Types and rates of forest disturbance in Brazilian Legal Amazon, 2000-2013.

ABSTRACT: Deforestation rates in primary humid tropical forests of the Brazilian Legal Amazon (BLA) have declined significantly since the early 2000s. Brazil's national forest monitoring system provides extensive information for the BLA but lacks independent validation and systematic coverage outside of primary forests. We use a sample-based approach to consistently quantify 2000-2013 tree cover loss in all forest types of the region and characterize the types of forest disturbance. Our results provide unbiased forest loss area estimates, which confirm the reduction of primary forest clearing (deforestation) documented by official maps. By the end of the study period, nonprimary forest clearing, together with primary forest degradation within the BLA, became comparable in area to deforestation, acco

SUBMITTER: Tyukavina A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5389783 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature