Agricultural expansion has caused extensive deforestation throughout the tropics in the last decades, nevertheless, some countries have experienced native forest gains. In the 20th century, the state of São Paulo, Brazil, transitioned from an agricultural frontier to an agro-industrial state, and in parallel, from a high deforestation rate to a net gain in native forest. Here we examine the biophysical and socioeconomic factors that best explain land use and forest cover change in the state, at the municipality scale, over four consecutive intervals between 1960 and 2006. We hypothesized that factors that increase the productivity of agricultural land or reduce pressure on land development would lead to regeneration. Although results differed among intervals, our analyses demonstrate that forest gains were greater in municipalities with high forest cover percentage and steep slopes, and in areas that employed a large number of workers and relied on intensive fertilizer inputs. At the same time, forest loss was higher in municipalities with a large portion of agricultural land and soils with higher water retention capacity. These results reveal that land-use expansion led to forest loss in areas more suitable for agriculture, while forest gains occurred mainly in less suitable areas. Over time, agricultural expansion leveled off and agriculture intensification enabled forest gains, which were most marked in areas with a high percentage of forest remnants. Ultimately, however, these proximate drivers of forest change were driven by governmental policies to modernize agriculture and to protect natural ecosystems.
Despite increasing scientific understanding of the global environmental crisis, we struggle to adopt the policies science suggests would be effective. One of the reasons for that is the lack of inclusive engagement and dialogue among a wide range of different actors. Furthermore, there is a lack of consideration of differences between languages, worldviews and cultures. In this paper, we propose that engagement across the science-policy interface can be strengthened by being mindful of the breadth and depth of the diverse human-nature relations found around the globe. By examining diverse conceptualizations of "nature" in more than 60 languages, we identify three clusters: inclusive conceptualizations where humans are viewed as an integral component of nature; non-inclusive conceptualizations where humans are separate from nature; and deifying conceptualizations where nature is understood and experienced within a spiritual dimension. Considering and respecting this rich repertoire of ways of describing, thinking about and relating to nature can help us communicate in ways that resonate across cultures and worldviews. This repertoire also provides a resource we can draw on when defining policies and sustainability scenarios for the future, offering opportunities for finding solutions to global environmental challenges.
Estudos em diversos países têm evidenciado a ocorrência de transição florestal, fenômeno em que o aumento da cobertura florestal supera as perdas por desflorestamento. No Brasil, embora o desflorestamento ocorra em maior grau que a expansão das florestas, é possível que em certas regiões essa relação seja inversa. Levantamentos recentes sugerem a tendência do Estado de São Paulo em direção à transição florestal. Com os objetivos de analisar as evidências dessa transição e facilitar o uso da informação já existente, fez-se uma revisão de quatro fontes de dados sobre a variação da cobertura vegetal nativa em São Paulo (Instituto Florestal, SOS Mata Atlântica/INPE, IBGE e CATI/IEA). Os resultados indicaram que as discrepâncias entre esses levantamentos podem, ao menos em parte, ser atribuídas a diferenças metodológicas e de objetivos. Ressaltam-se seus pontos de concordância e discutem-se possibilidades de harmonização dessas informações.
Neste artigo, o caso da eucaliptocultura é usado para explorar as possibilidades analíticas da modernização ecológica para as discussões sobre transição florestal. São abordadas as problemáticas da inclusão de monoculturas florestais no cômputo da transição e da influência indireta que essas monoculturas podem exercer na recuperação da cobertura florestal nativa. São analisados aspectos gerais sobre o tema, bem como um estudo de caso em São Luiz do Paraitinga, SP. Argumenta-se que as monoculturas florestais não deveriam ser incluídas no cômputo da transição, porém tampouco deveriam ser ignoradas nas discussões sobre conservação e recuperação florestal. O estudo de caso mostra o papel desempenhado pela pressão da sociedade, não apenas com suas decisões como consumidores, mas principalmente de uma articulação política para construir instrumentos jurídicos.
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