Estimates of deforestation avoided by protected areas: a case study in Brazilian tropical dry forests and Cerrado

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the creation of protected areas (PAs) to avoid deforestation using Matching methods, focusing on the north of the Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Using GIS (Geographic Information System) techniques, we randomly distributed several 3 ha plots across the study region. The deforestation rates in plots inside and outside PAs were compared using Matching analysis. Our results indicate that the PAs created in the north of Minas Gerais in the 1990s were effective in reducing deforestation, though avoided deforestation rates have been relatively low (1.62% from 1996 to 2009). Geographical location was a key factor for PAs effectiveness and plots inside PAs in flat regions or close to large cities and roads had a greater impact on avoided deforestation. The results of this study corroborate a global trend of establishment of PAs in remote areas under low deforestation pressure.

KEYWORDS:

• Avoided deforestation
• conservation strategies
• Matching analysis
• protected areas
• environmental policies
• Brazil

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplementary Material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico; Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais; the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (CRN II # 021) [US National Science Foundation (Grant GEO-0452325)].

Notes on contributors

Carlos Magno Santos Clemente

Carlos Magno Santos Clemente has a degree in Geography from the Department of Geosciences of the State University of Montes Claros, Brazil, and is currently a PhD student at the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais. Since 2014 he is a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering and coordinator of the UniFG-BA Observatory of the Northeastern Semi-arid and of the Geoprocessing Laboratory at the Centro Universitário UniFG-BA. His research area addresses the applications of the Geographic Information System and remote sensing in socio-environmental studies. He is a member of the research group “Rede Matas Secas”.

Mário Marcos do Espírito-Santo

Dr. Mário Marcos do Espírito-Santo is a biologist degree with a PhD (2004) in Ecology, Conservation and Management of Wildlife from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Since 2005, he is a professor at the Department of General Biology at the State University of Montes Claros, Brazil. Dr. Espírito-Santo’s main research interests are forest succession, ecosystem functioning and conservation strategies and policies for tropical dry forests. He coordinates a research network called “Rede Matas Secas”, aiming to study the biodiversity and natural regeneration in Brazilian tropical dry forests inside the Brazilian System for Biodiversity Research – SISBIOTA BRASIL, involving several institutions. He is also part of other collaborative research networks, such as TROPI-DRY and 2ndFOR, aiming at increasing the knowledge on biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and human occupation and sustainable use in Brazilian tropical dry forests.

Marcos Esdras Leite

Marcos Esdras Leite is a geographer with a doctorate in geography from the Federal University of Uberlândia. Since 2005 he is a professor in the Department of Geosciences at the State University of Montes Claros and coordinator of the Geoprocessing Laboratory and the Graduate Program in Geography. He is also part of the advisory board of the Foundation for Research of the State of Minas Gerais. His research area addresses the applications of the Geographic Information System and remote sensing in socio-environmental studies. Member of the research group “Rede Matas Secas” and also advisor to the Council for the Defense and Conservation of the Environment of Montes Claros-MG, Brazil.