Deforestation in Brazilian Amazonia: the effect of population and land tenure
Fearnside, P.M.
Ambio 22(8): 537-545
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0044-7447 DOI: 10.2307/4314144Document Number: 275491
LANDSAT data for 1978 and 1988-91 indicate that by 1991 the area of forest cleared had reached 426 000 kmsuperscript 2: 10.5% of the 4 million kmsuperscript 2 originally forested portion of Brazil's 5 million kmsuperscript 2 Legal Amazon Region. Over the 1978-88 period, forest was lost at a rate of 22 000 kmsuperscript 2 yr-1 (including hydroelectric flooding), while the rate was 19 000 kmsuperscript 2 yr-1 for 1988-89, 14 000 kmsuperscript 2 yr-1 for 1989-90 and 11 000 kmsuperscript 2 yr-1 for 1990-91. The reduction in the rate since 1987 has mostly been due to Brazil's economic recession rather than to any policy changes. The number of properties censused in each size class explains 74% of the variation in deforestation rate among the nine Amazonian States. Multiple regressions indicate that 30% of the clearing in 1991 can be attributed to small farmers (properties <100 ha in area), and the remaining 70% to either medium or large ranchers. The social cost of reducing deforestation rates would therefore be much less than is implied by frequent pronouncements that blame 'poverty' for environmental problems in the region.