Analysis of land use change in Mangrove of the Barra San José, Chiapas, Mexico

Mangroves are the most productive ecosystems in the world, since they provide ecosystem services, are biological filters, stabilize the coastline and are the habitat of important fishing species and migratory birds nest. However, the inadequate implementation of agricultural, livestock and tourism development policies has implied the loss of biodiversity, habitat fragmentation and deforestation. The objective of this work is to evaluate the dynamics of changes in mangrove cover and land use in Barra San José, Chiapas, Mexico, in the period 1978-2017. The detection of the changes was carried out by means of a post-classificatory multitemporal study, through the superposition of digital cartographic bases of land use of the series III and VI of the INEGI. Maps of change processes, deforestation rates, and change matrices were obtained. The results indicate a loss of 574 ha of Mangroves in 39 years, with a deforestation rate of -0.41%, where human settlements and agriculture accounted for 90% of the changes. The conversion of Mangroves to grasslands was very marked, showing the fragmentation and loss of habitat to which the forests are exposed in the study area. The results of this analysis should be considered in the establishment of management and conservation policies for this ecological region.

Understanding 34 Years of Forest Cover Dynamics across the Paraguayan Chaco: Characterizing Annual Changes and Forest Fragmentation Levels between 1987 and 2020

Over the past 40 years, Paraguay has lost the majority of its natural forest cover, thus becoming one of the countries with the highest deforestation rates in the world. The rapid expansion of the agricultural frontier, cattle ranching, and illegal logging between 1987 and 2012 resulted in the loss of 27% of original forest cover, equivalent to almost 44,000 km2. Within this context, the present research provides the first yearly analysis of forest cover change in the Paraguayan Chaco between the years 1987 and 2020. Remote sensing data obtained from Landsat images were applied to derive annual forest cover masks and deforestation rates over 34 years. Part of this study is a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of protected areas, as well as an analysis of the degree of fragmentation of the forest. All classification results obtained accuracies above 80% and revealed a total forest cover loss of approximately 64,700 km2. Forest clearing within protected areas was not frequent; however, some natural reserves presented losses of up to 25% of their forest cover. Through the consideration of several landscape metrics, this study reveals an onward fragmentation of forest cover, which endangers the natural habitat of numerous species.

Militarisation Under COVID-19: Understanding the Differential Impact of Lockdown on the Forests of Colombia

Drawing on qualitative analysis and anthropological histories, we argue that deforestation rates in the Inter-Andean Valleys and in the Amazon Belt of Colombia reflect the specific role of the military in different articulations of the political forest along with new connections between conservation and the war on drugs. This paper examines the increase in deforestation in Colombia in 2020 that partially coincided with the “lockdown” imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19. Early media analysis linked this with the redeployment of military forces away from forest protection to impose lockdown restrictions. However, closer investigation reveals significant regional variation in both the reorganisation of military groups, and in the rate at which deforestation has materialised; military presence has increased in some regions, while in others deforestation has increased. To explain this, we unpack the “biopolitical” dimensions of international conservation to show how the specific deployment of military groups in Colombia reflects an interplay between notions of the protection of (species) life, longer colonial histories, and more recent classification of geographies in terms of riskiness and value.

MANGROVE ECOSYSTEM AND CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Mangrove ecosystem has high productivity both ecologically and economically. Mangroveecosystems have the ability to store high carbon which is useful in supporting the reduction ofgreenhouse gas emissions. The results of previous studies have shown that mangroveecosystems are able to store carbon three to four times greater than terestrial forests. Most ofthe carbon are stored in the soil. Therefore, ecosystem mangroves have an important role tomitigate climate change. However, mangroves can be effective in supporting the mitigation ofcarbon dioxide emissions if mangrove deforestation rates are low. However, mangroves canstill contribute with great potential when conservation are maintained to increase future carbonstocks through restoration and prevent further emissions from deforestation. Existing data andprior research indicate that mangrove forests are threatened due to mangrove coveragereduction. This is caused by changes in land use. There are many conversions of mangrovesinto cultivation ponds, as well as conversions into agricultural land such as paddy fields andpastures, accompanied by an increase in demand for oil palm which causes land clearing. Inaddition, the population around the coastal area is increasing, resulting in the clearing ofmangrove land for infrastructure development such as road and port construction. In order toreduce the rate of mangrove deforestation, it is necessary to conserve and restore mangroves.By preserving mangrove forests, not only maintain carbon stocks for climate change mitigationbut also facilitate adaptation to climate change such as sea level rise.

Integrating Pixels, People, and Political Economy to Understand the Role of Armed Conflict and Geopolitics in Driving Deforestation: The Case of Myanmar

Armed conflict and geopolitics are a driving force of Land Use and Land Cover Change (LULCC), but with considerable variation in deforestation trends between broader and finer scales of analysis. Remotely-sensed annual deforestation rates from 1989 to 2018 are presented at the national and (sub-) regional scales for Kachin State in the north of Myanmar and in Kayin State and Tanintharyi Region in the southeast. We pair our multiscaled remote sensing analysis with our multisited political ecology approach where we conducted field-based interviews in study sites between 2018 and 2020. Our integrated analysis identified three common periods of deforestation spikes at the national and state/region level, but with some notable disparities between regions as well as across and within townships and village tracts. We found the rate and geography of deforestation were most influenced by the territorial jurisdictions of armed authorities, national political economic reforms and timber regulations, and proximity to national borders and their respective geopolitical relations. The absence or presence of ceasefires in the north and southeast did not solely explain deforestation patterns. Rather than consider ceasefire or war as a singular explanatory variable effecting forest cover change, we demonstrate the need to analyze armed conflict as a dynamic multisited and diffuse phenomenon, which is simultaneously integrated into broader political economy and geopolitical forces.

Deforestation and Biomass Production in Miombo Forest in Huambo (Angola): A Balance between Local and Global Needs

Miombo is one of the most widely distributed ecosystems in Angola, with a great social and environmental value. Thus, the rural population uses the biomass as fuel and miombo provides important ecosystem services, such as its carbon sequestration capacity. The objectives of this work were (i) to assess deforestation in miombo forest in Huambo province (Angola) during the last 20 years, (ii) to evaluate carbon storage capacity of miombo, and (iii) to calculate the charcoal productive capacity of those forests. From 2000 to 2019, 359,130 ha (12.96%) were deforested in Huambo province. Thirty-six woody species were identified as major components of miombo forest, the most frequent being Albizia anthunesiana, Brachystegia spiciformis, Julbernardia paniculata, Monote spp., Brachystegia boemii, Isoberlinea angolensis, Anisophyllea boehmii, Syzygium guineense, and Erythrophleum africanum. The total biomass estimated in miombo forest was 195.05 Mg ha−1 (55.02 Mg ha−1 radical and 140.04 Mg ha−1 area), with a total wood volume of 78.57 m3 ha−1. This represents values of 91.67 Mg ha−1 of accumulated carbon and 336.13 Mg ha−1 of CO2 equivalent. The potential charcoal productivity was 15,359.9 kg ha−1, corresponding to 24.78 trees ha−1. The Annual Allowable Cutting Volume was 10.77 m3 ha−1 year−1, 14.13 m3 ha−1 year−1, 21.17 m3 ha−1, and 32.85 m3 ha−1 year−1 for rotation lengths of 55, 40, 25, and 15 years, respectively, corresponding to a potential annual charcoal productivity of 2107.08 Kg ha−1 year−1, 2762.96 Kg ha−1 year−1, 4139.21 Kg ha−1, and 422.56 Kg ha−1 year−1. However, deforestation rates in the last 19 years and low charcoal productive capacity could compromise the sustainability of the Miombo ecosystem and its value as an ecosystem service provider in the province if appropriate management strategies are not developed.

Economic growth and sustainability: An analysis of the Environmental Kuznets Curve on the Legal Amazon

The objective of this work was to analyze how deforestation of the Legal Amazon (AMZ-L) is affected by the economic growth of the states it covers, from 2000 to 2017. This study is based on the Environmental Kuznets Curve theory (EKC), proposed by Grossman and Krueger (1991). We used the panel data method considering the fixed effects to answer the research problem. The hypothesis of the EKC, in fact, happens in the initial stage, showing that, with the increase in income, deforestation rates drop, causing the curve to reverse, taking an inverted “U” shape. However, at high-income levels, deforestation increases again, thus the curve takes an “N” shape. Considering this scenario, we can conclude that the increase in income alone does not guarantee deforestation reduction. However, we must emphasize that deforestation rates are lower than in the initial stage at high-income levels, showing the government intervention is needed.

Local Traditions and Environmental Preservation - Genius Loci in Penglipuran Village in Protecting Public Spaces

Community groups who live in traditional settlements mostly have a wealth called genius loci, which actually has very insight into the preservation of the natural and cultural environment. Bali also has several unique traditions that are not only in terms of settlement layouts, but are unique in terms of preserving the natural landscape. Meanwhile, there are some areas in Indonesia that are not able to maintain environmental sustainability, which is indicated by the continued increase in deforestation rates which are a sign of the deteriorating quality of the surrounding environment. Based on this, this article discusses the traditions applied in landscape conservation in Penglipuran Bangli village. This research was conducted using a qualitative descriptive method with a case study approach. To preserve the natural environment, there are several traditions that are still maintained and implemented consistently, including traditions: Preserving village forests, keeping the environment clean, telajakan karang kerti, may not use vehicles on the main village corridor. The application of local traditions related to environmental preservation is carried out consistently and with full awareness by both the community and the prajuru as leaders in the Penglipuran Traditional Village. The success of nature conservation cannot be separated from the clear, firm, consistent application of awig-awig accompanied by sanctions, as well as public awareness of the importance of landscape conservation.

Relationship between Biomass Burning Emissions and Deforestation in Amazonia over the Last Two Decades

With deforestation and associated fires ongoing at high rates, and amidst urgent need to preserve Amazonia, improving the understanding of biomass burning emissions drivers is essential. The use of orbital remote sensing data enables the estimate of both biomass burning emissions and deforestation. In this study, we have estimated emissions of particulate matter with diameter less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) associated with biomass burning, a primary human health risk, using the Brazilian Biomass Burning emission model with Fire Radiative Power (3BEM_FRP), and estimated deforestation based on the MapBiomas dataset. Using these estimates, we have assessed for the first time how deforestation drove biomass burning emissions in Amazonia over the last two decades at three scales of analysis: Amazonia-wide, country/state and pixel. Amazonia accounted for 48% of PM2.5 emitted from biomass burning in South America and current deforestation rates have reached values on par with those of the early 21st Century. Emissions and deforestation were concentrated in the Eastern and Central-Southern portions of Amazonia. Amazonia-wide deforestation and emissions were linked through time (R = 0.65). Countries/states with the widest spread agriculture were less likely to be correlated at this scale, likely because of the importance of biomass burning in agricultural practices. Concentrated in regions of ongoing deforestation, in 18% of Amazonia grid cells PM2.5 emissions associated with biomass burning and deforestation were significantly positively correlated. Deforestation is an important driver of emissions in Amazonia but does not explain biomass burning alone. Therefore, future work must link climate and other non-deforestation drivers to completely understand biomass burning emissions in Amazonia. The advance of anthropogenic activities over forested areas, which ultimately leads to more fires and deforestation, is expected to continue, worsening a crisis of dangerous emissions.

Exemplifying Stratified Deforestation in Four Protected Areas in Madagascar

Protected areas (PAs) are a cornerstone for conservation biodiversity. Madagascar, as a hotspot for biodiversity, has a network of 114 terrestrial protected areas covering the main forest types occurring on the island. Deforestation continues unabated despite the network covering 11% of the island. Here we present a case study approach reporting on four PAs from the humid forests, dry western forests, and southwestern dry and spiny forests and thickets. To describe deforestation in and around the case sites, we have considered a time window of 30 years for analysis, focusing on six years with reliable data: 1990, 2000, 2010, 2015 (the year of latest PA network update), and 2017. We have considered forest versus other land covers within the PAs in “buffers” at a distance of 500 m, 2.5 km, 5 km, and 10 km from the border of the PA. These buffers were set from the border towards the center of the PA (inside the PAs) and from the border outside the PAs. The smallest PAs, Kasijy (IUCN IV), and Behara Tranomaro (no IUCN category), showed the least forest loss. Tsaratanana (IUCN I) had the highest deforestation rates within the last two years of analysis, with deforestation concentrated in the core area. Ranobe PK-32 (no IUCN category), originally with the largest forest extent, has lost most of its forest cover and showed the highest annual deforestation rate (3.5%) between 2015 and 2017. All four cases prove to be very challenging to manage. Future conservation activities require tailored interventions to account for site-specific current and potential future threats, as detailed in this contribution.