Uncategorized

MAAP #112: Mennonite Colonies – New Deforestation Driver in the Amazon

Posted on by dcadmin
Time-lapse deforestation in the “Tierra Blanca” Mennonite colony in Loreto, Peru. Data: Planet.

The Mennonites, a religious (Christian) group often dedicated to organized agriculture, are increasingly inhabiting the western Amazon (Peru and Bolivia).

Here, we reveal the recent deforestation of 18,500 acres (7,500 hectares) in three Mennonite colonies (see the Base Map below).

The two colonies in Peru (Tierra Blanca and Masisea) are new, causing the deforestation of 6,200 acres since 2017 (including 3,500 acres in 2019) in the Loreto and Ucayali regions.

The colony in Bolivia (Río Negro) is older, but deforestation recently began to increase again, causing the deforestation of 12,350 acres since 2017 in the department of Beni.

Next, we present a series of satellite image videos showing the deforestation in the three Mennonite colonies.

MAAP #111: Fires in the Bolivian Amazon – Using Google Earth Engine to Monitor

Posted on by dcadmin
Recent fire in the dry forests of the the Bolivian Amazon. Data: Planet.

We begin a new series on how to harness the power of the cloud to improve real-time monitoring in the Amazon and beyond.

As the amount of data from satellite images has skyrocketed, so have the challenges of research teams to fully utilize this abundant and heavy (in terms of terabytes) information.

In response, tech companies such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have been offering their powerful computer power, via the internet (cloud), to help process, analyze, display, and store big data.

Here, we feature Google Earth Engine, which is designed for the free processing of geospatial information (including satellite imagery) and publishing results on web applications.

In our first example, we show the power of Google Earth Engine to help with fire monitoring in the Bolivian Amazon. As noted in our previous reports, the 2019 fire season in Bolivia has been intense, with numerous major fires in the Amazonian dry forests and savannas.

There is currently an urgent need for real-time monitoring of active fires to assist ongoing fire management efforts at the national level. In response, we developed the application described below.

MAAP #110: Major Finding – Many Brazilian Amazon Fires Follow 2019 Deforestation

Posted on by dcadmin

In MAAP #109 we reported a major finding critical to understanding this year’s fires in the Brazilian Amazon: many of the 2019 fires followed 2019 deforestation events.

Here, we present our more comprehensive estimate: 125,000 hectares (310,000 acres) deforested in 2019 and then later burned in 2019 (July-September). This is equivalent to 172,000 soccer fields.*

Thus, the issue is both deforestation AND fire; the fires are often a lagging indicator of recent agricultural deforestation.

This key finding flips the widely reported assumption that the fires are burning intact rainforests for crops and cattle.

Instead, we find it’s the other way around, the forests were cut and then burned, presumably to enrich the soils. It is “slash and burn” agriculture, not “burn and slash.”

The policy implications are important: national and international focus needs to be on minimizing new deforestation, in addition to fire prevention and management.

This breakthrough data is based on our analysis of an extensive satellite imagery archive, allowing us to visually confirm areas that were deforested in 2019 and later burned in 2019 (see Methodology).

Below we present a new series of 7 striking timelapse videos that vividly show examples of 2019 deforestation followed by fires (See Base Map below for exact zoom locations).

MAAP #109: Fires and Deforestation in The Brazilian Amazon, 2019

Posted on by dcadmin
Base Map. 2019 deforestation and fire hotspots in the Brazilian Amazon. Data: UMD/GLAD, NASA (MODIS), PRODES

The fires in the Brazilian Amazon have been the subject of intense global attention over the past month.

As part of our ongoing coverage, we go a step further and analyze the relationship between fire and deforestation in 2019.

First, we present the first known Base Map showing both 2019 deforestation and fire hotspots, and, importantly, the areas of overlap. The letters correspond to Zooms below.

Second, we present a series of 16 high-resolution timelapse videos (Zooms A-K), courtesy of the satellite company Planet. They show five scenarios that we have documented thus far in 2019:

  1. Deforestation (No Fire)
  2. Deforestation (Followed by Fire)
  3. Agriculture Fire
  4. Savanna Fire
  5. Forest Fire

The key finding is that Deforestation (Followed by Fire) is critically important to understanding this year’s fire season (see Zooms B-E).

We documented numerous cases of 2019 deforestation events followed by intense fires, covering at least 52,500 hectares (130,000 acres) and counting. That is equivalent to 72,000 soccer fields.

The other common scenario is Agriculture Fire in areas cleared prior to 2019, but close to surrounding forest (see Zooms F and G).

We are also now seeing more examples of Savanna Fire in grassland areas among the rainforest. These fires can be large — we show a 24,000 hectare burn (60,000 acres) in Kayapó indigenous territory (see Zoom H).

We did not observe major Forest Fires in the moist Brazilian Amazon during August, but we did document such fires in early March in Roraima state. As the dry season continues into September and October, however, forest fires become a greater risk.

Our Progress on the 2019 Amazon Fires

Posted on by Ana Folhadella
Volunteer holding 50 fire protection vests
Volunteer holding 50 fire protection vests
Tools for the fire hose pump
Fire hose tools

As part of our current fire management efforts in Bolivia, we have been working with several organizations to generate reliable information to implement actions that are helping firefighters and inhabitants of affected areas. We have also been providing communities and governments with fire prevention training and supplies, so that local people can be better prepared and at the forefront of preventing and fighting forest fires.

Donations that we have received have been turning into immediate action during the heart of the fire season, enabling us to move quickly to support communities and governments in firefighting and prevention efforts.

MAAP #108: Understanding The Amazon Fires With Satellites, Part 2

Posted on by Ana Folhadella
Base Map. Updated Amazon fire hotspots map, August 20-26, 2019. Red, Orange, and Yellow indicate the highest concentrations of fire, as detected by NASA satellites that detect fires at 375 meter resolution. Data. VIIRS/NASA, MAAP.
Base Map. Updated Amazon fire hotspots map, August 20-26, 2019. Red, Orange, and Yellow indicate the highest concentrations of fire, as detected by NASA satellites that detect fires at 375 meter resolution. Data. VIIRS/NASA, MAAP.

Here we present an updated analysis on the Amazon fires, as part of our ongoing coverage and building off what we reported in MAAP #107.

First, we show an updated Base Map of the “fire hotspots” across the Amazon, based on very recent fire alerts (August 20-26). Hotspots (shown in red, orange, and yellow) indicate the highest concentrations of fire as detected by NASA satellites.

Our key findings include:

– The major fires do NOT appear to be in the northern and central Brazilian Amazon characterized by tall moist forest (Rondônia, Acre, Amazonas, Pará states),* but in the drier southern Amazon of Brazil and Bolivia characterized by dry forest and shrubland (Mato Grosso and Santa Cruz).

– The most intense fires are actually to the south of the Amazon, along the border of Bolivia and Paraguay, in areas characterized by drier ecosystems.

– Most of the fires in the Brazilian Amazon appear to be associated with agricultural lands. Fires at the agriculture-forest boundary may be expanding plantations or escaping into forest, including indigenous territories and protected areas.

– The large number of agriculture-related fires in Brazil highlights a critical point: much of the eastern Amazon has been transformed into a massive agricultural landscape over the past several decades. The fires are a lagging indicator of massive previous deforestation.

– We continue to warn against using satellite-based fire detection data alone as a measure of impact to Amazonian forests. Many of the detected fires are in agricultural areas that were once forest, but don’t currently represent forest fires.

In conclusion, the classic image of wildfires scorching everything in their path are currently more accurate for the unique and biodiverse dry forests of the southern Amazon then the moist forests to the north. However, the numerous fires at the agriculture-moist forest boundary are both a threat and stark reminder of how much forest has been, and continues to be, lost by deforestation.

Next, we show a series of 11 satellite images that show what the fires look like in major hotspots and how they are impacting Amazonian forests. The location of each image corresponds to the letters (A-K) on the Base Map.

*If anyone has detailed information to the contrary, please send spatial coordinates to maap@amazonconservation.org

Zooms A, B: Chiquitano Dry Forest (Bolivia)

Some of the most intense fires are concentrated in the dry Chiquitano of southern Bolivia. The Chiquitano is part of the largest tropical dry forest in the world and is a unique, high biodiversity, and poorly explored Amazonian ecosystem. Zooms A-C illustrate fires in the Chiquitano between August 18-21 of this year, likely burning a mixture of dry forest, scrubland, and grassland.

Zoom A. Recent fires in the dry Chiquitano of southern Bolivia. Data- Planet
Zoom A. Recent fires in the dry Chiquitano of southern Bolivia. Data- Planet

Zoom B. Recent fires in the dry Chiquitano of southern Bolivia. Data- Planet.
Zoom B. Recent fires in the dry Chiquitano of southern Bolivia. Data- Planet.

Zoom D: Beni Grasslands (Bolivia)

Zoom D. Recent fires and burned areas in Bolivia’s Beni grasslands. Data- ESA
Zoom D. Recent fires and burned areas in Bolivia’s Beni grasslands. Data- ESA

Zooms E,F,G,H: Brazilian Amazon (Amazonas, Rondônia, Pará, Mato Grosso)

Zoom E-H take us to moist forest forests of the Brazilian Amazon, where much of the media and social media attention has been focused. All fires we have seen in this area are in agricultural fields or at the agriculture-forest boundary. Note Zoom E is just outside a national park in Amazonas state; Zoom F shows fires at the agriculture-forest boundary in Rondônia state; Zoom G shows fires at the agriculture-forest boundary within a protected area in Pará state; and Zoom H shows fires at the agriculture-forest boundary in Mato Grosso state.

Zoom E. Fires at the agriculture-forest boundary outside a national park in Amazonas state. Data- Planet
Zoom E. Fires at the agriculture-forest boundary outside a national park in Amazonas state. Data- Planet
Zoom F. Fires at the agriculture-forest boundary in Rondônia state. Data- ESA
Zoom F. Fires at the agriculture-forest boundary in Rondônia state. Data- ESA

 

Zoom G. Fires at the agriculture-forest boundary within a protected area in Pará state
Zoom G. Fires at the agriculture-forest boundary within a protected area in Pará state

 

Zoom H. Fires at the agriculture-forest boundary in Mato Grosso. Data- ESA
Zoom H. Fires at the agriculture-forest boundary in Mato Grosso. Data- ESA

Zooms I, J: Southern Mato Grosso (Brazil)

Zooms I and J shows fires in grassland/scrubland at the drier southern edge of the Amazon Basin. Note both of these fires are within Indigenous Territories.

Zoom I. Fires within an Indigenous Territory at the drier southern edge of the Amazon Basin. Data- Planet
Zoom I. Fires within an Indigenous Territory at the drier southern edge of the Amazon Basin. Data- Planet
Zoom J. Fires within an Indigenous Territory at the drier southern edge of the Amazon Basin. Data- Planet
Zoom J. Fires within an Indigenous Territory at the drier southern edge of the Amazon Basin. Data- Planet

Zooms C, K: Bolivia/Brazil/Paraguay Border

Zooms C and K show large fires burning in the drier ecosytems at the Bolivia-Brazil-Paraguay border. This area is outside the Amazon Basin, but we include it due it’s magnitude.

Zoom C. Recent fires in the dry Chiquitano of southern Bolivia. Data- Planet
Zoom C. Recent fires in the dry Chiquitano of southern Bolivia. Data- Planet
Zoom K. Large fires burning around the Gran Chaco Biosphere Reserve. Data- NASA:USGS.
Zoom K. Large fires burning around the Gran Chaco Biosphere Reserve. Data- NASA:USGS.

Acknowledgements

We thank  J. Beavers (ACA), A. Folhadella (ACA), M. Silman (WFU), S. Novoa (ACCA), M. Terán (ACEAA), and D. Larrea (ACEAA) for helpful comments to earlier versions of this report.

This work was supported by the following major funders: MacArthur Foundation, International Conservation Fund of Canada (ICFC), Metabolic Studio, and Global Forest Watch Small Grants Fund (WRI).

Citation

Finer M, Mamani N (2019) Seeing the Amazon Fires with Satellites. MAAP: 108.

Real-Time Satellite Information and Images of What is Happening in the Amazon

Posted on by dcadmin

Following up on the current fires in the Amazon forests of Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru, we want to share with you our latest analysis of the situation. Please see today’s MAAP report, which provides real-time satellite data of the region and shows up-close satellite images of what the fires actually look like across all three countries, and how they are impacting Amazonian forests.

Continuous uncontrolled fires of this scale will bring the forest closer to an irreversible tipping point – a degree of deforestation at which the Amazon basin will no longer be able to generate its own rainfall and will become a fire-prone savanna. Some estimates place the level of deforestation needed to reach this tipping point at 20-25%. Current deforestation is at 17%.

That’s why our forest conservation efforts focus on prevention. We partner with local communities and landowners to develop and implement sustainable practices for forests and agricultural lands that reduce deforestation and build resilience against fires. We also work with national and municipal governments in Peru and Bolivia to ensure the protection of conservation areas that help keep us from reaching that tipping point.

In response to the current fires, we are collaborating with actors on the ground in Peru and Bolivia to generate reliable information to implement actions that will help local organizations and residents of the affected areas. Although we do not work on the ground in Brazil, our deforestation reports are available to the Brazilian government and public.

Read our latest MAAP report.

Statement on the fires in the Amazon forests of Bolivia and Brazil

Posted on by dcadmin

The fires in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil and Bolivia have been burning for three weeks now. Thousands of acres of forests have been lost.

Although Amazon Conservation cannot stop the current fires from happening – at this point, only national and local authorities can – we can help prevent them from happening.  We are doing our part to support current efforts in Bolivia, by working with several organizations to generate reliable information to implement actions that are helping firefighters and inhabitants of affected areas.

Amazon Conservation has been working on the ground in the Amazon of Peru and Bolivia for 20 years, and providing local communities and governments with fire prevention training and supplies, so that local people can be better prepared and at the forefront of preventing and fighting forest fires. We also work directly with land owners to help them manage their land in a more sustainable manner, to reduce fire risk, if they do happen, to limit their spread and impact.

Not only do we carryout this on-the-ground, in-country support, but we also provide governments and the general public with key information about new fires in the western Amazon. Using our real-time satellite monitoring program (MAAP), we quickly locate burning forests and report this information in real-time to local authorities so that they can take action on the ground before the situation escalates as it has in Brazil. By releasing this information publicly on our website, we provide the public with key data on deforestation that is happening now so that they can compel authorities to take action.

“The majority of fires are caused by human activity,” said John Beavers, Amazon Conservation’s Executive Director. “And only human activity can prevent and stop them. Now more than ever we need to band together. In the same way that the world came together to reconstruct the Notre Dame Cathedral when it burned, we must do the same for the Amazon now.”

Consider making a donation to prevent fires in the Amazon here: https://bit.ly/2q2Tmwh

MAAP #107: Seeing The Amazon Fires With Satellites

Posted on by Ana Folhadella
Recent fire (late July 2019) in the Brazilian Amazon. Data: Maxar.
Recent fire (late July 2019) in the Brazilian Amazon. Data: Maxar.

Fires now burning in the Amazon, particularly Brazil and Bolivia, have become headline news and a viral topic on social media.

Yet little information exists on the impact on the Amazon rainforest itself, as many of the detected fires originate in or near agricultural lands.

Here, we advance the discussion on the impact of the fires by presenting the first Base Map of current “fire hotspots” across three countries (Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru). We also present a striking series of satellite images that show what the fires look like in each hotspot and how they are impacting Amazonian forests. Our focus is on the most recent fires in August 2019.

Our key findings include:

  • Fires are burning Amazonian forest in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru.
    .
  • The fires in Bolivia are concentrated in the dry Chiquitano forests in the southern Amazon.
    .
  • The fires in Brazil are much more scattered and widespread, often associated with agricultural lands. Thus, we warn against using fire detection data alone as a measure of impact as many are clearing fields. However, many of the fires are at the agriculture-forest boundary and maybe expanding plantations or escaping into forest.
    .
  • Although not as severe, we also detected fires burning forest in southern Peru, in an area that has become a deforestation hotspot along the Interoceanic Highway.

Given the nature of the fires in Bolivia and Brazil, estimates of total burned forest area are still difficult to determine. We will continue monitoring and reporting on the situation over the coming days.

Base Map

The Base Map shows “fire hotspots” for the Amazonian regions of Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru in August 2019. The data comes from a NASA satellite that detects fires at 375 meter resolution. The letters (A-G) correlate to the satellite image zooms below.

Base Map. Fire Hotspots in the Amazon during August 2019. Data- VIIRS:NASA.
Base Map. Fire Hotspots in the Amazon during August 2019. Data- VIIRS:NASA.

Zoom A: Southern Bolivian Amazon

Fires are concentrated in the dry Chiquitano of southern Bolivia. It is part of the largest tropical dry forest in the world. The fires coincide with areas that have been part of cattle ranching expansion in recent decades (References 1 and 2), suggesting that poor burning practices could be the cause of the fires. Ranching using sown pastures has previously been referred to as a direct cause of forest loss in Bolivia (References 2 and 3). The Bolivian National Service of Meteorology and Hydrology (SENAMHI) issued high wind alerts in July and August for southern Bolivia, which could have led to the expansion of poorly managed fires. Also, August is usually the driest month of the year in this region. These conditions could explain the origin (poor fire practice) and expansion (little rain and strong winds) of the current fires.

Zoom A1. Fire in southern Bolivian Amazon. Data- ESA
Zoom A1. Fire in southern Bolivian Amazon. Data- ESA
Zoom A2. Fire in southern Bolivian Amazon. Data- ESA
Zoom A2. Fire in southern Bolivian Amazon. Data- ESA
Zoom A3. Fire in southern Bolivian Amazon. Data- Planet
Zoom A3. Fire in southern Bolivian Amazon. Data- Planet

Zooms B, C, E, F, G: Western Brazilian Amazon

The major fires in western Brazil seem to be at the agriculture-forest boundary. Note that Zoom B shows fire in a protected area in Amazonas state; Zoom C seems to show fire escaping (or deliberately set) in the primary forests in Rondonia state; and Zooms F and G seems to show fire expanding plantation into forest in Amazonas and Mato Grosso states, respectively.

Zoom B. Fire in a protected area in Amazonas state. Data- ESA
Zoom B. Fire in a protected area in Amazonas state. Data- ESA
Zoom C. Fires at agriculture-forest boundary in Rondonia state. Data- Sentinel
Zoom C. Fires at agriculture-forest boundary in Rondonia state. Data- Sentinel
Zoom E. Fire escaping (or deliberately set) in the primary forests in Rondonia state. Data- Planet
Zoom E. Fire escaping (or deliberately set) in the primary forests in Rondonia state. Data- Planet
Zoom F. Fire that seems to be expanding plantation into forest in Amazonas state. Data- Planet.
Zoom F. Fire that seems to be expanding plantation into forest in Amazonas state. Data- Planet.
Zoom G. Fire that seems to be expanding plantation into forest in Mato Grosso state. Data- Planet
Zoom G. Fire that seems to be expanding plantation into forest in Mato Grosso state. Data- Planet
Bonus Zoom. Recent fire in Brazilan Amazon. Data- Planet
Bonus Zoom. Recent fire in Brazilan Amazon. Data- Planet

 

Zoom D: Southern Peruvian Amazon

Fires burning forest near the town of Iberia, an area along the Interoceanic Highway that has become a deforestation hotspot in the region of Madre de Dios (see MAAP #28 and MAAP #47).

Zoom D. Fire in southern Peruvian Amazon (near Iberia, Madre de Dios). Data- ESA
Zoom D. Fire in southern Peruvian Amazon (near Iberia, Madre de Dios). Data- ESA

Additional References

We have these to be some of the most informative additional references:

New York Times, Aug 24

Global Forest Watch, Aug 23

Technical References

1 Müller, R., T. Pistorius, S. Rohde, G. Gerold & P. Pacheco. 2013. Policy options to reduce deforestation based on a systematic analysis of drivers and agents in lowland Bolivia. Land Use Policy 30(1): 895-907. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. landusepol.2012.06.019

2 Muller, R., Larrea-Alcázar, D.M., Cuéllar, S., Espinoza, S. 2014.  Causas directas de la deforestación reciente (2000-2010) y modelado de dos escenarios futuros  en las tierras bajas de Bolivia. Ecología en Bolivia 49: 20-34.

3 Müller, R., P. Pacheco & J. C. Montero. 2014. El contexto de la deforestación y degradación de los bosques en Bolivia: Causas, actores e instituciones. Documentos Ocasionales CIFOR 100, Bogor. 89 p.

Acknowledgements

We thank  J. Beavers, D. Larrea, T. Souto, M. Silman, A. Condor, and G. Palacios for helpful comments to earlier versions of this report.

This work was supported by the following major funders: MacArthur Foundation, International Conservation Fund of Canada (ICFC), Metabolic Studio, and Global Forest Watch Small Grants Fund (WRI).

Citation

Novoa S, Finer M (2019) Seeing the Amazon Fires with Satellites. MAAP: 107.

MAAP #106: Deforestation Impacts 4 Protected Areas In The Colombian Amazon (2019)

Posted on by Ana Folhadella
Table 1. Deforestation in the Colombian Amazon. Data- Hansen:UMD:Google:USGS:NASA
Table 1. Deforestation in the Colombian Amazon. Data- Hansen:UMD:Google:USGS:NASA

We continue our focus on the northwest Colombian Amazon,* one of the most intense deforestation hotspots in the western Amazon (see MAAP# 100).

Here, we analyze deforestation data over the past five years (2015-19) to better understand current trends and patterns.

We found a major increase in deforestation as of 2016. The Colombian Amazon lost nearly 1.2 million acres (478,000 hectares) of forest between 2016 and 2018. Of this, 73% (860,000 acres) was primary forest (see Table 1).

One of the main deforestation drivers in the region is conversion to pasture for land grabbing or cattle ranching.

Next, we provide a real-time update of 2019, based on early warning forest alerts (GLAD alerts) from the University of Maryland/Global Forest Watch), updated through July 25, 2019.

*MAAP in Colombia represents a collaboration between Amazon Conservation and its Colombian partner, the Foundation for Conservation and Sustainable Development (FCDS).”

Deforestation 2019

Base Map. Deforestation hotspots in Colombian Amazon. Data- UMD:GLAD, RUNAP, RAISG
Base Map. Deforestation hotspots in Colombian Amazon. Data- UMD:GLAD, RUNAP, RAISG

The GLAD alerts estimate the additional loss of 150,000 acres (60,654 hectares) in the first 7 months of 2019 (through end of July). Of  this, 75% (113,000 acres) was primary forest.

The Base Map shows that 2019 deforestation primarily impacts 4 protected areas* in the northwest Colombian Amazon: Tinigua, Serranía de Chiribiquete, and Sierra de la Macarena National Parks, and Nukak National Reserve.

Next, we detail the recent deforestation in these four protected areas of the Colombian Amazon, including the presentation of a series of satellite-based images.

*There are other protected areas in the Colombian Amazon with recent deforestation (such as Picachos and La Paya National Parks), but here we focus on the four with the highest deforestation thus far during 2019.

Deforestation in Protected Areas

We conducted a deforestation analysis within the 4 protected areas noted above (Chiribiquete, Tinigua, Macarena, and Nukak), generating the following key results:

Protected Areas Zoom Map. Deforestation in four protected areas of the Colobian Amazon. Data- UMD:GLAD, Hansen:UMD:Google:USGS:NASA, RUNAP, RAISG
Protected Areas Zoom Map. Deforestation in four protected areas of the Colobian Amazon. Data- UMD:GLAD, Hansen:UMD:Google:USGS:NASA, RUNAP, RAISG
  • From 2016-18, deforestation claimed over  70,000 acres (29,000 ha) in the four protected areas, 86% of which were primary forests (62,000 acres).
    .
  • Thus far in 2019 (through July 25), deforestation claimed an additional 10,600 acres (4,300 ha), 87% of which were primary forests (9,200 acres).
    .
  • Tinigua National Park has been the most impacted protected area, as deforestation claimed 39,500 acres (16,000 ha) from 2017-19 (96% of which were primary forests). Note the major deforestation spike in 2018.
    .
  • Deforestation has claimed 6,400 acres (2,600 ha) in Chiribiquete National Park since its expansion in July 2018 (96% of which were primary forests).

Zoom A: Deforestation in Tinigua, Chiribiquete, and Macarena National Parks

See location of Zooms A-C in Protected Areas Zoom Map above. Data updated through July 25, 2019.

Zoom A. Deforestation in Tinigua, Serranía de Chiribiquete, and Sierra de la Macarena National Parks, *through July 25, 2019. Data- UMD:GLAD, Hansen:UMD:Google:USGS:NASA, RUNAP, RAISG.jpg
Zoom A. Deforestation in Tinigua, Serranía de Chiribiquete, and Sierra de la Macarena National Parks, *through July 25, 2019. Data- UMD:GLAD, Hansen:UMD:Google:USGS:NASA, RUNAP, RAISG.jpg

Zoom B. Deforestation in Chiribiquete National Park (western sector)

Zoom B. Deforestation Serranía de Chiribiquete National Park (western sector), *through July 25, 2019. Data- UMD:GLAD, Hansen:UMD:Google:USGS:NASA, RUNAP, RAISG
Zoom B. Deforestation Serranía de Chiribiquete National Park (western sector), *through July 25, 2019. Data- UMD:GLAD, Hansen:UMD:Google:USGS:NASA, RUNAP, RAISG

Zoom C. Deforestation in Nukak National Reserve

Zoom C. Deforestation in Nukak National Reserve *through July 25, 2019. Data- UMD:GLAD, Hansen:UMD:Google:USGS:NASA, RUNAP, RAISG.jpg
Zoom C. Deforestation in Nukak National Reserve *through July 25, 2019. Data- UMD:GLAD, Hansen:UMD:Google:USGS:NASA, RUNAP, RAISG.jpg

Annex 1: Table
Deforestation of Primary Forest in four protected areas (2015-18)

Annex 1- Table Deforestation of Primary Forest in four protected areas (2015-18)
Annex 1- Table Deforestation of Primary Forest in four protected areas (2015-18)

Annex 2: Map
Deforestation of Primary Forest in four protected areas (2016-19)

Annex 2- Map Deforestation of Primary Forest in four protected areas (2016-19)
Annex 2. Data: Turubanova 2018, UMD/GLAD, Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA, RUNAP, RAISG

Methodology

We primarily used data generated by the GLAD laboratory of the University of Maryland, available on Global Forest Watch. This data is based on moderate resolution Landsat imagery (30 m). For 2017-18, we analyzed annual data (Hansen et al 2013), and for 2019 we analyzed GLAD alerts (Hansen et al 2016).

For our deforestation estimates, we multiplied the annual “forest cover loss” data by the density percentage of the “tree cover” from the year 2000 (values >30%). Including this percentage allows us to look at the precise area of each pixel, thus improving the preciseness of the results.

We define primary forest as “mature natural humid tropical forest cover that has not been completely cleared and regrown in recent history,” following the definition from Turubanova et al 2018. For our primary forest deforestation estimates, we intersected the forest cover loss data with the additional dataset “primary humid tropical forests” as of 2001 (Turubanova et al 2018). For more details on this part of the methodology, see the Technical Blog from Global Forest Watch (Goldman and Weisse 2019).

All data were processed under the geographical coordinate system WGS 1984. To calculate the areas in metric units the UTM (Universal Transversal Mercator) projection was used: Colombia 18 North.

To identify the deforestation hotspots in the Base Map, we conducted a kernel density estimate. This type of analysis calculates the magnitude per unit area of a particular phenomenon, in this case forest cover loss. We conducted this analysis using the Kernel Density tool from Spatial Analyst Tool Box of ArcGIS. We used the following parameters:

Search Radius: 15000 layer units (meters)
Kernel Density Function: Quartic kernel function
Cell Size in the map: 200 x 200 meters (4 hectares)
Everything else was left to the default setting.

For the Base Map, we used the following concentration percentages: Medium: 10%-25%; High: 26%-50%; Very High: >50%.

References

Hansen, M. C., P. V. Potapov, R. Moore, M. Hancher, S. A. Turubanova, A. Tyukavina, D. Thau, S. V. Stehman, S. J. Goetz, T. R. Loveland, A. Kommareddy, A. Egorov, L. Chini, C. O. Justice, and J. R. G. Townshend. 2013. “High-Resolution Global Maps of 21st-Century Forest Cover Change.” Science 342 (15 November): 850–53.

Hansen, M.C., A. Krylov, A. Tyukavina, P.V. Potapov, S. Turubanova, B. Zutta, S. Ifo, B. Margono, F. Stolle, and R. Moore. 2016. Humid tropical forest disturbance alerts using Landsat data. Environmental Research Letters, 11 (3).

Hansen, M.C., A. Krylov, A. Tyukavina, P.V. Potapov, S. Turubanova, B. Zutta, S. Ifo, B. Margono, F. Stolle, and R. Moore. 2016. Humid tropical forest disturbance alerts using Landsat data. Environmental Research Letters, 11 (3).

Turubanova S., Potapov P., Tyukavina, A., and Hansen M. (2018) Ongoing primary forest loss in Brazil, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Indonesia. Environmental Research Letters.

Acknowledgements

We thank R. Botero (FCDS), A. Rojas (FCDS) y G. Palacios for helpful comments to earlier versions of this report.

This work was supported by the following major funders: MacArthur Foundation, International Conservation Fund of Canada (ICFC), Metabolic Studio, and Global Forest Watch Small Grants Fund (WRI).

Citation

Finer M, Mamani N (2019) Deforestation impacts 4 protected areas in the Colombian Amazon (2019). MAAP: 106.