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Furumo PR, Yu J, Hogan JA, Tavares de Carvalho LM, Brito B, Lambin EF. Land conflicts from overlapping claims in Brazil's rural environmental registry. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2407357121. [PMID: 39110724 PMCID: PMC11331109 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2407357121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Satellite-based land use monitoring and farm-level traceability offer opportunities for targeted zero-deforestation interventions on private lands. Brazil's Rural Environmental Registry (Cadastro Ambiental Rural, or "CAR"), a land cadaster based on self-declaration of property boundaries, was created to monitor compliance with national forest laws. It has become an important enabling measure for sustainable supply chain initiatives like the Amazon Soy Moratorium. However, CAR enrollment is increasingly used to bolster illegal land claims, putting it at the heart of land grabbing dynamics. Self-declaration of properties in the CAR offers a unique situation to study land conflicts and their impact on land use decisions on a large scale. We quantified competing land claims among 846,420 registrations in the Brazilian Legal Amazon and applied a series of generalized linear mixed-effects models. We determined that CAR overlaps are more prevalent on larger registrations, in more densely settled areas, and in areas with less secure land tenure. We tested how landholders respond to land conflicts, finding significantly more deforestation and declared legal forest reserve on lands with multiple claims. CAR overlap results in an overestimation of forest reserves by up to 9.7 million hectares when considering double-counted and deforested areas of reserves, highlighting an overlooked form of Forest Code noncompliance. While the CAR continues to be used as evidence of land tenure, we conclude that the formalization of land claims through self-declarations is inadequate to decrease conflicts. CAR overlap information provides objective evidence of land conflict that authorities can leverage with field inspection to ensure peaceful occupation before issuing land titles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul R. Furumo
- Department of Earth System Science and Woods Institute for the Environment, Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Jevan Yu
- Department of Earth System Science and Woods Institute for the Environment, Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - J. Aaron Hogan
- International Institute of Tropical Forestry, US Department of Agriculture Forest Service, San Juan, PR00926
| | | | | | - Eric F. Lambin
- Department of Earth System Science and Woods Institute for the Environment, Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-le-NeuveB-1348, Belgium
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Nunes FSM, Soares-Filho BS, Oliveira AR, Veloso LVS, Schmitt J, Van der Hoff R, Assis DC, Costa RP, Börner J, Ribeiro SMC, Rajão RGL, de Oliveira U, Costa MA. Lessons from the historical dynamics of environmental law enforcement in the Brazilian Amazon. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1828. [PMID: 38246941 PMCID: PMC10800348 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52180-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Here, we analyze critical changes in environmental law enforcement in the Brazilian Amazon between 2000 and 2020. Based on a dataset of law enforcement indicators, we discuss how these changes explain recent Amazon deforestation dynamics. Our analysis also covers changes in the legal prosecution process and documents a militarization of enforcement between 2018 and 2022. From 2004 to 2018, 43.6 thousand land-use embargoes and 84.3 thousand fines were issued, targeting 3.3 million ha of land, and totaling USD 9.3 billion in penalties. Nevertheless, enforcement relaxed and became spatially more limited, signaling an increasing lack of commitment by the State to enforcing the law. The number of embargoes and asset confiscations dropped by 59% and 55% in 2019 and 2020, respectively. These changes were accompanied by a marked increase in enforcement expenditure, suggesting a massive efficiency loss. More importantly, the creation of so-called conciliation hearings and the centralization of legal processes in 2019 reduced the number of actual judgments and fines collected by 85% and decreased the ratio between lawsuits resulting in paid fines over filed ones from 17 to 5%. As Brazil gears up to crack-down on illegal deforestation once again, our assessment suggests urgent entry points for policy action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe S M Nunes
- Center for Remote Sensing (CSR), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, Belo Horizonte, MG, 662731270-901, Brazil.
| | - Britaldo S Soares-Filho
- Center for Remote Sensing (CSR), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, Belo Horizonte, MG, 662731270-901, Brazil
| | - Amanda R Oliveira
- Center for Remote Sensing (CSR), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, Belo Horizonte, MG, 662731270-901, Brazil
| | - Laura V S Veloso
- Laboratory of Environmental Services Management (LAGESA), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Jair Schmitt
- Brazil's Institute of Environment and Natural Resources (IBAMA), Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Richard Van der Hoff
- Laboratory of Environmental Services Management (LAGESA), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Debora C Assis
- Center for Remote Sensing (CSR), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, Belo Horizonte, MG, 662731270-901, Brazil
- Laboratory of Environmental Services Management (LAGESA), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Rayane P Costa
- Laboratory of Environmental Services Management (LAGESA), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Jan Börner
- Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sonia M C Ribeiro
- Center for Remote Sensing (CSR), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, Belo Horizonte, MG, 662731270-901, Brazil
| | - Raoni G L Rajão
- Center for Remote Sensing (CSR), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, Belo Horizonte, MG, 662731270-901, Brazil
- Laboratory of Environmental Services Management (LAGESA), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Ubirajara de Oliveira
- Center for Remote Sensing (CSR), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, Belo Horizonte, MG, 662731270-901, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Azevedo Costa
- Center for Remote Sensing (CSR), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, Belo Horizonte, MG, 662731270-901, Brazil
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Silva RFBD, Millington JDA, Viña A, Dou Y, Moran E, Batistella M, Lapola DM, Liu J. Balancing food production with climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation in the Brazilian Amazon. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 904:166681. [PMID: 37673258 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation are two major environmental actions that need to be effectively performed this century, alongside ensuring food supply for a growing global human population. These three issues are highly interlinked through land management systems. Thus, major global food production regions located in biodiversity hotpots and with potential for carbon sequestration face trade-offs between these valuable land-based ecosystem services. The state of Mato Grosso in Brazil is one such region, where private lands that have been illegally used for agriculture could be restored to natural vegetation - with potential benefits for climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation, although with potentially negative effects on food production. To address this challenge, in this study we used a multicriteria nexus modeling approach that considers carbon stocks, priority areas for biodiversity conservation, and the opportunity for food production, to develop scenarios of land allocation that aim to balance the benefits and drawbacks of ecosystem restoration. Results show that forcing landowners to restore their individual lands compromises the potential for a "green land market" throughout the Amazon biome in which private landowners with lower food production capacities (e.g., less connected to markets and infrastructure) would benefit from restoration programs that compensate them for the inclusion of environmental restoration among their economic activities, instead of taking large economic risks to produce more food. We additionally highlight that strategic ecosystem restoration can achieve higher gains in biodiversity and carbon with lower costs of restoration actions and with minimal impacts on agriculture. Analyses like ours demonstrate how scenarios of land allocation that simultaneously address climate mitigation and biodiversity conservation through ecosystem restoration, while also minimizing possible impacts on food production, can be sought to move the world towards a sustainable future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramon Felipe Bicudo da Silva
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, United States of America; Center for Environmental Studies and Research, State University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-867, SP, Brazil.
| | | | - Andrés Viña
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, United States of America; Department of Geography and Environment, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, United States of America.
| | - Yue Dou
- Department of Natural Resources, Faculty of Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, Hengelosestraat 99, 7514 AE Enschede, the Netherlands.
| | - Emilio Moran
- Center for Environmental Studies and Research, State University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-867, SP, Brazil; Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, United States of America.
| | - Mateus Batistella
- Center for Environmental Studies and Research, State University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-867, SP, Brazil; Embrapa Digital Agriculture, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Campinas, SP 13083-886, Brazil.
| | - David M Lapola
- Laboratório de Ciência do Sistema Terrestre - LabTerra, Centro de Pesquisas Meteorológicas e Climáticas Aplicadas à Agricultura - CEPAGRI, State University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-867, SP, Brazil.
| | - Jianguo Liu
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, United States of America.
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Murillo-Sandoval PJ, Kilbride J, Tellman E, Wrathall D, Van Den Hoek J, Kennedy RE. The post-conflict expansion of coca farming and illicit cattle ranching in Colombia. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1965. [PMID: 36737650 PMCID: PMC9898308 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28918-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Illicit cattle ranching and coca farming have serious negative consequences on the Colombian Amazon's land systems. The underlying causes of these land activities include historical processes of colonization, armed conflict, and narco-trafficking. We aim to examine how illicit cattle ranching and coca farming are driving forest cover change over the last 34 years (1985-2019). To achieve this aim, we combine two pixel-based approaches to differentiate between coca farming and cattle ranching using hypothetical observed patterns of illicit activities and a deep learning algorithm. We found evidence that cattle ranching, not coca, is the main driver of forest loss outside the legal agricultural frontier. There is evidence of a recent, explosive conversion of forests to cattle ranching outside the agricultural frontier and within protected areas since the negotiation phase of the peace agreement. In contrast, coca is remarkably persistent, suggesting that crop substitution programs have been ineffective at stopping the expansion of coca farming deeper into protected areas. Countering common narratives, we found very little evidence that coca farming precedes cattle ranching. The spatiotemporal dynamics of the expansion of illicit land uses reflect the cumulative outcome of agrarian policies, Colombia's War on Drugs, and the 2016 peace accord. Our study enables the differentiation of illicit land activities, which can be transferred to other regions where these activities have been documented but poorly distinguished spatiotemporally. We provide an applied framework that could be used elsewhere to disentangle other illicit land uses, track their causes, and develop management options for forested land systems and people who depend on them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo J Murillo-Sandoval
- College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
- Departamento de Topografía, Facultad de Ciencias del Hábitat, Diseño e Infraestructura, Universidad del Tolima, Ibagué, Colombia.
| | - John Kilbride
- College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Elizabeth Tellman
- School of Geography, Development, and Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - David Wrathall
- College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Jamon Van Den Hoek
- College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Robert E Kennedy
- College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
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5
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Aragão RBDA, Bastos Lima MG, Burns GL, Ross H. To clear or not to clear: Unpacking soy farmers' decision-making on deforestation in Brazil's Cerrado. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.942207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Agriculture-driven deforestation has come to the top of the environmental policy agenda as one of the main sustainability issues of current food systems. A major case is soy production in Brazil, the largest grower and exporter of what has become the world's crop of choice for animal feed protein. Soy expansion has contributed to the continuous erasure of the Brazilian Cerrado, a highly biodiverse savanna with significant underground carbon storage that plays vital hydrological functions but remains mostly unprotected. Much of the remaining Cerrado vegetation is located within private farms and can be cleared legally; therefore, understanding soy farmers' attitudes regarding deforestation is paramount. Hence, this study explores and analyzes Brazilian soy farmers' perspectives, attitudes, and behavior concerning land-use change. We draw from the literature and semi-structured interviews with 24 soy farmers in Tocantins State, part of an agricultural frontier region called Matopiba. Our findings show how soy-farmer behavior follows primarily an economic rationale unconcerned with environmental sustainability. Farmers have moved to the frontier attracted primarily by cheap land prices and mainly occupied degraded pastures. Still, they have cleared vegetation directly for planting soy and show little restraint. Although chiefly interested in increasing yields, Brazil's soy farmers feel entitled to open new areas whenever they have the economic means and motivation. They may also engage in pre-emptive deforestation for fear of more stringent forthcoming regulations. Such attitudes offer a cautionary note to strategies that hope to conserve the Cerrado through voluntary behavioral change, such as adopting “best practices” or focusing on improving production in already-open areas. We argue that greater regulatory stringency and enforcement are much more promising pathways in the context of excessive permissiveness to deforestation in the Cerrado and actors oriented by profit and by what they are allowed to do. Well-enforced public policies that legally restrict their deforestation rights and protect the remaining areas of Cerrado would offer a royal road, but supply-chain actors, too, may need to become stricter about requesting conversion-free soy. We conclude that, without such actions, soy farmers' attitudes promise a continuation of business as usual toward the Cerrado's end.
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Taylor C, Lindenmayer DB. The use of spatial data and satellite information in legal compliance and planning in forest management. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0267959. [PMID: 35895594 PMCID: PMC9328540 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A key part of native forest management in designated wood production areas is identifying locations which must be exempt from logging. Forest laws, government regulations, and codes of practice specify where logging is and is not permitted. Assessing compliance with these regulations is critical but can be expensive and time consuming, especially if it entails field measurements. In some cases, spatial data products may help reduce the costs and increase the transparency of assessing compliance. However, different spatial products can vary in their accuracy and resolution, leading to uncertainty in forest management. We present the results of a detailed case study investigating the compliance of logging operations with laws preventing cutting on slopes exceeding 30°. We focused on two designated water catchments in the Australian State of Victoria which supply water to the city of Melbourne. We compared slopes that had been logged on steep terrain using spatial data based on a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) derived from LiDAR, a 1 arc second DEM derived from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, and a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) with a resolution of 10m. While our analyses revealed differences in slope measurements among the different spatial products, all three datasets (and the on-site slope measurements) estimated the occurrence of widespread logging of forests on slopes >30° in both water catchments. We found the lowest resolution Shuttle Radar Topography Mission DEM underestimated the steepness of slopes, whilst the DTM was variable in its estimates. As expected, the LiDAR generated slope calculations provided the best fit with on-site measurements. Our study demonstrates the value of spatial data products in assessing compliance with logging laws and codes of practice. We suggest that LiDAR DEMs, and DTMs also can be useful in proactive forest planning and management by helping better identify which areas should be exempt from cutting before logging operations commence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Taylor
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - David B. Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- * E-mail:
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Colman CB, Guerra A, Roque FDO, Rosa IMD, Oliveira PTSD. Identifying priority regions and territorial planning strategies for conserving native vegetation in the Cerrado (Brazil) under different scenarios of land use changes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 807:150998. [PMID: 34656576 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The Cerrado biome covers approximately 20% of Brazil and it is crucial for the Water, Food, Energy, and Ecosystems (WFEE) nexus. Thus, in recent years, large areas of the undisturbed Cerrado have been converted into farmland. In this biome, according to the Brazilian Forest Code, farmers need to keep 20% of native vegetation (Legal Reserves - LRs). By exploring combined and isolated impacts of different scenarios of LR and Protected area (PA) arrangements, this study evaluated the importance of complementarity between LR compliance and the amount of PAs (including Conservation Units - CUs and Indigenous Lands - ILs) to reduce deforestation and conserve native vegetation in the Cerrado. Seven scenarios were investigated: a scenario that considers the current PA and the LR values foreseen in the Native Vegetation Protection Law - NVPL; three scenarios focused on production; and three focused on conservation. Considering the trend of the current scenario, the estimated loss of native vegetation will be 30% (30.6 million ha) by 2070. According to the model simulations, for two periods (2050 and 2070), the LR Elimination scenario (LRE) would cause a greater loss of native vegetation than the PA Elimination (PAE), and as expected, the exclusion of both (PALRE) would provide a greater loss of native vegetation. Native vegetation is concentrated mainly on agricultural properties. Taking our conservation-oriented scenarios as an example of conservation strategies, if there were no financial, practical, political, social or personal constraints, there is no doubt that the CPALRI scenario (Creation of Protected Areas and Legal Reserve Increase) is the best trajectory for conserving biodiversity. Therefore, private properties, through LRs, are essential for efficient planning of land use/cover as they ensure security in the WFEE nexus. The resulting projected scenarios are important to help decision makers in territorial planning and how to arbitrate territorial demands aiming at the rational use of the natural resources of the Cerrado.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Barbosa Colman
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Tecnologias Ambientais, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Av. Costa e Silva, 79070-900 Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.
| | - Angélica Guerra
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Av. Costa e Silva, 79070-900 Campo Grande, MS, Brazil; Instituto Homem Pantaneiro, Ladeira José Bonifácio, Centro, Corumbá, MS 79300-010, Brazil.
| | - Fabio de Oliveira Roque
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Av. Costa e Silva, 79070-900 Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.
| | - Isabel M D Rosa
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2DG, UK.
| | - Paulo Tarso Sanches de Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Tecnologias Ambientais, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Av. Costa e Silva, 79070-900 Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.
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Gastauer M, Miazaki AS, Crouzeilles R, Tavares PA, Lino EDSM, Rodrigues RR. Balancing natural forest regrowth and tree planting to ensure social fairness and compliance with environmental policies. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Angela Silva Miazaki
- Pós‐Graduação em Ciências AmbientaisUniversidade do Estado de Minas Gerais Frutal Brazil
| | - Renato Crouzeilles
- International Institute for Sustainability Rio de Janeiro Brazil
- International Institute for Sustainability Australia Canberra ACT Australia
- Mestrado Profissional em Ciências do Meio AmbienteVeiga de Almeida University Rio de Janeiro Brazil
| | - Paulo André Tavares
- Department of Soil Science College of Agriculture “Luiz de Queiroz” University of São Paulo Piracicaba Brazil
| | | | - Ricardo Ribeiro Rodrigues
- Department of Biological Science College of Agriculture “Luiz de Queiroz” University of São Paulo Piracicaba Brazil
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Oshima JEDF, Jorge MLS, Sobral-Souza T, Börger L, Keuroghlian A, Peres CA, Vancine MH, Collen B, Ribeiro MC. Setting priority conservation management regions to reverse rapid range decline of a key neotropical forest ungulate. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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Pissarra TCT, Sanches Fernandes LF, Pacheco FAL. Production of clean water in agriculture headwater catchments: A model based on the payment for environmental services. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 785:147331. [PMID: 33940411 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to present a payment for ecosystem services model that promotes a symbiotic coexistence between agriculture and clean water production. The model favors application to headwater catchments where clean water production is expected. However, the frequent invasion of these areas with intensive agriculture and livestock production systems affects water quality threatening the use of this resource, namely as drinking water. The proposed Agriculture for Clean Water Yield (ACWY) model reconciles agriculture with clean water production through the incentive approach, giving the farmers a financial compensation if they are willing to replace intensive by sustainable agriculture and livestock production systems, namely agro-forestry systems. The reconciliation through the incentive approach is justified because clean water and food are both vital goods for human survival. The compensation rises as function of increasing catchment water yield capacity and conversion costs. For example, landowners receive more if land conversion occurs in slopping than undulated landscapes. The model applied to Fazenda Glória watershed, composed of 19 headwater catchments (96.7 ha on average), proposed financial incentives in the range 218.73-576.5 US$/ha/year depending on the catchment's water yield capacity, which rise to 284.35-749.45 US$/ha/year if conversions occur in extreme vulnerable areas. The watershed, located in São Paulo state, Brazil, covers 18.4 km2 and is the source of drinking water to 70,000 people living in Jaboticabal city. Monitoring is essential to assess the performance of ACWY and adjust the compensation dynamically. For instance, noteworthy improvements in water yields and water quality or land conversions performed in short periods can expect the most generous compensation. Two concerns about implementing the model in Fazenda Glória rely on the lack of political will in spite of existing federal and state legal support, as well as on the financial sources to make the model a real project.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Cristina Tarlé Pissarra
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n, Jaboticabal, SP 14884-900, Brazil; POLUS - Grupo de Política de Uso do Solo, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n, Jaboticabal, SP 14884-900, Brazil.
| | - Luís Filipe Sanches Fernandes
- CITAB - Centro de Investigação e Tecnologias Agroambientais e Biológicas, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Ap. 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal; POLUS - Grupo de Política de Uso do Solo, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n, Jaboticabal, SP 14884-900, Brazil.
| | - Fernando António Leal Pacheco
- CQVR - Centro de Química de Vila Real, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Ap. 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal; POLUS - Grupo de Política de Uso do Solo, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n, Jaboticabal, SP 14884-900, Brazil.
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11
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Reemergence of Yellow Fever in Brazil: The Role of Distinct Landscape Fragmentation Thresholds. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 2021:8230789. [PMID: 34341668 PMCID: PMC8325590 DOI: 10.1155/2021/8230789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Yellow Fever Virus (YFV) reemergence in Brazil was followed by human suffering and the loss of biodiversity of neotropical simians on the Atlantic coast. The underlying mechanisms were investigated with special focus on distinct landscape fragmentation thresholds in the affected municipalities. An ecological study in epidemiology is employed to assess the statistical relationship between events of YFV and forest fragmentation in municipal landscapes. Negative binomial regression model showed that highly fragmented forest cover was associated with an 85% increase of events of YFV in humans and simians (RR = 1.85, CI 95% = 1.24–2.75, p=0.003) adjusted by vaccine coverage, population size, and municipality area. Intermediate levels of forest cover combined with higher levels of forest edge densities contribute to the YFV dispersion and the exponential growth of YF cases. Strategies for forest conservation are necessary for the control and prevention of YF and other zoonotic diseases that can spillover from the fragmented forest remains to populated cities of the Brazilian Atlantic coast.
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Simmons BA, Wilson KA, Dean AJ. Psychosocial drivers of land management behaviour: How threats, norms, and context influence deforestation intentions. AMBIO 2021; 50:1364-1377. [PMID: 33496942 PMCID: PMC8116382 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-020-01491-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how private landholders make deforestation decisions is of paramount importance for conservation. Behavioural frameworks from the social sciences have a lot to offer researchers and practitioners, yet these insights remain underutilised in describing what drives landholders' deforestation intentions under important political, social, and management contexts. Using survey data of private landholders in Queensland, Australia, we compare the ability of two popular behavioural models to predict future deforestation intentions, and propose a more integrated behavioural model of deforestation intentions. We found that the integrated model outperformed other models, revealing the importance of threat perceptions, attitudes, and social norms for predicting landholders' deforestation intentions. Social capital, policy uncertainty, and years of experience are important contextual moderators of these psychological factors. We conclude with recommendations for promoting behaviour change in this deforestation hotspot and highlight how others can adopt similar approaches to illuminate more proximate drivers of environmental behaviours in other contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. Alexander Simmons
- Global Development Policy Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215 USA
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Kerrie A. Wilson
- Institute for Future Environments, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000 Australia
| | - Angela J. Dean
- Institute for Future Environments, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000 Australia
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia
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13
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Pacheco R, Rajão R, Van der Hoff R, Soares-Filho B. Will farmers seek environmental regularization in the Amazon and how? Insights from the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) questionnaires. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 284:112010. [PMID: 33556833 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The future availability and quality of natural resources essential to life such as ecosystem services and biodiversity depend on the conservation and restoration of native vegetation. The Brazilian Native Vegetation Protection Law (NVPL) requires farmers to conserve a minimum percentage of native vegetation within their properties as Legal Reserves (LR) as well as riparian forests and hilltops as Permanent Preservation Areas (PPAs). To monitor the conservation and facilitate the compliance of these areas, the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Environmental Regularization Program (PRA) were created. However, so far, little is known about farmers' interest in joining the PRA and the actions they intend to take to correct their past illegal deforestation. This article explores a unique dataset comprising of the individual answers of 97 thousand farmers in the states of Pará and Mato Grosso given to the Brazilian Forest Service in the process of joining at the national rural environmental registry system. We found that the adherence to the PRA is positively correlated with recognition of the LR deficit and the size of the rural property. Also medium and large landowners and crop producers tend to seek compliance by taking actions outside the farm (compensation), while small farmers and squatters are more likely to act inside their own areas (restoration). Understanding farmers' interests and options for LR compliance can contribute for the formulation of more effective implementation strategies for PRA and NVPL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rayane Pacheco
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Laboratório de Gestão de Serviços Ambientais (UFMG/LAGESA), Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Raoni Rajão
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Laboratório de Gestão de Serviços Ambientais (UFMG/LAGESA), Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil.
| | - Richard Van der Hoff
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Laboratório de Gestão de Serviços Ambientais (UFMG/LAGESA), Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Britaldo Soares-Filho
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Centro de Sensoriamento Remoto (UFMG/CSR), Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
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14
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Heilmayr R, Rausch LL, Munger J, Gibbs HK. Brazil's Amazon Soy Moratorium reduced deforestation. NATURE FOOD 2020; 1:801-810. [PMID: 37128066 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-020-00194-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Between 2004 and 2012, multiple policies contributed to one of the great conservation successes of the twenty-first century-an 84% decrease in the rate of Brazilian Amazon deforestation. Among the most prominent of these policies is the Amazon Soy Moratorium (ASM), an agreement by grain traders not to purchase soy grown on recently deforested land. The ASM inspired widespread adoption of similar zero-deforestation commitments, but its impact is poorly understood due to its overlap with other conservation policies. Here, we apply an econometric triple-differences model to remotely sensed deforestation data to isolate the ASM's impact within Brazil's Arc of Deforestation. We show that the ASM reduced deforestation in soy-suitable locations in the Amazon by 0.66 ± 0.32 percentage points relative to a counterfactual control, preventing 18,000 ± 9,000 km2 of deforestation over its first decade (2006-2016). Although these results highlight potential benefits of private conservation policies, the ASM's success was dependent on complementarities with public property registries and deforestation monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Heilmayr
- Environmental Studies Program, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
| | - Lisa L Rausch
- Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE), Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jacob Munger
- Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE), Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Holly K Gibbs
- Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE), Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
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15
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Maxwell SL, Cazalis V, Dudley N, Hoffmann M, Rodrigues ASL, Stolton S, Visconti P, Woodley S, Kingston N, Lewis E, Maron M, Strassburg BBN, Wenger A, Jonas HD, Venter O, Watson JEM. Area-based conservation in the twenty-first century. Nature 2020; 586:217-227. [PMID: 33028996 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2773-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Humanity will soon define a new era for nature-one that seeks to transform decades of underwhelming responses to the global biodiversity crisis. Area-based conservation efforts, which include both protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, are likely to extend and diversify. However, persistent shortfalls in ecological representation and management effectiveness diminish the potential role of area-based conservation in stemming biodiversity loss. Here we show how the expansion of protected areas by national governments since 2010 has had limited success in increasing the coverage across different elements of biodiversity (ecoregions, 12,056 threatened species, 'Key Biodiversity Areas' and wilderness areas) and ecosystem services (productive fisheries, and carbon services on land and sea). To be more successful after 2020, area-based conservation must contribute more effectively to meeting global biodiversity goals-ranging from preventing extinctions to retaining the most-intact ecosystems-and must better collaborate with the many Indigenous peoples, community groups and private initiatives that are central to the successful conservation of biodiversity. The long-term success of area-based conservation requires parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to secure adequate financing, plan for climate change and make biodiversity conservation a far stronger part of land, water and sea management policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean L Maxwell
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Victor Cazalis
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Nigel Dudley
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.,Equilibrium Research, Bristol, UK
| | - Michael Hoffmann
- Conservation and Policy, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
| | - Ana S L Rodrigues
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Piero Visconti
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK.,Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, University College London, London, UK.,International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Stephen Woodley
- World Commission on Protected Areas, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland
| | - Naomi Kingston
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), Cambridge, UK
| | - Edward Lewis
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), Cambridge, UK
| | - Martine Maron
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Bernardo B N Strassburg
- Rio Conservation and Sustainability Science Centre, Department of Geography and the Environment, Pontifícia Universidade Católica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,International Institute for Sustainability, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Programa de Pós Graduacão em Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Amelia Wenger
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.,Global Marine Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, NY, USA
| | - Harry D Jonas
- World Commission on Protected Areas, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland.,Future Law, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Oscar Venter
- Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
| | - James E M Watson
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.,Global Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, NY, USA
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16
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Payment for Environment Services to Promote Compliance with Brazil’s Forest Code: The Case of “Produtores de Água e Floresta”. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12198138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Payments for ecosystems services (PES) can promote natural resource conservation by increasing compliance with environmental laws. Law enforcement and PES proponents assume that individuals make decisions about compliance based on expectations of gains, likelihood of being caught in non-compliance, and magnitude of sanctions. Brazil’s Forest Code, characterized by low levels of compliance, includes incentive and disincentive mechanisms. We interviewed landowners in the Atlantic Forest to understand their motivations to participate (or not) in a PES project, the effects of knowledge and perceptions of environmental regulations on compliance, and how both environmental regulations and PES affect land management decision-making. We found that neither expectations of financial gains nor PES payments drive behavioral change and that the perception of systemic corruption reduced compliance with environment regulations. There were important behavioral differences between long-term residents for whom the land is their main source of income and recent residents with little dependence on land-generated income.
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17
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Neeff T, Steel EA, Kleinn C, Hung ND, Bien NN, Cerutti PO, Moutinho P. How forest data catalysed change in four successful case studies. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2020; 271:110736. [PMID: 32778252 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents four case studies in which forest data catalysed shifts in public policy and corporate activities. Brazil greatly reduced deforestation during the period between 2005 and 2014; Cameroon introduced a structured forest concessions regime; Viet Nam achieved their forest transition; and corporate operations around the world invested in supply chain management to alleviate deforestation concerns. We break the problem-solving required for these achievements into four steps: problem recognition, proposal and choice of solution, putting the solution into effect, and monitoring results. At each of these steps, we consider the relevant forest data. Data helped place issues on policymaker agendas, supported reaching sound decisions and enabled quantitative targets. Policy instruments for implementing change were built around available data and forest monitoring helped evaluate progress. The details of these successes can be an inspiration to those interested in improving collection of data on forests that can effectively support decision-making and better policies. There have been impressive recent improvements to many developing countries' national forest monitoring capabilities. The successful examples of data application presented and evaluated here provide insight into how these new data can be effectively leveraged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Till Neeff
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Forestry Policy and Resources Division, Rome, Italy.
| | - E Ashley Steel
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Forestry Policy and Resources Division, Rome, Italy
| | - Christoph Kleinn
- University of Göttingen, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, Inventory and Remote Sensing, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nguyen Dinh Hung
- Forest Inventory and Planning Institute (FIPI), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ha Noi, Viet Nam
| | - Nguyen Nghia Bien
- Forest Inventory and Planning Institute (FIPI), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ha Noi, Viet Nam
| | | | - Paulo Moutinho
- Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), Belém, Pará, Brazil
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18
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The Pluriversality of Efforts to Reduce Deforestation in Brazil over the Past Decade: An Analysis of Policy Actors’ Perceptions. FORESTS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/f11101061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Brazil offers a complex and unique example of tropical landscapes. The country has considerably decreased deforestation since 2004, but Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is arguably under question, both as a concept and as a tool to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as deforestation levels have increased over the last five years. This article investigates how different policy actors have perceived REDD+ over time, how they have engaged in REDD+ efforts over the past decade, and how REDD+ implementation in Brazil should move forward accordingly. We analyzed qualitative data from semi-structured interviews and actors’ “stances”, i.e., their positions—with regards to key issues connected to REDD+ governance and its challenges—over three different time periods (Phase 1: 2010–2011, Phase 2: 2015–2016, and Phase 3: 2019), so as to identify the practical implications of these diverse interpretations. We argue that the way actors perceive REDD+ is intimately related to the way they interpret and assign meanings towards it and, in consequence, the way they coordinate REDD+-related practices and efforts. We focus on the link between perceptions and efforts so as to comprehend the relevance that different interpretations have to both the concept and implementation of REDD+ in Brazil. Our analysis concentrates on the potential to improve the coordination and integration of REDD+ implementation and diverse actors’ efforts with regards to REDD+ activities. Results suggest that actors’ perceptions of REDD+ generated a plurality of meanings, highlighting a range of dialectical and ontological interactions that have, in turn, resulted in multiple REDD+ interpretations. Findings highlight that different actors have the same interests when it comes to their organizational efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, suggesting that there is room for a better coordination of efforts towards this end, as well as increased collaboration.
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19
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Overstated carbon emission reductions from voluntary REDD+ projects in the Brazilian Amazon. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:24188-24194. [PMID: 32929021 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2004334117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) has gained international attention over the past decade, as manifested in both United Nations policy discussions and hundreds of voluntary projects launched to earn carbon-offset credits. There are ongoing discussions about whether and how projects should be integrated into national climate change mitigation efforts under the Paris Agreement. One consideration is whether these projects have generated additional impacts over and above national policies and other measures. To help inform these discussions, we compare the crediting baselines established ex-ante by voluntary REDD+ projects in the Brazilian Amazon to counterfactuals constructed ex-post based on the quasi-experimental synthetic control method. We find that the crediting baselines assume consistently higher deforestation than counterfactual forest loss in synthetic control sites. This gap is partially due to decreased deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon during the early implementation phase of the REDD+ projects considered here. This suggests that forest carbon finance must strike a balance between controlling conservation investment risk and ensuring the environmental integrity of carbon emission offsets. Relatedly, our results point to the need to better align project- and national-level carbon accounting.
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20
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Arroyo-Rodríguez V, Fahrig L, Tabarelli M, Watling JI, Tischendorf L, Benchimol M, Cazetta E, Faria D, Leal IR, Melo FPL, Morante-Filho JC, Santos BA, Arasa-Gisbert R, Arce-Peña N, Cervantes-López MJ, Cudney-Valenzuela S, Galán-Acedo C, San-José M, Vieira ICG, Slik JWF, Nowakowski AJ, Tscharntke T. Designing optimal human-modified landscapes for forest biodiversity conservation. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:1404-1420. [PMID: 32537896 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Agriculture and development transform forest ecosystems to human-modified landscapes. Decades of research in ecology have generated myriad concepts for the appropriate management of these landscapes. Yet, these concepts are often contradictory and apply at different spatial scales, making the design of biodiversity-friendly landscapes challenging. Here, we combine concepts with empirical support to design optimal landscape scenarios for forest-dwelling species. The supported concepts indicate that appropriately sized landscapes should contain ≥ 40% forest cover, although higher percentages are likely needed in the tropics. Forest cover should be configured with c. 10% in a very large forest patch, and the remaining 30% in many evenly dispersed smaller patches and semi-natural treed elements (e.g. vegetation corridors). Importantly, the patches should be embedded in a high-quality matrix. The proposed landscape scenarios represent an optimal compromise between delivery of goods and services to humans and preserving most forest wildlife, and can therefore guide forest preservation and restoration strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Arroyo-Rodríguez
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico
| | - Lenore Fahrig
- Geomatics and Landscape Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Marcelo Tabarelli
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, 50670-901, Brazil
| | | | - Lutz Tischendorf
- ELUTIS Modelling and Consulting Inc, Ottawa, ON, K2A 1X4, Canada
| | - Maíra Benchimol
- Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada à Conservação, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, 45662-900, Brazil
| | - Eliana Cazetta
- Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada à Conservação, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, 45662-900, Brazil
| | - Deborah Faria
- Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada à Conservação, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, 45662-900, Brazil
| | - Inara R Leal
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Felipe P L Melo
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Jose C Morante-Filho
- Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada à Conservação, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, 45662-900, Brazil
| | - Bráulio A Santos
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraiba, Campus I, João Pessoa, Paraiba, 58051-900, Brazil
| | - Ricard Arasa-Gisbert
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico
| | - Norma Arce-Peña
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico
| | - Martín J Cervantes-López
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico
| | - Sabine Cudney-Valenzuela
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico
| | - Carmen Galán-Acedo
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico
| | - Miriam San-José
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico
| | - Ima C G Vieira
- Coordenação de Botânica, Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi, CP 399, Belém, Pará, 66040-170, Brazil
| | - J W Ferry Slik
- Environmental and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Gadong BE1410, Brunei, Darussalam
| | - A Justin Nowakowski
- Geomatics and Landscape Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, K1S 5B6, Canada.,Working Land and Seascapes, Conservation Commons, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013, USA
| | - Teja Tscharntke
- Agroecology, Dept. of Crop Sciences, Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL), University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
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21
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Increasing fragmentation of forest cover in Brazil's Legal Amazon from 2001 to 2017. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5803. [PMID: 32242044 PMCID: PMC7118152 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62591-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Persistent forest loss in the Brazilian Legal Amazon (BLA) is responsible for carbon emission, reduction of ecosystem services, and loss of biodiversity. Combining spatial data analysis with high spatial resolution data for forest cover and forest loss, we quantified the spatial and temporal patterns of forest dynamics in the BLA. We identified an alarming trend of increasing deforestation, with especially high rates in 2016 and 2017. Moreover, the creation of forest cover fragments is faster than ever due to decreasing size and dispersion of forest loss patches. From 2001 to 2017, the number of large forest loss patches decreased significantly, accompanied by a reduction in the size of these patches. Enforcement of field inspections and of initiatives to promote forest conservation will be required to stop this trend.
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22
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Estimating the Potential for Conservation and Farming in the Amazon and Cerrado under Four Policy Scenarios. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12031277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Since 2013, clearing rates have rapidly increased in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes. This acceleration has raised questions about the efficacy of current regional public and private conservation policies that seek to promote agricultural production while conserving remnants of natural vegetation. In this study, we assessed conservation and agricultural outcomes of four potential policy scenarios that represent perfect adherence to private sector, zero-deforestation commitments (i.e., the Amazon soy moratorium—ASM and the Amazon cattle agreements—CA) and to varying levels of implementation of the Brazilian Forest Code (FC). Under a zero-clearing scenario, we find that the extent of croplands as of 2017 within the two biomes (31 MHa) could double without further clearing if agriculture were to expand on all previously cleared land that is suitable for crops. Moreover, at least 47 MHa of land that is already cleared but unsuitable for crops would remain available for pasture. Under scenarios in which only legal clearing under the FC could occur, 51 MHa of additional natural vegetation could be cleared. This includes as many as 1 MHa of nonforest vegetation that could be cleared in the Amazon biome without triggering the ASM and CA monitoring systems. Two-thirds of the total vegetation vulnerable to legal clearing is located within the Cerrado biome, and 19 MHa of this land is suitable for cropland expansion. Legal clearing of all of these areas could reduce biodiversity persistence by 4% within the two biomes, when compared with the zero-clearing scenario, and release up to 9 PgCO2e, with the majority (75%) coming from the Cerrado biome. However, when we considered the potential outcomes of full implementation of the FC, we found that 22% (11 MHa) of the 51 MHa of vegetation subject to legal clearing could be protected through the environmental quotas market, while an additional 1 MHa should be replanted across the two biomes, predominantly in the Amazon biome (73% of the area subject to replanting). Together, quotas and replanting could prevent the release of 2 PgCO2e that would otherwise be emitted if all legal clearing occurred. Based on our results, we conclude that ongoing legal clearing could create additional space for cropland and cattle production beyond the substantial existing stocks of cleared areas but would significantly impair local carbon and biodiversity stocks.
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23
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Dos Santos JS, Feltran-Barbieri R, Fonte ES, Balmford A, Maioli V, Latawiec A, Strassburg BBN, Phalan BT. Characterising the spatial distribution of opportunities and constraints for land sparing in Brazil. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1946. [PMID: 32029788 PMCID: PMC7005321 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58770-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Brazil is a megadiversity country with more tropical forest than any other, and is a leading agricultural producer. The technical potential to reconcile these roles by concentrating agriculture on existing farmland and sparing land for nature is well-established, but the spatial overlap of this potential with conservation priorities and institutional constraints remains poorly understood. We mapped conservation priorities, food production potential and socio-economic variables likely to influence the success of land sparing. Pasture occupies 70% of agricultural land but contributes ≤11% of the domestic food supply. Increasing yields on pasture would add little to Brazil’s food supply but – if combined with concerted conservation and restoration policies – provides the greatest opportunities for reducing land demand. Our study illustrates a method for identifying municipalities where land-sparing policies are most likely to succeed, and those where further effort is needed to overcome constraints such as land tenure insecurity, lack of access to technical advice, labour constraints, and non-compliance with environmental law.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Silveira Dos Santos
- International Institute of Sustainability, Rio de Janeiro, 22460-320, Brazil. .,Ecology Department, Spatial Ecology and Conservation Lab (LEEC), São Paulo State University, UNESP, Avenida 24 A, 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil. .,Laboratório de Genética & Biodiversidade, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, 74690-900, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
| | - Rafael Feltran-Barbieri
- International Institute of Sustainability, Rio de Janeiro, 22460-320, Brazil.,World Resources Institute, Washington, DC, 20002, USA
| | - Ellen S Fonte
- International Institute of Sustainability, Rio de Janeiro, 22460-320, Brazil
| | - Andrew Balmford
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Veronica Maioli
- International Institute of Sustainability, Rio de Janeiro, 22460-320, Brazil
| | - Agnieszka Latawiec
- International Institute of Sustainability, Rio de Janeiro, 22460-320, Brazil.,Rio Conservation and Sustainability Science Centre, Department of Geography and the Environment, Pontifícia Universidade Católica, 22453900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Informatics, Faculty of Production and Power Engineering, University of Agriculture in Kraków, Balicka 116B, 30-149, Kraków, Poland.,School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Bernardo B N Strassburg
- International Institute of Sustainability, Rio de Janeiro, 22460-320, Brazil.,Rio Conservation and Sustainability Science Centre, Department of Geography and the Environment, Pontifícia Universidade Católica, 22453900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Programa de Pós Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 68020, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Botanical Garden Research Institute of Rio de Janeiro, 22460-030, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Benjamin T Phalan
- International Institute of Sustainability, Rio de Janeiro, 22460-320, Brazil. .,Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, 40170-115, Brazil. .,Parque das Aves, Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, 85855-750, Brazil.
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24
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Giannichi ML, Gavish Y, Baker TR, Dallimer M, Ziv G. Scale dependency of conservation outcomes in a forest-offsetting scheme. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2020; 34:148-157. [PMID: 31161689 PMCID: PMC7028087 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Revised: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Offset schemes help avoid or revert habitat loss through protection of existing habitat (avoided deforestation), through the restoration of degraded areas (natural regrowth), or both. The spatial scale of an offset scheme may influence which of these 2 outcomes is favored and is an important aspect of the scheme's design. However, how spatial scale influences the trade-offs between the preservation of existing habitat and restoration of degraded areas is poorly understood. We used the largest forest offset scheme in the world, which is part of the Brazilian Forest Code, to explore how implementation at different spatial scales may affect the outcome in terms of the area of avoided deforestation and area of regrowth. We employed a numerical simulation of trade between buyers (i.e., those who need to offset past deforestation) and sellers (i.e., landowners with exceeding native vegetation) in the Brazilian Amazon to estimate potential avoided deforestation and regrowth at different spatial scales of implementation. Allowing offsets over large spatial scales led to an area of avoided deforestation 12 times greater than regrowth, whereas restricting offsets to small spatial scales led to an area of regrowth twice as large as avoided deforestation. The greatest total area (avoided deforestation and regrowth combined) was conserved when the spatial scale of the scheme was small, especially in locations that were highly deforested. To maximize conservation gains from avoided deforestation and regrowth, the design of the Brazilian forest-offset scheme should focus on restricting the spatial scale in which offsets occur. Such a strategy could help ensure conservation benefits are localized and promote the recovery of degraded areas in the most threatened forest landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Lisli Giannichi
- School of GeographyUniversity of LeedsGarstang NorthLeedsLS2 9JTU.K.
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, Maths/Earth and Environment BuildingUniversity of LeedsLeedsLS2 9JTU.K.
| | - Yoni Gavish
- School of GeographyUniversity of LeedsGarstang NorthLeedsLS2 9JTU.K.
| | - Timothy R. Baker
- School of GeographyUniversity of LeedsGarstang NorthLeedsLS2 9JTU.K.
| | - Martin Dallimer
- Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, Maths/Earth and Environment BuildingUniversity of LeedsLeedsLS2 9JTU.K.
| | - Guy Ziv
- School of GeographyUniversity of LeedsGarstang NorthLeedsLS2 9JTU.K.
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25
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Similarities and Differences between International REDD+ and Transnational Deforestation-Free Supply Chain Initiatives—A Review. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12030896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
After years of multilateral deliberations on how to stop global deforestation, such as REDD+ under the UNFCCC, deforestation-free supply chain (DFSC) initiatives emerged from the private sector. Linking both concepts conceptually and in policy practice could provide for synergies and enable more effective approaches against global deforestation. To operationalise such a linkage, a prerequisite is the knowledge of both concepts’ key characteristics, as well as resulting similarities and differences. This literature review firstly identifies key characteristics that affects the potential impact of such concepts, secondly analyses if and how REDD+ and DFSC define these characteristics, and thirdly compares both concepts towards a potential linkage. The results show that a linkage of REDD+ and DFSC provides numerous complementarities which could foster the goal of halting deforestation. This includes for example the driver commercial agriculture, and in terms of permanence, leakage, and degradation. But close coordination is needed to avoid unintended negative consequences, especially for subsistence and smallholder agriculture. The comparison shows that the political consensus found under REDD+ provides a good basis to be supplemented with private sectors’ DFSC initiatives, but additional initiatives like the Bonn Challenge and investments in agroforestry are needed in order to ensure the long-term effect on forest conversion.
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26
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Simmons BA, Wilson KA, Dean AJ. Landholder typologies illuminate pathways for social change in a deforestation hotspot. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2020; 254:109777. [PMID: 31733476 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2019] [Revised: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Psychosocial factors determine individual and collective behaviours, and there is growing evidence of their influence on land management behaviours. Native vegetation management encompasses biophysical, economic, political, and cultural dimensions that are immensely complex, and a more thorough understanding of the personal and cultural dimensions of deforestation activity is required. We emphasise this interdisciplinary imperative using Queensland, Australia, as an exemplar case study, where the controversial Vegetation Management Act1999 has been met with significant scrutiny over its effects on private landholders and its ability to curb deforestation behaviours. We surveyed landholders across Queensland in order to identify different landholder typologies based upon (1) their recent tree clearing behaviours and (2) their psychosocial characteristics, mapped their distribution in the landscape, and determined the unique demographic and psychosocial factors associated with typology membership. We identified a heterogeneous mosaic of landholders in the clearing landscape, composed of four clearing typologies and five psychosocial typologies. Social norms, identity, trust, and security played crucial roles in distinguishing different types of landholders. The two most contrasting clearing typologies-active and inactive clearers-were primarily located in hot- and cold-spots of deforestation, respectively; in contrast, most psychosocial typologies could be found throughout the landscape, highlighting the potential benefit of complementing generalised state-wide psychosocial targets with localised behavioural targets. We discuss how conservation policy instruments can be regionally tailored, and relevant strategies for effective communication and engagement can be developed to create behaviour change by understanding the characteristics and distribution of these types of landholders. If modified top-down efforts (e.g. strategic messages, community-based communication) can be supplemented with more bottom-up approaches (e.g. collective learning, building network support), sustainable land management in deforestation hotspots around the world may be achievable.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Alexander Simmons
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia; Institute for Future Environments, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia.
| | - Kerrie A Wilson
- Institute for Future Environments, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - Angela J Dean
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia; Institute for Future Environments, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia; School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
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27
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Effects of Climate and Land-Cover Changes on Soil Erosion in Brazilian Pantanal. SUSTAINABILITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/su11247053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The Pantanal biome integrates the lowlands of the Upper Paraguay Basin (UPB), which is hydrologically connected to the biomes of the Cerrado and Amazon (the highlands of the UPB). The effects of recent land-cover and land-use (LCLU) changes in the highlands, combined with climate change, are still poorly understood in this region. Here, we investigate the effects of soil erosion in the Brazilian Pantanal under climate and LCLU changes by combining different scenarios of projected rainfall erosivity and land-cover management. We compute the average annual soil erosion for the baseline (2012) and projected scenarios for 2020, 2035, and 2050. For the worst scenario, we noted an increase in soil loss of up to 100% from 2012 to 2050, associated with cropland expansion in some parts of the highlands. Furthermore, for the same period, our results indicated an increase of 20 to 40% in soil loss in parts of the Pantanal biome, which was associated with farmland increase (mainly for livestock) in the lowlands. Therefore, to ensure water, food, energy, and ecosystem service security over the next decades in the whole UPB, robust and comprehensive planning measures need to be developed, especially for the most impacted areas found in our study.
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28
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Paolucci LN, Pereira RL, Rattis L, Silvério DV, Marques NCS, Macedo MN, Brando PM. Lowland tapirs facilitate seed dispersal in degraded Amazonian forests. Biotropica 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucas N. Paolucci
- Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia Brasília Brasil
- Setor de Ecologia e Conservação Departamento de Biologia Universidade Federal de Lavras Lavras Brazil
| | - Rogério L. Pereira
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso Nova Xavantina Brasil
| | - Ludmila Rattis
- Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia Brasília Brasil
- Woods Hole Research Center Falmouth Massachusetts
| | - Divino V. Silvério
- Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia Brasília Brasil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso Nova Xavantina Brasil
| | - Nubia C. S. Marques
- Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia Brasília Brasil
- Laboratório de Ecossistemas Departamento de Ecologia Universidade de Brasília Brasília Brazil
| | - Marcia N. Macedo
- Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia Brasília Brasil
- Woods Hole Research Center Falmouth Massachusetts
| | - Paulo M. Brando
- Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia Brasília Brasil
- Woods Hole Research Center Falmouth Massachusetts
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29
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Voluntary sustainability standards could significantly reduce detrimental impacts of global agriculture. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:2130-2137. [PMID: 30670643 PMCID: PMC6369756 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1707812116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) may be an effective way to reduce the negative impacts of agriculture at regional to global scales. Here, we present an approach that highlights the potential of VSS to reduce some of the negative externalities associated with agriculture production. To illustrate this potential, we show that VSS could reduce the global environmental impacts from growing sugarcane. Further, most of this environmental benefit comes from targeting just 10% of production area. To realize these environmental gains, incentives for VSS adoption need to be sufficient to cover the costs of criteria compliance. Determining these costs and public and private-sector mechanisms for efficiently transferring VSS-adoption subsidies to farmers and millers are key future research needs. Voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) are stakeholder-derived principles with measurable and enforceable criteria to promote sustainable production outcomes. While institutional commitments to use VSS to meet sustainable procurement policies have grown rapidly over the past decade, we still have relatively little understanding of the (i) direct environmental benefits of large-scale VSS adoption; (ii) potential perverse indirect impacts of adoption; and (iii) implementation pathways. Here, we illustrate and address these knowledge gaps using an ecosystem service modeling and scenario analysis of Bonsucro, the leading VSS for sugarcane. We find that global compliance with the Bonsucro environmental standards would reduce current sugarcane production area (−24%), net tonnage (−11%), irrigation water use (−65%), nutrient loading (−34%), and greenhouse gas emissions from cultivation (−51%). Under a scenario of doubled global sugarcane production, Bonsucro adoption would further limit water use and greenhouse gas emissions by preventing sugarcane expansion into water-stressed and high-carbon stock ecosystems. This outcome was achieved via expansion largely on existing agricultural lands. However, displacement of other crops could drive detrimental impacts from indirect land use. We find that over half of the potential direct environmental benefits of Bonsucro standards under the doubling scenario could be achieved by targeting adoption in just 10% of global sugarcane production areas. However, designing policy that generates the most environmentally beneficial Bonsucro adoption pathway requires a better understanding of the economic and social costs of VSS adoption. Finally, we suggest research directions to advance sustainable consumption and production.
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30
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Ilacqua RC, Chaves LSM, Bergo ES, Conn JE, Sallum MAM, Laporta GZ. A method for estimating the deforestation timeline in rural settlements in a scenario of malaria transmission in frontier expansion in the Amazon Region. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018; 113:e170522. [PMID: 30043836 PMCID: PMC6055538 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760170522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The Malaria Frontier Hypothesis (MFH) is the current model for predicting malaria emergence in the Brazilian Amazon. It has two important dimensions, 'settlement time' and 'malaria incidence', and its prediction are: malaria incidence peaks five years after the initiation of human settlement and declines towards zero after an estimated 10 years. Although MFH is currently accepted, it has been challenged recently. Herein, we described a novel method for estimating settlement timeline by using remote sensing technology integrated in an open-software geographic information system. Surprisingly, we found that of the majority of the rural settlements with high malaria incidence are more than 10 years old.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Cardoso Ilacqua
- Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Setor de Pós-Graduação, Pesquisa e Inovação, Santo André, SP, Brasil
| | | | - Eduardo Sterlino Bergo
- Secretaria de Estado da Saúde de São Paulo, Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, Araraquara, SP, Brasil
| | - Jan E Conn
- The Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Slingerlands, NY, USA.,University at Albany, State University of New York, Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Maria Anice Mubeb Sallum
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Departamento de Epidemiologia, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Gabriel Zorello Laporta
- Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Setor de Pós-Graduação, Pesquisa e Inovação, Santo André, SP, Brasil.,Universidade Federal do ABC, Centro de Engenharia, Modelagem e Ciências Sociais Aplicadas, Santo André, SP, Brasil
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31
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Freitas FLM, Englund O, Sparovek G, Berndes G, Guidotti V, Pinto LFG, Mörtberg U. Who owns the Brazilian carbon? GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:2129-2142. [PMID: 29215789 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Brazil is one of the major contributors to land-use change emissions, mostly driven by agricultural expansion for food, feed, and bioenergy feedstock. Policies to avoid deforestation related to private commitments, economic incentives, and other support schemes are expected to improve the effectiveness of current command and control mechanisms increasingly. However, until recently, land tenure was unknown for much of the Brazilian territory, which has undermined the governance of native vegetation and challenged support and incentive mechanisms for avoiding deforestation. We assess the total extent of public governance mechanisms protecting aboveground carbon (AGC) stocks. We constructed a land tenure dataset for the entire nation and modeled the effects and uncertainties of major land-use acts on protecting AGC stocks. Roughly 70% of the AGC stock in Brazil is estimated to be under legal protection, and an additional 20% is expected to be protected after areas in the Amazon with currently undesignated land undergo a tenure regularization. About 30% of the AGC stock is on private land, of which roughly two-thirds are protected. The Cerrado, Amazon, and Caatinga biomes hold about 40%, 30%, and 20% of the unprotected AGC, respectively. Effective conservation of protected and unprotected carbon will depend on successful implementation of the Forest Act, and regularization of land tenure in the Amazon. Policy development that prioritizes unprotected AGC stocks is warranted to promote conservation of native vegetation beyond the legal requirements. However, different biomes and land tenure structures may require different policy settings considering local and regional specifics. Finally, the fate of current AGC stocks relies upon effective implementation of command and control mechanisms, considering that unprotected AGC in native vegetation on private land only accounts for 6.5% of the total AGC stock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavio L M Freitas
- Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Oskar Englund
- Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Physical Resource Theory, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Gerd Sparovek
- Soil Science Department, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Göran Berndes
- Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Physical Resource Theory, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Vinicius Guidotti
- Instituto de Manejo e Certificação Florestal e Agrícola-IMAFLORA, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Luís F G Pinto
- Instituto de Manejo e Certificação Florestal e Agrícola-IMAFLORA, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Ulla Mörtberg
- Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
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32
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Begotti RA, Pacífico EDS, Ferraz SFDB, Galetti M. Landscape context of plantation forests in the conservation of tropical mammals. J Nat Conserv 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2017.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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33
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Alix-Garcia J, Rausch LL, L'Roe J, Gibbs HK, Munger J. Avoided Deforestation Linked to Environmental Registration of Properties in the Brazilian Amazon. Conserv Lett 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Alix-Garcia
- Department of Applied Economics; Oregon State University; Corvallis OR 97331 USA
| | - Lisa L. Rausch
- Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE), Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies; University of Wisconsin-Madison
| | | | - Holly K. Gibbs
- Department of Geography, Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE), Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies; University of Wisconsin-Madison
| | - Jacob Munger
- Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE), Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies; University of Wisconsin-Madison
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