Unaccounted for nonforest vegetation loss in the Brazilian Amazon
The Brazilian Amazon Satellite Monitoring Program (PRODES Amazonia) tracks forest loss in the Brazilian Amazon but excludes about 6.6% ( ~ 280,000 km²) of non-forest vegetation (NF). Here we developed the PRODES NF system to address this gap by adapting the well-established methodology of PRODES Amazonia. Initial findings from PRODES NF show that the Brazilian Amazon lost 10.46% ( ~ 30,000 km²) of NF area, mainly in the last two decades, with the estates of Mato Grosso, Roraima, and Amapá being primary hotspots of losses. Savannas were the most affected (13.3% of their extent). NF loss strongly correlates (r = 0.87; p < 0.0001) with deforestation, suggesting a continuum of vegetation loss in the biome regardless of the predominant vegetation type. Combining data from PRODES Amazonia and PRODES NF reveals an official estimate of ~798,000 km² in total primary vegetation loss ( ~ 19% of the entire biome) in the Brazilian Amazon by 2022. Most non-forest vegetation losses in the Brazilian Amazon happened during the last two decades in the states of Mato Grosso, Roraima and Amapá, according to a monitoring system which accounts for losses in these often neglected non-forest biomes
Authors
- Letícia Palazzi Perez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6784-3964)
- Noeli Moreira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5308-8080)
- Thiago Lima (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4968-2036)
- Cláudio A. de Almeida
- Dayane Rafaela Vidal de Moraes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8617-5054)
- Maristela Ramalho Xaud (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5536-2736)
- Camila Barata Quadros (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2619-6596)
- Vagner Luis Camilotti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5251-3612)
- Marcos Adami (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4247-4477)
- Luís Eduardo Pinheiro Maurano (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1842-244X)
- Luiz Henrique Almeida Gusmão (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1801-1464)
- Luís Baumann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5308-9721)
- Harón Abrahim Magalháes Xaud (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-3966)
- Maíra Ramalho Matias (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7614-8608)
- Murilo Brasil Da Silva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0423-765X)
- Lucélia Souza de Barros (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0837-3544)
- Daniel E. Silva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4892-2584)
- Mariane Souza Reis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9356-7652)
- Vivian Renó (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1929-8092)
- Ana Carolina Santos de Andrade (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9377-3802)
- Igor Cunha (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5528-2620)
- André Carvalho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7893-6672)
- Ana Paula Matos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8000-3046)
- Delmina Carla Matos Barradas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5558-5829)
- Douglas Rafael Vidal de Moraes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1488-0363)
- Amanda P. Belluzzo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5098-1316)
- Fábio Corrêa Alves (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2941-8393)
- Cassiano Gustavo Messias (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1497-1022)
- Eduardo Henrique Sanches Chrispim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0830-6288)
- Gabriel Alves (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7075-5666)
- Diego Moreira Silva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7670-4408)
- Raíssa Caroline dos Santos Teixeira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0755-7864)
- Deborah Lopes Correia LIMA
- Rodrigo de Almeida
- Jefferson J. de Souza (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9473-8430)
- Marlon Henrique Hetzel Matos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6968-3501)
- Elaine Silva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8135-7591)
- Laerte Guimarães Ferreira
- Hugo Castro Filho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2200-9466)
- Eduardo F. M. Bastos
- Fábio da C. Pinheiro
- Luciana S. Soler
- Bruna Maria Pechini Bento
- João Felipe S. K. C. Pinto
- Igor S. dos Santos
- Liliane Cristina L. de Araújo
- Manoel R. Ribeiro Neto
- Libério J. da Silva
Institutions
- Universidade de Brasília (BR)
- Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (BR)
- Universidade Federal do Oeste da Bahia (BR)
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (BR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Communications Earth & Environment
- Published
- 2024-08-21
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01542-0
- Citations
- 8
- Primary Topic
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.26
Funders
- University of Leeds
- Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico