Deforestation in the Amazon: patterns and trajectories of land occupation in an expanding cattle ranching frontier region

• Grant number: 25/23693-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Program to Stimulate Scientific Vocations
• Start date: January 02, 2026
• End date: February 11, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Forestry Resources and Forestry Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Aurora Miho Yanai Nascimento
• Grantee: Patrícia Barbosa Nascimento
• Host Institution: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA). Manaus , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The project "Deforestation in the Amazon: Patterns and Occupation Trajectories in an Expanding Agricultural Frontier" aims to analyze deforestation dynamics in the Amazon using GIS, remote sensing, and geographical data mining through the GeoDMA software. The goal is to understand spatial and temporal land use and land cover changes and relate them to environmental and socioeconomic factors driving agricultural frontier expansion.The study area is located in the region of in Vila Realidade, municipality of Humaitá (Amazonas State), located within the AMACRO region in the Amazon deforestation arc, an area facing strong pressure from deforestation and forest degradation. The methodology combines theoretical and practical stages: literature review of deforestation dynamics and landscape metrics, collection and organization of geospatial data (sattelite images, PRODES/INPE maps, and cartographic datasets), land use and land cover classification, spatial and temporal analysis of deforestation and forest fragmentation patterns. The project will produce thematic maps, and an informative booklet to summarize and disseminate results.