Effects of deforestation pattern and private nature reserves on the forest conservation in settlement areas of the Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

The effects of deforestation patterns, private nature-reserve extents and agricultural fallow periods on forest conservation were simulated for settlement projects in the Brazilian Amazon that produce a fish-bone pattern of occupation and where slash-and-burn agriculture is predominantly used. Data for simulation was obtained from previous work at the Bragantina region, the oldest agricultural frontier in the Brazilian Amazon. Forest conservation was evaluated using the size of remnant forest fragments, the amount of interior habitat, the connectivity among fragments and the extent of fragmentation. Results showed that the best scenario for forest conservation is the maintenance of 80% of the lot as privatereserve using deforestation pattern that allow to group the reserves from different farmers at the end of the lot. When private-reserve coverage is bellow 80% of the landscape, forest conservation status will be influenced by the deforestation pattern. Some patterns (e.g. random location of deforestation plots) will then be particularly deleterious, producing a highly fragmented landscape, while other patterns (e.g., progressive deforestation from one edge) can allow the maintenance of large forest fragments. To get forest conservation in these cases, private-reserve extent and deforestation pattern should be considered together. Considering both forest conservation and agricultural use, progressive patterns of deforestation (or land use) in a lot of 2,000m by 500m, with private nature-reserves covering 50% of the landscape seems to be the best compromise. To guarantee the private forest preservation, these forests should be pre-established when settlements are planned and grouped at the end of the lots.

Landscape dynamics of Amazonian deforestation between 1984 and 2002 in central Rondônia, Brazil: assessment and future scenarios

“…An optimistic scenario for the region would include introduction of management models, mainly for small ranches (e.g., Metzger, 2001), which suggests that the parts of a ranch/farm that are nearest to roads should be used for production, while legal reserve areas (50% of the lot size enforced by Brazilian law) should be grouped at the endpart of each lot (far removed).…”

New distribution records of Pithecia rylandsi and Pithecia mittermeieri (Primates, Pitheciidae) and an updated distribution map

“…Currently, these areas are composed of a homogeneous agricultural matrix, which consists of soybean plantations and livestock (Sampaio et al 2012). This area is close to the "Arc of Deforestation", which extends from southeastern Maranhão state to southern Acre state, and has the highest deforestation rates of the entire Brazilian Amazon (Ferreira et al 2005;Metzger 2001;Michalski et al 2008). In this context, it is crucial to emphasize the importance of these areas (located both in Rondônia and Mato Grosso) (Table 1), for the conservation of P. mittermeieri, as they age becomes almost entirely white.…”

New records and geographic distribution of Grey Woolly Monkeys, Lagothrix cana (É. Geoffroy, 1812) (Primates, Atelidae), in southern Brazilian Amazonia

“…This ecotone region, between the Amazon and Cerrado biomes, is near the "arc of deforestation", which extends across five states from parts of Rondônia, Mato Grosso, Pará, Tocantins, and Maranhão (Ferreira et al 2005). Deforestation rates in this area are the highest in all of the Brazilian Amazon (Metzger 2001;Michalski et al 2008). Thus, efforts to conserve populations of L. cana are essential, not only for the intrinsic value of the species itself, but also for the preservation of whole ecosystem.…”