Mapping of carbon emissions from land use and change (LUC) in the south-central region of Brazil

• Grant number: 23/07794-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2023
• End date: August 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy
• Principal Investigator: Ana Cláudia dos Santos Luciano
• Grantee: Renan Rosalis da Silva
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The south-central region of Brazil has undergone changes in land use and land cover over the last few decades, resulting in large-scale carbon emissions and contributing to climate emergencies. This research project aims to study carbon emissions due to land use and change (LUC) in the south-central region of Brazil during the years 1991 to 2021. For this purpose, land use and land cover maps obtained from from the MapBiomas project to provide the spatialized information, as well as the SEEG carbon emission and removal data. The LUC and carbon emission data will be integrated into a Geographic Information System (GIS) platform to assess spatial variability. Overall, carbon emissions from the LUC have deforestation and forest degradation as the main contributors. As a result, it is expected to show that the study area has undergone significant changes in its configuration of land use and land cover, with loss of forest cover and increase in agricultural activity, impacting carbon emissions. Finally, the spatialized maps will help identify the areas with the highest emissions and those with the greatest potential for carbon sequestration, which will provide relevant information to support and encourage Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) activities