Lmst

Very pleased to see the annual #deforestation rates published yesterday by #PRODES. Here are some key points to clarify the significance of PRODES and its data produced by INPE, the official agency reporting on deforestation rates:

1. PRODES has been a cornerstone in monitoring the Amazon, using a consistent methodology since 1988 to map clear-cutting in primary #forests. This consistency allows for reliable year-over-year comparisons, which are crucial for understanding long-term trends.

2. PRODES calculates annual deforestation rates based on data from August to July. The most recent data, therefore, reflects deforestation from August 2023 to July 2024. It specifically maps complete clear-cutting in primary forests, requiring a minimum area of 6.25 hectares, and relies on #LANDSAT images.

3. It's essential to note that PRODES does not track #forestdegradation, such as #selectiveLogging, #fire, or edge effects. (1) Studies show that between 2003 and 2019, degradation and disturbances accounted for 44% of carbon losses in the Amazon, with 56% due to deforestation. (2) Recent reports suggest that the area affected by degradation in the Amazon is currently larger than the deforested area. From 2001 to 2018, the deforested area in the Amazon basin was 325,975 km², while the degraded area reached 364,748 km² in the same period. There are areas in the Amazon where deforestation has decreased, but degradation has not. This underscores that reducing deforestation alone won't address the ongoing degradation crisis in the #Amazon.

4. Additionally, PRODES does not account for deforestation in secondary forests. (3) Over the past 15 years, more than 60% of these regenerating areas have been cleared again, highlighting a significant challenge in conserving secondary forests.

5. This emphasizes the value of complementary #monitoring systems that address what PRODES doesn’t cover, such as degradation and deforestation in #secondaryforests.

Brazil is fortunate to have a diverse set of monitoring tools, from #government, #NGOs, and private sectors, which help to track deforestation, degradation, and other environmental crimes with more frequent data collection and higher spatial resolution.

Rerefences cited:
https://apnews.com/article/brazil-amazon-deforestation-lula-wildfires-4a8e25c3dee73ccd942677c192cf3e42 from Fabiano Maisonnave

(1): https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/forests-and-global-change/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2021.645282/full
(2): https://oeco.org.br/reportagens/degradacao-na-amazonia-precisa-ser-combatida-tanto-quando-desmatamento-dizem-cientistas/
(3): https://g1.globo.com/meio-ambiente/noticia/2024/03/17/mais-de-60percent-das-areas-da-amazonia-em-regeneracao-voltaram-a-ser-desmatadas-apontam-dados-ineditos-do-inpe.ghtml

#secondaryforests

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