Deforestation and conservation in major watersheds of the Brazilian Amazon

Deforestation and conservation in major watersheds of the Brazilian Amazon
junio 27, 2015 AmazCitSci

Deforestation and conservation in major watersheds of the Brazilian Amazon

Enlace de publicación:  http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=7646280&fileId=S0376892909990373

Año de publicación:  2010

Autor de la publicación:  Trancoso, R., A. Carneiro Filho, J. Tomasella, J. Schietti, B. R. Forsberg, and R. P. Miller

Revista de publicación:  Environmental Conservation

 

 

Conservando la Cuenca Amazónica Aguas Amazonicas

Deforestation and conservation in major watersheds of the Brazilian Amazon.

Conserving natural vegetation cover is of critical  importance for maintaining the ecological integrity  and hydrological properties of large river basins (more  than 100 000km2). Recent estimates indicate that more  than 700 000km2 of Brazilian Amazon have already  been deforested, and to reduce further losses and  preserve the important natural and cultural resources  in this region, large conservation areas have been  created by the Brazilian government. The present  study analysed land cover and land use change  in the major watersheds of the Brazilian Amazon,  in order to evaluate the current balance between  deforestation and conservation of natural areas in the  region. The results show that watersheds draining the  southern part of the basin have suffered the highest  deforestation rates, with the largest losses (8.3–20% of  total basin area) occurring in the Madeira, Tapaj´os,  Xingu, Araguaia and Tocantins river basins. Most  largewatersheds already have significant deforestation  in their headwaters, which can affect hydrological  functions and ecological sustainability. The greatest  allocation of land for conservation was encountered in  the Trombetas, Xingu and Negro watersheds, where  conservation areas occupied 92.5, 56.9 and 50.6% of  the total basin, respectively.