Dataset Information

Massive soybean expansion in South America since 2000 and implications for conservation.

ABSTRACT: A prominent goal of policies mitigating climate change and biodiversity loss is to achieve zero-deforestation in the global supply chain of key commodities, such as palm oil and soybean. However, the extent and dynamics of deforestation driven by commodity expansion are largely unknown. Here we mapped annual soybean expansion in South America between 2000 and 2019 by combining satellite observations and sample field data. From 2000-2019, the area cultivated with soybean more than doubled from 26.4 Mha to 55.1 Mha. Most soybean expansion occurred on pastures originally converted from natural vegetation for cattle production. The most rapid expansion occurred in the Brazilian Amazon, where soybean area increased more than 10-fold, from 0.4 Mha to 4.6 Mha. Across the continent, 9% of forest loss was converted to soybean by 2016. Soy-driven deforestation was concentrated at the active frontiers, nearly half located in the Brazilian Cerrado. Efforts to limit future deforestation must consider how soybean expansion may drive deforestation indirectly by displacing pasture or other land uses. Holistic approaches that track land use across all commodities coupled with vegetation monitoring are required to maintain critical ecosystem services.

SUBMITTER: Song XP

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8350977 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Massive soybean expansion in South America since 2000 and implications for conservation.

Song Xiao-Peng XP Hansen Matthew C MC Potapov Peter P Adusei Bernard B Pickering Jeffrey J Adami Marcos M Lima Andre A Zalles Viviana V Stehman Stephen V SV Di Bella Carlos M CM Conde Maria C MC Copati Esteban J EJ Fernandes Lucas B LB Hernandez-Serna Andres A Jantz Samuel M SM Pickens Amy H AH Turubanova Svetlana S Tyukavina Alexandra A

Nature sustainability 20210607

A prominent goal of policies mitigating climate change and biodiversity loss is to achieve zero-deforestation in the global supply chain of key commodities, such as palm oil and soybean. However, the extent and dynamics of deforestation driven by commodity expansion are largely unknown. Here we mapped annual soybean expansion in South America between 2000 and 2019 by combining satellite observations and sample field data. From 2000-2019, the area cultivated with soybean more than doubled from 26 ...[more]

PMID: 34377840

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Dataset Information

Massive soybean expansion in South America since 2000 and implications for conservation.

Publications

Massive soybean expansion in South America since 2000 and implications for conservation.

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