The role of pasture and soybean in deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon
McGill University · International Center for Tropical Agriculture
Abstract
The dynamics of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon are complex. A growing debate considers the extent to which deforestation is a result of the expansion of the Brazilian soy industry. Most recent analyses suggest that deforestation is driven by the expansion of cattle ranching, rather than soy. Soy seems to be replacing previously deforested land and/or land previously under pasture. In this study, we use municipality-level statistics on agricultural and deforested areas across the Legal Amazon from 2000 to 2006 to examine the spatial patterns and statistical relationships between deforestation and changes in pasture and soybean areas. Our results support previous studies that showed that deforestation is…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 25.77
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 28
Authors
4Topics & keywords
- Deforestation (computer science)
- Amazon rainforest
- Pasture
- Geography
- Agroforestry
- Land use
- Agriculture
- Land use, land-use change and forestry
- Zero hunger