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Calculating Deforestation Figures for the Amazon
These figures are calculated from estimates provided by the Brazilian National Institute of Space Research (INPE) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The figures only refer to the Brazilian Amazon, which accounts for roughly 60 percent of the Amazon rainforest.
According to a study released in September 2009 by Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE), at least 20 percent land deforested in the Brazilian Amazon is regrowing forest.
| Period | | Estimated Remaining
Forest Cover
in the Brazilian Amazon
(sq. km) | | Annual forest loss
(sq. km) | | Percent of 1970
cover remaining | | Total forest loss
since 1970
(sq. km) |
| pre-1970 | | 4,100,000 | | | | | | |
| 1970 | | 4,001,600 | | | | 97.6% | | |
| 1977 | | 3,955,870 | | 21,130 | | 96.5% | | 144,130 |
| 1978-1987 | | 3,744,570 | | 21,130 | | 91.3% | | 355,430 |
Deforestation Figures for Brazil 1988-present
Year | Deforestation
[sq mi] | Deforestation
[sq km] | Change
[%] |
| | | |
| 1988 | 8,127 | 21,050 | |
| 1989 | 6,861 | 17,770 | -16% |
| 1990 | 5,301 | 13,730 | -23% |
| 1991 | 4,259 | 11,030 | -20% |
| 1992 | 5,323 | 13,786 | 25% |
| 1993 | 5,751 | 14,896 | 8% |
| 1994 | 5,751 | 14,896 | 0% |
| 1995 | 11,220 | 29,059 | 95% |
| 1996 | 7,012 | 18,161 | -38% |
| 1997 | 5,107 | 13,227 | -27% |
| 1998 | 6,712 | 17,383 | 31% |
| 1999 | 6,664 | 17,259 | -1% |
| 2000 | 7,037 | 18,226 | 6% |
| 2001 | 7,014 | 18,165 | 0% |
| 2002 | 8,260 | 21,394 | 17% |
| 2003 | 9,748 | 25,247 | 19% |
| 2004 | 10,588 | 27,423 | 9% |
| 2005 | 7,276 | 18,846 | -31% |
| 2006 | 5,447 | 14,109 | -49% |
| 2007 | 4,490 | 11,631 | -18% |
| 2008 | 4,984 | 12,911 | 11% |
| 2009 | <2,705 | <7,008 | N/A |
All figures derived from official National
Institute of Space Research (INPE) data. Individual state figures.
*For the 1978-1988 period the figures represent
the average annual rates of deforestation.
Recent news on deforestation in the Amazon
Humans drove rainforest into savannah in ancient Africa
(02/09/2012)
Three thousand years ago several large sections of the Congo rainforest in central Africa suddenly vanished and became savannah. Scientists have long believed the loss of the forest was due to changes in the climate, however a new study in Science implicates an additional culprit: humans. The study argues that a migration of farmers into the region led to rapid land-use changes from agriculture and iron smelting, eventually causing the collapse of rainforest in places and a rise of grasslands. The study has implications for today as scientists warn that the potent combination of deforestation and climate change could flip parts of the Amazon rainforest as well into savannah.
Majority of protected tropical forests "empty" due to hunting
(02/08/2012)
Protected areas in the world's tropical rainforests are absolutely essential, but one cannot simply set up a new refuge and believe the work is done, according to a new paper in Bioscience. Unsustainable hunting and poaching is decimating tropical forest species in the Amazon, the Congo, Southeast Asia, and Oceana, leaving behind "empty forests," places largely devoid of any mammal, bird, or reptile over a few pounds. The loss of such species impacts the whole ecosystems, as plants lose seed dispersers and the food chain is unraveled.
New meteorological theory argues that the world's forests are rainmakers
(02/01/2012)
New, radical theories in science often take time to be accepted, especially those that directly challenge longstanding ideas, contemporary policy or cultural norms. The fact that the Earth revolves around the sun, and not vice-versa, took centuries to gain widespread scientific and public acceptance. While Darwin's theory of evolution was quickly grasped by biologists, portions of the public today, especially in places like the U.S., still disbelieve. Currently, the near total consensus by climatologists that human activities are warming the Earth continues to be challenged by outsiders. Whether or not the biotic pump theory will one day fall into this grouping remains to be seen. First published in 2007 by two Russian physicists, Victor Gorshkov and Anastassia Makarieva, the still little-known biotic pump theory postulates that forests are the driving force behind precipitation over land masses.
Saving the world's biggest river otter
(01/30/2012)
Charismatic, vocal, unpredictable, domestic, and playful are all adjectives that aptly describe the giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), one of the Amazon's most spectacular big mammals. As its name suggest, this otter is the longest member of the weasel family: from tip of the nose to tail's end the otter can measure 6 feet (1.8 meters) long. Living in closely-knit family groups, sporting a complex range of behavior, and displaying almost human-like capricious moods, the giant river otter has captured a number of researchers and conservationists' hearts, including Dutch conservationist Jessica Groenendijk.
Photo of the Day: Critically Endangered brown spider monkey discovered in park
(01/26/2012)
Researchers with The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Colombia’s National Parks Unit have located at least two individuals of brown-spider monkey (Ateles hybridus) in Colombia's Selva de Florencia National Park. The discovery is important because its the only known population of this particular subspecies (Ateles hybridus brunneus) in a protected area.
Deforestation, climate change threaten the ecological resilience of the Amazon rainforest
(01/19/2012)
The combination of deforestation, forest degradation, and the effects of climate change are weakening the resilience of the Amazon rainforest ecosystem, potentially leading to loss of carbon storage and changes in rainfall patterns and river discharge, finds a comprehensive review published in the journal Nature.
Peruvian smugglers traffic illegal rainforest timber from Brazil to America
(01/11/2012)
An investigation by Brazil's Federal Police has detailed a significant trade of illegally logged rainforest wood by Peruvian nationals making its way from northern Brazil to the U.S. and Mexico, reports O Globo.
Industrial palm oil production expands at expense of rainforests in Peru
(01/10/2012)
Intensive palm oil production is expanding at the expense of biolologically-rich lowland rainforests in the Peruvian Amazon, reports a study published in Environmental Research Letters. The research indicates that enthusiasm for oil palm — one of the world's most lucrative crops — is taking a toll on forests outside of Southeast Asia, where the vast majority of palm oil is produced.
Colonization program remains important driver of deforestation in Brazil
(01/10/2012)
Government-subsidized colonization of the Amazon rainforest remains an important driver of forest loss in Brazil, but has mixed economic value, argues a paper published in Biological Conservation.
Top 10 Environmental Stories of 2011
(12/22/2011)
Many of 2011's most dramatic stories on environmental issues came from people taking to the streets. With governments and corporations slow to tackle massive environmental problems, people have begun to assert themselves. Victories were seen on four continents: in Bolivia a draconian response to protestors embarrassed the government, causing them to drop plans to build a road through Tipnis, an indigenous Amazonian reserve; in Myanmar, a nation not known for bowing to public demands, large protests pushed the government to cancel a massive Chinese hydroelectric project; in Borneo a three-year struggle to stop the construction of a coal plant on the coast of the Coral Triangle ended in victory for activists; in Britain plans to privatize forests created such a public outcry that the government not only pulled back but also apologized; and in the U.S. civil disobedience and massive marches pressured the Obama Administration to delay a decision on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, which would bring tar sands from Canada to a global market.
Indigenous people blockade river against 'murderous' oil company
(09/21/2011)
Over the weekend more than 100 Shuar indigenous people, also known as Wampis, blockaded the Morona River in Peru in an effort to stop exploratory oil drilling by Canadian-owned Talisman Energy. The blockade in meant to prevent oil drilling in an area of the Peruvian Amazon known as Block 64, home to four indigenous tribes in total and the Pastaza River Wetland Complex, a Ramsar wetland site.
Peru president signs indigenous rights act into law
(09/07/2011)
Peru's new president, Ollanta Humala, has signed into law a measure requiring that indigenous groups are consulted prior to any mining, logging, or oil and gas projects on their land. If properly enforced, the new legislation will give indigenous people free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) over such industrial projects, though the new law does not go so far as to allow local communities a veto over projects. Still, the law puts Peru in line with the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention of 1989, which the South American nation ratified nearly two decades ago.
Indigenous protestors embark on 300-mile walk to protest Amazon road in Bolivia
(08/21/2011)
Indigenous protesters are targeting a new road in the Bolivian Amazon, reports the BBC. The 190-mile highway under construction in the Bolivian Amazon will pass through the Isiboro-Secure Indigenous Territory and National Park (Tipnis), a 4,600-square mile (11,900 square kilometers) preserve which boasts exceptional levels of rainforest biodiversity, including endangered blue macaws and fresh-water dolphins. Indigenous peoples who live in Tipnis are participating in a month-long protest march against the road, which they claim violates their right to self-governance.
Cameratraps take global snapshot of declining tropical mammals
(08/17/2011)
A groundbreaking cameratrap study has mapped the abundance, or lack thereof, of tropical mammal populations across seven countries in some of the world's most important rainforests. Undertaken by The Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring Network (TEAM), the study found that habitat loss was having a critical impact on mammals. The study, which documented 105 mammals (nearly 2 percent of the world's known mammals) on three continents, also confirmed that mammals fared far better—both in diversity and abundance—in areas with continuous forest versus areas that had been degraded.
Lessons from the world's longest study of rainforest fragments
(08/15/2011)
For over 30 years, hundreds of scientists have scoured eleven forest fragments in the Amazon seeking answers to big questions: how do forest fragments' species and microclimate differ from their intact relatives? Will rainforest fragments provide a safe haven for imperiled species or are they last stand for the living dead? Should conservation focus on saving forest fragments or is it more important to focus the fight on big tropical landscapes? Are forest fragments capable of regrowth and expansion? Can a forest—once cut-off—heal itself? Such questions are increasingly important as forest fragments—patches of forest that are separated from larger forest landscapes due to expanding agriculture, pasture, or fire—increase worldwide along with the human footprint.
Suspects named for assassination of husband and wife activists in Brazil
(07/21/2011)
Brazilian authorities have fingered three men for the killing of environmental activist, José Cláudio Ribeiro da Silva, and his wife, Maria do EspÃrito Santo da Silva, in May. The grisly murders received international attention, since José da Silva was a well known activist against illegal logging in Pará, a state in Brazil that is rife with deforestation and violence.
Oil company hires indigenous people to clean up its Amazon spill with rags and buckets
(07/13/2011)
On Sunday morning children swimming in the Mashiria River in the Peruvian Amazon noticed oil floating on the water. A pipeline owned by Maple Energy had ruptured in Block 31-E, polluting the Mashiria River which is used by the Shipibo indigenous community in Nuevo Sucre for fishing and drinking water. In response to the spill, Maple Energy's local operator—Dublin incorporate transnational—hired 32 Shipibo community members to clean up the spills using only rags and buckets.
Last chance to see: the Amazon's Xingu River
(06/15/2011)
Not far from where the great Amazon River drains into the Atlantic, it splits off into a wide tributary, at first a fat vertical lake that, when viewed from satellite, eventually slims down to a wild scrawl through the dark green of the Amazon. In all, this tributary races almost completely southward through the Brazilian Amazon for 1,230 miles (1,979 kilometers)—nearly as long as the Colorado River—until it peters out in the savannah of Mato Grosso. Called home by diverse indigenous tribes and unique species, this is the Xingu River.
Germany backs out of Yasuni deal
(06/13/2011)
Germany has backed out of a pledge to commit $50 million a year to Ecuador's Yasuni ITT Initiative, reports Science Insider. The move by Germany potentially upsets an innovative program hailed by environmentalists and scientists alike. This one-of-a-kind initiative would protect a 200,000 hectare bloc in Yasuni National Park from oil drilling in return for a trust fund of $3.6 billion, or about half the market value of the nearly billion barrels of oil lying underneath the area. The plan is meant to mitigate climate change, protect biodiversity, and safeguard the rights of indigenous people.
Shareholders to Chevron: company showing 'poor judgment' in Ecuador oil spill case
(05/26/2011)
After being found guilty in February of environmental harm and ordered to pay $8.6 billion in an Ecuador court of law, Chevron this week faced another trial: this time by shareholders in its Annual General Meeting in California. While Chevron has appealed the Ecuador case and a US court has put an injunction barring the enforcement of the ruling in the US, notable Chevron investors say the company has gone astray in its seemingly endless legal battle with indigenous groups in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
more news
Charts and graphs for the Amazon forest
| FOREST LOSS |
[ large medium small ] | Deforestation in the Brazlian Amazon, 1988-present
60-70 percent of deforestation in the Amazon results from cattle ranches while the rest mostly results from small-scale subsistence agriculture. Despite the widespread press attention, large-scale farming (i.e. soybeans) currently contributes relatively little to total deforestation in the Amazon. Most soybean cultivation takes place outside the rainforest in the neighboring cerrado grassland ecosystem and in areas that have already been cleared. Logging results in forest degradation but rarely direct deforestation. However, studies have showed a close correlation between logging and future clearing for settlement and farming.
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[ large medium small ] | Causes of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, 2000-2005
The above pie chart showing deforestation in the Amazon by cause is based on the median figures for estimate ranges. Please note the low estimate for large-scale agriculture. Between 2000-2005 soybean cultivation reesulted in a small overall percentage of direct deforestation. Nevertheless the role of soy is quite significant in the Amazon. As explained by Dr. Philip Fearnside, "Soybean farms cause some forest clearing directly. But they have a much greater impact on deforestation by consuming cleared land, savanna, and transitional forests, thereby pushing ranchers and slash-and-burn farmers ever deeper into the forest frontier. Soybean farming also provides a key economic and political impetus for new highways and infrastructure projects, which accelerate deforestation by other actors."
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[ medium small ] | Deforestation in Brazil, 1978-2005
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[ large medium ] | Deforestation in Amazônia Legal State, Brazil, 1988-2005
Deforestation in Amazônia Legal State, Brazil, 1988-2005 measured stated-by-state by percent share of total forest loss
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[ large medium ] | Deforestation in Amazônia Legal State, Brazil, 1988-2005
Deforestation in Amazônia Legal State, Brazil, 1988-2005 State-by-state contribution to total forest loss
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[ large medium ] | Deforestation in Acre State, Brazil, 1988-2005
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[ large medium ] | Deforestation in Amapá State, Brazil, 1988-2005
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[ large medium ] | Deforestation in Amazonas State, Brazil, 1988-2005
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[ large medium ] | Deforestation in Maranhão State, Brazil, 1988-2005
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[ large medium ] | Deforestation in Mato Grosso State, Brazil, 1988-2005
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[ large medium ] | Deforestation in Pará State, Brazil, 1988-2005
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[ large medium ] | Deforestation in Rondônia State, Brazil, 1988-2005
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[ large medium ] | Deforestation in Roraima State, Brazil, 1988-2005
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[ large medium ] | Deforestation in Tocantins State, Brazil, 1988-2005
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| FOREST COVER |
[ large medium small ] | Amazon biomass distribution, by vegetation type
The biomass range (metric tons per hectare) for general vegetation types in the Amazon Basin. The authors report the following distribution of vegetation category for the basin: Old growth terra firme forest (62.3% of the legal Amazon [(8 235 430 sq km]); Floodplain and inundated forest (4.19%); Secondary forest (1.67%); Woodland savanna (24.47%); and Grass/shrub savanna (4.79%). The authors report average biomass ranges as follows: Dense forest 272.5 Mt/ha, Open forest 200.2 Mt/ha, Bamboo forest 212.3 Mt/ha, Liana/dry forest 189.7 Mt/ha, Seasonal/deciduous forest 225.6 Mt/ha, and Varzea flooded forest 248.3 Mt/ha. Image produced by Rhett A. Butler using data from the authors.
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| AGRICULTURE |
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[ medium ] | Soy expansion in the Brazilian Amazon, 1990-2005
Total deforestation and area of soybean cultivation across states in the Brazilian Amazon. Overall soybean cultivation makes up only a small portion of deforestation, though its role is accelerating. Further, soybean expansion and the associated infrastructure development and farmer displacement is driving deforestation by other actors. Note: some soybean farms are established on already degraded rainforest lands and neighboring cerrado ecosystems. Therefore it would be inappropriate to assume the area of soybean planting represents its actual role in deforestation.
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[ medium small ] | Soy expansion and deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, 1990-2005
Annual deforestation rates and annual soy expansion for states in the Brazilian Amazon 1990-2005. Note that the 1995-1996 and 1998-1999 years were negative and do not show up on the chart. Graphs based on Brazilian government data.
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[ large medium small ] | Projected soybean exports for the U.S. and Brazil, 2004-2015
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[ large medium ] | Cattle production in Brazil, 1977-2007
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[ large medium ] | Production and total supply of cattle in Brazil, 1960-2007
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[ large medium ] | Soybean oil crush in Brazil, 1981-2006
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[ large medium ] | Sugar cane production & export for Brazil, 1960-2006
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[ large medium ] | World soybean production, 1980-2003
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[ large medium ] | Soy and corn acreage planted and projected in the United States
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[ large medium ] | Soy and corn acreage planted and projected in the United States
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[ large medium ] | Forecast world soy trade market share for the U.S. and Brazil, 2004-2016
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[ medium ] | World soybean exports, 1990-2015
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Deforestation images
Pictures of deforestation
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