Using indicators of deforestation and land-use dynamics to support conservation strategies: A case study of central Rondonia, Brazil

Autor(es)

de Barros Ferraz, Silvio Frosini ^[1] ; Vettorazzi, Carlos Alberto ^[2] ; Theobald, David M. ^[3]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Ciencias Florestais, Escola Super Agr Luiz de Queiroz, BR-13418900 Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Engn Rural, Escola Super Agr Luiz de Queiroz, BR-13418900 Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

^[3] Colorado State Univ, Dept Human Dimens Nat Resources, Ft Collins, CO 80523 - USA

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT; v. 257, n. 7, p. 1586-1595, MAR 22 2009.
• Citações Web of Science: 31

Resumo

In Rondonia State, Brazil, settlement processes have cleared 68,000 km 2 of tropical forests since the 1970s. The intensity of deforestation has differed by region depending on driving factors like roads and economic activities. Different histories of land-use activities and rates of change have resulted in mosaics of forest patches embedded in an agricultural matrix. Yet, most assessments of deforestation and its effects on vegetation, soil and water typically focus on landscape patterns of current conditions, yet historical deforestation dynamics can influence current conditions strongly. Here, we develop and describe the use of four land-use dynamic indicators to capture historical land-use changes of catchments and to measure the rate of deforestation (annual deforestation rate), forest regeneration level (secondary forest mean proportion), time since disturbance (mean time since deforestation) and deforestation profile (deforestation profile curvature). We used the proposed indices to analyze a watershed located in central Rondonia. Landsat TM and ETM+ images were used to produce historical land-use maps of the last 18 years, each even year from 1984 to 2002 for 20 catchments. We found that the land-use dynamics indicators are able to distinguish catchments with different land-use change profiles. Four categories of historical land-use were identified: old and dominant pasture cover on small properties, recent deforestation and dominance of secondary growth, old extensive pastures and large forest remnants and, recent deforestation, pasture and large forest remnants. Knowing historical deforestation processes is important to develop appropriate conservation strategies and define priorities and actions for conserving forests currently under deforestation. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 00/03740-5 - Variação temporal na estrutura da paisagem, em função do processo de desmatamento e ocupação do solo, na região central do estado de Rondônia
• Beneficiário: Silvio Frosini de Barros Ferraz
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Mestrado
• Processo FAPESP: 01/14172-0 - Variação temporal na estrutura da paisagem e sua influência na qualidade da água, função do desmatamento na região central do estado de Rondônia
• Beneficiário: Silvio Frosini de Barros Ferraz
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Doutorado Direto