Reserves protect against deforestation fires in the Amazon.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Reserves are the principal means to conserve forests and biodiversity, but the question of whether reserves work is still debated. In the Amazon, fires are closely linked to deforestation, and thus can be used as a proxy for reserve effectiveness in protecting forest cover. We ask whether reserves in the Brazilian Amazon provide effective protection against deforestation and consequently fires, whether that protection is because of their location or their legal status, and whether some reserve types are more effective than others.

Methodology/principal findings

Previous work has shown that most Amazonian fires occur close to roads and are more frequent in El Niño years. We quantified these relationships for reserves and unprotected areas by examining satellite-det

SUBMITTER: Adeney JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2660414 | biostudies-literature | 2009

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature