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Forests
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Environmental and Ecological Effects of Recent Deforestation and Biodiversity Loss...
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Environmental and Ecological Effects of Recent Deforestation and Biodiversity Loss in the Amazon Region

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Biodiversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 December 2021) | Viewed by 24137

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Gabriel de Oliveira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Earth Sciences, University of South Alabama, 5871 USA Drive North, LSCB Room 342, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
Interests: vegetation dynamics; biosphere–atmosphere interactions; water and carbon cycling; remote sensing/GIS; land use and land cover changes (LULCC); Amazonia
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Liming He

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Canada Centre for Remote Sensing, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0E4, Canada
Interests: water cycle; soil moisture; evapotranspiration; hydrology; land surface modeling; GRACE; SMAP; SMOS
Dr. Guilherme Mataveli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Earth Observation and Geoinformatics Division, National Institute for Space Research, Sao Jose dos Campos 12227-010, SP, Brazil
Interests: remote sensing; fires; biomass burning; fire drivers; LULC changes; spatial analysis; GIS; savannas; Amazon; conservation; protected areas
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Carlos A. C. dos Santos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Academic Unity of Atmospheric Sciences, Federal University of Campina Grande, Campina Grande, Brazil
Interests: climate change; remote sensing; irrigation; precipitation; meteorology; evapotranspiration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yosio Edemir Shimabukuro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Remote Sensing Department, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, São José dos Campos, São Paulo 2337-010, Brazil
Interests: tropical ecosystems and environmental sciences; forest resources; LIDAR; optical sensors of moderate spatial resolution
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Amazon region has the largest rainforest in the world; however, the anthropogenic pressure and associated land cover changes have led to large-scale forest losses, which have recently intensified, particularly in Brazil, even after a decade of effective forest conservation policy.

The Amazon rainforest influences the terrestrial climate system due to the exchanges of energy, carbon, and water between the surface and the atmosphere. In addition to providing water vapor to the environment through evapotranspiration, influencing the general circulation in the tropics and contributing to regional precipitation, the Amazon rainforest plays an important role in the global carbon cycle.

Recent studies have shown that the Amazon rainforest is a system in biophysical transition. In order to understand the effects of this transition on the environment, and vice versa, it is necessary to focus on different processes, including the trade-offs between biodiversity loss and ecosystem services.

We look forward to receiving your contributions to this Special Issue on the broad topic of “Environmental and Ecological Effects of Recent Deforestation and Biodiversity Loss in the Amazon Region”.

We welcome original research articles as well as review articles addressing, though not exclusively, the following topics:

New satellite data and tools to assess deforestation, forest fragmentation, and natural recovery; belowground biogeochemistry, plant demography and ecophysiology, plant functional traits, and aquifer-to-canopy hydrology; forest–atmosphere interactions; impacts of severe events such as droughts and fire; and resilience of the Amazon rainforest to extreme events, taking into consideration the drivers of land degradation and deforestation and further transitions under a climate change scenario.

Dr. Gabriel de Oliveira
Dr. Liming He
Dr. Guilherme A. V. Mataveli
Dr. Carlos Antonio Costa dos Santos
Dr. Yosio E. Shimabukuro
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • land cover changes
  • remote sensing
  • ground observations
  • disturbance
  • belowground biogeochemistry
  • ecophysiology
  • forest–atmosphere interactions
  • water and carbon cycling
  • fire and droughts
  • greenhouse-gas emissions

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 1009 KiB  
Editorial
Protecting Amazonia Should Focus on Protecting Indigenous, Traditional Peoples and Their Territories
by Gabriel de Oliveira, Guilherme A. V. Mataveli, Carlos A. C. dos Santos, Liming He, Skye E. Hellenkamp, Beatriz M. Funatsu, Scott C. Stark and Yosio E. Shimabukuro
Forests 2022, 13(1), 16; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f13010016 - 23 Dec 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2874
Abstract
The Brazilian proverb “Uma desgraça nunca vem só” or “Misfortunes never come alone” has, unfortunately, never been more apt than in reference to the risks now facing Amazonia [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental and Ecological Effects of Recent Deforestation and Biodiversity Loss in the Amazon Region)
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Research

Jump to: Editorial

24 pages, 12004 KiB  
Article
Land Use and Land Cover Changes in the Diversity and Life Zone for Uncontacted Indigenous People: Deforestation Hotspots in the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve, Ecuadorian Amazon
by Marco Heredia-R, Bolier Torres, Francisco Cabrera-Torres, Emma Torres, Carlos G. H. Díaz-Ambrona and Salvatore Eugenio Pappalardo
Forests 2021, 12(11), 1539; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12111539 - 08 Nov 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4265
Abstract
Land use and land cover change (LULC) is an essential component for the monitoring environmental change and managing natural resources in areas of high natural and cultural biodiversity, such as the Amazon biome. This study was conducted in in the northern Amazon of [...] Read more.
Land use and land cover change (LULC) is an essential component for the monitoring environmental change and managing natural resources in areas of high natural and cultural biodiversity, such as the Amazon biome. This study was conducted in in the northern Amazon of Ecuador, specifically in the Diversity and Life Zone (DLZ) of the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve (YBR). The general aim was to investigate the territorial dynamics of land use/land cover changes to support policies for environmental and sociocultural protection in the DLZ. Specific objectives included (i) mapping LULC spatial and temporal dynamics in the DLZ in the period from 1999 to 2018, (ii) identifying sensitive LULC hotspots within the DLZ, and (iii) defining the possible policy implications for sustainable land use in the DLZ. Multitemporal satellite imagery from the Landsat series was used to map changes in LULC, which were divided into three-time stages (1999–2009, 2009–2018, 1999–2018). We adopted open-access Landsat images downloaded from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The processes for assessing LULC in the DLZ included (1) data collection and analysis, (2) data processing for remote sensing, (3) thematic land cover, and (4) homogenization and vectorization of images. The results showed that in the period 1999–2018, most of the uses and land cover were transformed into pastures in the DLZ. Therefore, it is important to improve territorial planning, to avoid conflicts between indigenous populations, migrant settlers, and uncontacted indigenous populations that live in the DLZ, within the YBR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental and Ecological Effects of Recent Deforestation and Biodiversity Loss in the Amazon Region)
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19 pages, 7338 KiB  
Article
Relationship between Biomass Burning Emissions and Deforestation in Amazonia over the Last Two Decades
by Guilherme A. V. Mataveli, Gabriel de Oliveira, Hugo T. Seixas, Gabriel Pereira, Scott C. Stark, Luciana V. Gatti, Luana S. Basso, Graciela Tejada, Henrique L. G. Cassol, Liana O. Anderson and Luiz E. O. C. Aragão
Forests 2021, 12(9), 1217; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12091217 - 07 Sep 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3995
Abstract
With deforestation and associated fires ongoing at high rates, and amidst urgent need to preserve Amazonia, improving the understanding of biomass burning emissions drivers is essential. The use of orbital remote sensing data enables the estimate of both biomass burning emissions and deforestation. [...] Read more.
With deforestation and associated fires ongoing at high rates, and amidst urgent need to preserve Amazonia, improving the understanding of biomass burning emissions drivers is essential. The use of orbital remote sensing data enables the estimate of both biomass burning emissions and deforestation. In this study, we have estimated emissions of particulate matter with diameter less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) associated with biomass burning, a primary human health risk, using the Brazilian Biomass Burning emission model with Fire Radiative Power (3BEM_FRP), and estimated deforestation based on the MapBiomas dataset. Using these estimates, we have assessed for the first time how deforestation drove biomass burning emissions in Amazonia over the last two decades at three scales of analysis: Amazonia-wide, country/state and pixel. Amazonia accounted for 48% of PM2.5 emitted from biomass burning in South America and current deforestation rates have reached values on par with those of the early 21st Century. Emissions and deforestation were concentrated in the Eastern and Central-Southern portions of Amazonia. Amazonia-wide deforestation and emissions were linked through time (R = 0.65). Countries/states with the widest spread agriculture were less likely to be correlated at this scale, likely because of the importance of biomass burning in agricultural practices. Concentrated in regions of ongoing deforestation, in 18% of Amazonia grid cells PM2.5 emissions associated with biomass burning and deforestation were significantly positively correlated. Deforestation is an important driver of emissions in Amazonia but does not explain biomass burning alone. Therefore, future work must link climate and other non-deforestation drivers to completely understand biomass burning emissions in Amazonia. The advance of anthropogenic activities over forested areas, which ultimately leads to more fires and deforestation, is expected to continue, worsening a crisis of dangerous emissions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental and Ecological Effects of Recent Deforestation and Biodiversity Loss in the Amazon Region)
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13 pages, 3276 KiB  
Article
Assessing Land Use and Land Cover Changes in the Direct Influence Zone of the Braço Norte Hydropower Complex, Brazilian Amazonia
by João V. R. Guerrero, Elton V. Escobar-Silva, Michel E. D. Chaves, Guilherme A. V. Mataveli, Vandoir Bourscheidt, Gabriel de Oliveira, Michelle C. A. Picoli, Yosio E. Shimabukuro and Luiz E. Moschini
Forests 2020, 11(9), 988; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f11090988 - 15 Sep 2020
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3345
Abstract
Over the decades, hydropower complexes have been built in several hydrographic basins of Brazil including the Amazon region. Therefore, it is important to understand the effects of these constructions on the environment and local communities. This work presents a land use and land [...] Read more.
Over the decades, hydropower complexes have been built in several hydrographic basins of Brazil including the Amazon region. Therefore, it is important to understand the effects of these constructions on the environment and local communities. This work presents a land use and land cover change temporal analysis considering a 33-year period (1985–2018) in the direct influence zone of the Braço Norte Hydropower Complex, Brazilian Amazonia, using the Collection 4.1 level 3 of the freely available MapBiomas dataset. Additionally, we have assessed the Brazilian Amazon large-scale deforestation process acting as a land use and land cover change driver in the study area. Our findings show that the most impacted land cover was forest formation (from 414 km2 to 287 km2, a reduction of 69%), which primarily shifted into pasturelands (increase of 664%, from 40 km2 to 299 km2). The construction of the hydropower complex also triggered indirect impacts such as the presence of urban areas in 2018 and the consequent increased local demand for crops. Together with the ongoing large-scale Amazonian deforestation process, the construction of the complex has intensified changes in the study area as 56.42% of the pixels were changed between 1985 and 2018. This indicates the importance of accurate economic and environmental impact studies for assessing social and environmental consequences of future construction in this unique region. Our results reveal the need for adopting special policies to minimize the impact of these constructions, for example, the creation of Protected Areas and the definition of locally-adjusted parameters for the ecological-economic zoning considering environmental and social circumstances derived from the local actors that depend on the natural environment to subsist such as indigenous peoples, riverine population, and artisanal fishermen. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental and Ecological Effects of Recent Deforestation and Biodiversity Loss in the Amazon Region)
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18 pages, 3358 KiB  
Article
Rapid Recent Deforestation Incursion in a Vulnerable Indigenous Land in the Brazilian Amazon and Fire-Driven Emissions of Fine Particulate Aerosol Pollutants
by Gabriel de Oliveira, Jing M. Chen, Guilherme A. V. Mataveli, Michel E. D. Chaves, Hugo T. Seixas, Francielle da S. Cardozo, Yosio E. Shimabukuro, Liming He, Scott C. Stark and Carlos A. C. dos Santos
Forests 2020, 11(8), 829; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f11080829 - 30 Jul 2020
Cited by 41 | Viewed by 7049
Abstract
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is related to the use of fire to remove natural vegetation and install crop cultures or pastures. In this study, we evaluated the relation between deforestation, land-use and land-cover (LULC) drivers and fire emissions in the Apyterewa Indigenous [...] Read more.
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is related to the use of fire to remove natural vegetation and install crop cultures or pastures. In this study, we evaluated the relation between deforestation, land-use and land-cover (LULC) drivers and fire emissions in the Apyterewa Indigenous Land, Eastern Brazilian Amazon. In addition to the official Brazilian deforestation data, we used a geographic object-based image analysis (GEOBIA) approach to perform the LULC mapping in the Apyterewa Indigenous Land, and the Brazilian biomass burning emission model with fire radiative power (3BEM_FRP) to estimate emitted particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5), a primary human health risk. The GEOBIA approach showed a remarkable advancement of deforestation, agreeing with the official deforestation data, and, consequently, the conversion of primary forests to agriculture within the Apyterewa Indigenous Land in the past three years (200 km2), which is clearly associated with an increase in the PM2.5 emissions from fire. Between 2004 and 2016 the annual average emission of PM2.5 was estimated to be 3594 ton year−1, while the most recent interval of 2017–2019 had an average of 6258 ton year−1. This represented an increase of 58% in the annual average of PM2.5 associated with fires for the study period, contributing to respiratory health risks and the air quality crisis in Brazil in late 2019. These results expose an ongoing critical situation of intensifying forest degradation and potential forest collapse, including those due to a savannization forest-climate feedback, within “protected areas” in the Brazilian Amazon. To reverse this scenario, the implementation of sustainable agricultural practices and development of conservation policies to promote forest regrowth in degraded preserves are essential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental and Ecological Effects of Recent Deforestation and Biodiversity Loss in the Amazon Region)
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