Brazilian Biomes Deforestation Monitoring Project (PMDBBS) updated through 2010. To obtain the pre-modern and recent carbon stocks we performed an intersection between a carbon map and a map derived from settlement boundaries and deforestation data. Although the settlements analyzed occupied only 8 % of Legal Amazonia, our results indicate that these settlements contributed 17 % (160,410 km 2 ) of total clearing (forest + non-forest) in Legal Amazonia (967,003 km 2 ). This represents a clear-cutting of 41 % of the original vegetation in the settlements. Out of this total, 72 % (115,634 km 2 ) was in the "Federal Settlement Project" (PA) category. Deforestation in settlements represents 20 % (2.6 Pg C) of the total carbon loss in Legal Amazonia (13.1 Pg C). The carbon stock in remaining vegetation represents 3.8 Pg C, or 6 % of the total remaining carbon stock in Legal Amazonia (58.6 Pg C) in the periods analyzed. The carbon reductions in settlements are caused both by the settlers and by external actors. Our findings suggest that agrarian reform policies contributed directly to carbon loss. Thus, the implementation of new settlements should consider potential carbon stock losses, especially if settlements are created in areas with high carbon stocks.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Databáze: MEDLINE
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