MAAP #105: From Satellite To Drone To Legal Action In The Peruvian Amazon

ACOMAT member flying a drone for monitoring. Source- ACCA
ACOMAT member flying a drone for monitoring. Source- ACCA

Amazon Conservation, in collaboration with its Peruvian sister organization, is implementing a project aimed at linking cutting-edge technology (satellites and drones) with legal action, in the southern Peruvian Amazon (Madre de Dios region).

The project is building a comprehensive deforestation monitoring system with a local group of forestry concessionaires, known as ACOMAT,* who manage over 486,000 acres (see Base Map).

The monitoring system has three basic steps:

1) Real-time deforestation monitoring with satellite-based early warning forest loss alerts.*

2) Verify and document the alerts with drone overflights.*

3) Initiate a criminal complaint with the local environmental prosecuter’s office* (or an administrative complaint with the relevant forestry authorities) if suspected illegalities are found.

Below, we describe 6 cases (A-E) that have been generated from this comprehensive monitoring system.

It is important to emphasize that this type of monitoring system, featuring local forest custodians (such as concessionaires and indigenous communities) is possible to replicate in the Amazon and other tropical forests.

This innovative project is largely funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) and International Conservation Fund of Canada (ICFC).

Base Map. The 6 Acomat cases (A-F) described in this report. Data- ACCA, MINAM:PNCB, SERNANP
Base Map. The 6 Acomat cases (A-F) described in this report. Data- ACCA, MINAM:PNCB, SERNANP

 

Case A. Illegal logging in the “Los Amigos” Conservation Concession

This evidence in this case was obtained from a drone overflight of an area that was the subject of an early warning forest loss alert within Los Amigos Conservation Consession (a conservation area where logging is not permitted). The overflight documented the illegal logging of the timber species known locally as tornillo (Cedrelinga cateniformis) within the concession (see image below).  The drone images were presented to the environmental prosecuter’s office in Madre de Dios as part of a criminal complaint.

Case A. Illegal logging in the Conservation Concession “Los Amigos”, identified with a drone flying over. Source- ACCA
Case A. Illegal logging in the Conservation Concession “Los Amigos”, identified with a drone flying over. Source- ACCA

 

Case B. Illegal mining in the “Sonidos de la Amazonía” Ecotourism Concession      

The owner of the Sonidos de la Amazonía Ecotourism Concession received an early warning forest loss alert on his cellphone. She then organized a drone overflight and documented active illegal gold mining activity, including infrastructure (see image below). The drone images were presented to the environmental prosecuter’s office in Madre de Dios as part of a criminal complaint.

Case B. Illegal mining in the Tourism Concession “Sonidos de la Amazonía,” identified with drone images. Source- ACCA
Case B. Illegal mining in the Tourism Concession “Sonidos de la Amazonía,” identified with drone images. Source- ACCA

 

Case C. Illegal mining in the “AGROFOCMA” Forestry Concession    

The owner of the AGROFOCMA forestry (logging) concession received an early warning forest loss alert on his cellphone. He then organized a drone overflight and documented active illegal gold mining activity, including infrastructure (see image below). The drone images were presented to the environmental prosecuter’s office in Madre de Dios as part of a criminal complaint.

Case C. Illegal mining in the Forest Concession “AGROFOCMA,” identified with drone images. Source- ACCA
Case C. Illegal mining in the Forest Concession “AGROFOCMA,” identified with drone images. Source- ACCA

 

Case D. Illegal mining in the “Inversiones Manu” Forestry Concession     

The owner of the Inversiones Manu forestry (logging) concession received an early warning forest loss alert on his cellphone. He then organized a drone overflight and documented active illegal gold mining activity, including workers and infrastructure (see image below). The drone images were presented to the environmental prosecuter’s office in Madre de Dios as part of a criminal complaint.

Case D. Illegal mining in the Forest Concession “Inversiones Manu,” identified with drone images. Source- ACCA.
Case D. Illegal mining in the Forest Concession “Inversiones Manu,” identified with drone images. Source- ACCA.

Case E. Illegal logging in the “Sara Hurtado” Brazil Nut Concession 

The owner of the Sara Hurtado Brazil Nut Concession received an early warning forest loss alert on her cellphone. She then organized a drone overflight and documented active illegal logging activity, including cedar wood planks (see image below). The drone images were presented to the environmental prosecuter’s office in Madre de Dios as part of a criminal complaint.

In a related case, drones also captured images of a nearby collection center and transport truck for the recently logged planks. These images were also presented to the environmental prosecuter’s office as part of a sixth case.

Case E. Illegal logging in the Forest Concession “Sara Hurtado” identified with drone images. Source- ACCA
Case E. Illegal logging in the Forest Concession “Sara Hurtado” identified with drone images. Source- ACCA

 

*Notes

ACOMAT is the “Asociación de Concesionarios Forestales Maderables y no Maderables de las Provincias del Manu, Tambopata y Tahuamanu.”

The early warning alerts are generated by the Peruvian government (Geobosques/MINAM). GLAD alerts can also be used (these are generated by the University of Maryland and presented by Global Forest Watch). In our case, the concessionaires receive Geobosques alerts in their emails.

We used quadricopter drones. Obtained images are very-high resolution (<5 cm).

The local environmental prosecuter’s office is the “Fiscalía Especializada en Materia Ambiental (FEMA) de Madre de Dios.”

 

Acknowledgements

We thank S. Novoa (ACCA), H. Balbuena (ACCA), E. Ortiz (AAF), T. Souto (ACA), P. Rengifo (ACCA), A. Condor (ACCA), y G. Palacios for helpful comments on earlier drafts of this report.

This work supprted by the following funders:  Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), International Conservation Fund of Canada (ICFC), MacArthur Foundation, Metabolic Studio.

 

Citation

Guerra J, Finer M, Novoa S (2019) From satellite to drone to legal action in the Peruvian Amazon. MAAP: 105.

Mercury: an increasing threat in the tropics

The rainforest is a highly diverse and complex ecosystem, of which only a very small percentage is known. Because the impact of different disturbances within it is not fully understood, protecting its integrity should be the end goal. However, the threats affecting this ecosystem are only increasing over time, including deforestation and mercury pollution caused by mining.

Mercury can be found in many forms, and while these are naturally available in the environment, a great amount results from its use in human activities like gold mining. Furthermore, although not all of its forms are toxic, methylmercury, the most bioavailable and toxic, bio-accumulates within the food chain, affecting a wide range of species. Bioaccumulation of this neurotoxin in birds has been seen to affect the fitness, coordination, reproduction and survival of species. Its effects include lethargy, loss of appetite, aberrant parenting behavior and reduced motivation to forage. Unfortunately, mercury’s persistence in the atmosphere and ability to travel great distances has allowed it to contaminate areas far from the original source.

Roadside Hawk (Rupornis magnirostris) and a boat carrying oil for mining share the same ecosystem. PC: Patrick Newcombe

Aquatic systems are most efficient at converting mercury to methylmercury, increasing the risk of aquatic species. Because of this, much of the attention and studies of mercury contamination in birds has been focused on species associated with bodies of water. Conversely, terrestrial habitats and their wildlife have received little attention. Variations in soil moisture are expected to increase the bioavailability of mercury; increasing the risk of the long, wide, and complex food webs found in tropical systems.

Diego Guevara, 2019 Franzen fellows,
is studying bird community in areas
impacted by mining.

Because birds are often near or in the top of food chains, they are highly prone to accumulating mercury in their bodies. However, this fact does also make them very good bio-indicators of environmental mercury contamination. They are common, conspicuous, and sampling of feathers and eggshells can confidently detect levels of heavy metals in a non-invasive manner. Particularly in tropical rainforests, more work needs to be done to assess the impact of mercury on birds.

The increasing threat mercury pollution poses to the tropics is drawing more and more attention to this region. As a short-term measure, it is necessary to replace current gold mining techniques, with already existing mercury-free methods. By moving away from this metal, we will ensure healthy human and wildlife communities and more crucially a healthy ecosystem.

Further readings:

Egwumah F.A, Egwumah P.O & Edet, D.I. (2017). Paramount roles of wild birds as bioindicators of contamination. Int J Avian & Wildlife Biol. 2(1):194‒200. DOI: 10.15406/ijawb.2017.02.00041

Appel, Peter & Jøsson, J.B.. (2010). Borax – an alternative to mercury for gold extraction by small-scale miners: Introducing the method in Tanzania. Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland Bulletin. 87-90.

 

New UN report shows that protecting and restoring forests and wetlands is a key climate change mitigation strategy

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change, has released a new report on the intersection of climate change and land use. 

The report analyzed over 7,000 scientific publications on the topics of land-climate interactions, including land degradation, desertification, and food security. It found that changes in land conditions, either from land-use or climate change, affect global and regional climate, and at the regional scale, these negative conditions can reduce or accentuate warming and affect the intensity, frequency, and duration of extreme climate events.

Manu National Park, Peru – August 06, 2017: Family of Capybara at the shores of the Amazon rainforest in Manu National Park, Peru

The report also found that in order to keep warming to 1.5ºC or well below 2°C as recommended by the Paris Agreement, major changes in how we use land need to take place. Sustainable land management, including sustainable forest use, can prevent and reduce land degradation, maintain land productivity, and sometimes reverse the adverse impacts of climate change on nature and people.

IPCC concluded that one of the central strategies to mitigate climate change is to protect the forests and wetlands that are still standing and to restore as much of the currently degraded land as possible. This is the type of conservation action we are taking in the headwaters of the Amazon – one of the last wild places left on Earth. By creating new conservation areas, empowering forest users and farmers to use land and natural resources sustainably, and reforesting degraded land, we help mitigate the effects of climate change on all of us. 

Read the IPCC full press release here.

MAAP #104: Major Reduction In Illegal Gold Mining From Peru’s Operation Mercury

Graph 1. Illegal gold mining deforestation in La Pampa, 2017-19. Data- ACA, MAAP.
Graph 1. Illegal gold mining deforestation in La Pampa, 2017-19. Data- ACA, MAAP.

In February 2019, the Peruvian government launched Operation Mercury (Operación Mercurio), a major multi-sectoral crackdown on the illegal gold mining crisis in the area known as La Pampa,* located  in the southern Peruvian Amazon (Madre de Dios region). Note that this area is not within Tambopata National Reserve, but in its buffer zone.

In this report, we present the results of our analysis on the initial impacts of this Operation.

We found a major reduction in gold mining deforestation in La Pampa in 2019, compared to the same time period (February – June) of the previous two years (see Graph 1).

In fact, the gold mining deforestation decreased 92% between 2018 (900 hectares) and 2019 (67 hectares), representing the situation before and after the start of Operation Mercury.

The Base Map illustrates how the expansion of gold mining deforestation greatly dropped in 2019 compared to the two previous years, especially in the eastern front. The letters (A-C) correspond to the location of the Zooms, below.

The analysis also reveals, however, that the gold mining deforestation in La Pampa has not yet been completely eradicated and continues in numerous remote and isolated areas.

 

Base Map. Illegal gold mining deforestation in La Pampa. Data- ACCA, MAAP, SERNANP
Base Map. Illegal gold mining deforestation in La Pampa. Data- ACCA, MAAP, SERNANP

Zoom A1 shows the critical eastern front of the gold mining deforestion between February (left panel) and June (right panel) 2019, the first five months of Operation Mercury. While the rapid eastward expansion of the front has greatly decreased, the red circles indicate areas where we have detected isolated mining activity.

Zoom A1. Eastern front of the gold mining deforestation in La Pampa. Data- ESA, MAAP
Zoom A1. Eastern front of the gold mining deforestation in La Pampa. Data- ESA, MAAP

High Resolution Zooms

 

Zoom B shows the eradication of one of the biggest mining camps in La Pampa between 2018 (left panel) and 2019 (right panel).

Zoom B. Eradication of major gold mining camp. Data- Maxar
Zoom B. Eradication of major gold mining camp. Data- Maxar

The following Zooms show examples of the persistence of isolated illegal gold mining activity and infrastructure in La Pampa, with recent (June 2019) high resolution satellite and drone images. The letters (A2, C1, C2) correspoind to the Base Map, above.

Zoom A2. Data- Maxar, MAAP
Zoom A2. Data- Maxar, MAAP

Zoom C1. Data- ACCA
Zoom C1. Data- ACCA

Zoom C2. Data- ACCA.
Zoom C2. Data- ACCA.

 

Google Earth Engine App

We present a new app, developed with Google Earth Engine, that allows an interactive visualization of the evolution of gold mining deforestation in La Pampa. The app allows the user to take advantage of Google’s powerful computers to compare (with a slider) different dates from a large archive of Sentinel-1 satellite images (see screenshot, below). Sentinel-1 is radar, so there are no clouds in the images.

https://luciovilla.users.earthengine.app/view/mining-monitoring-by-sar-sentinel-1

Screen shot of the app. Data- ESA, MAAP
Screen shot of the app. Data- ESA, MAAP

 

Notes 

*La Pampa is the sector located in the buffer zone of Tambopata National Reserve, delimited by the northern boundary of the reserve, the Malinowski River and the Interoceanic Highway.

Full study area of La Pampa (shaded). Data: ACCA, MAAP.

Acknowledgements

We thank S. Novoa (ACCA), H. Balbuena (ACCA), E. Ortiz (AAF), T. Souto (ACA), P. Rengifo (ACCA), A. Condor (ACCA), y G. Palacios for helpful comments on earlier drafts of this report.

This work supprted by the following funders:  Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), International Conservation Fund of Canada (ICFC), MacArthur Foundation, Metabolic Studio, and Global Forest Watch Small Grants Fund (WRI).

Citation

Villa L, Finer M (2019) Major Reduction in Illegal Gold Mining from Peru’s Operation Mercury. MAAP: 104.

Peru’s Operation Mercury, a win for forests: We observed a 92% decrease in deforestation

Peru's Operation Mercury, a win for forests- We observed a 92% decrease in deforestationEarlier this year, the government of Peru launched a multi-sectoral and comprehensive mega-operation aimed at eradicating illegal mining and associated crime in La Pampa, Peru, called Operation Mercury. The operation came about in part after Amazon Conservation, through our real-time monitoring program, provided the Peruvian government with key information on the location of illegal mining camps that enabled the government to take coordinated action.

The operation, named after the mercury contaminant that is released into the water as a byproduct of the mining process, took the information we provided and began major efforts to stop the widespread deforestation in the area caused by illegal miners, improve development in the region, and deter other illicit activities such as sex trafficking and child labor that take place in mining camps.

Using our real-time satellite technology and drone overflights, we have been assessing the success of the operation in stopping illegal gold mining. To date, we have found a major reduction in deforestation from gold mining in La Pampa due to the operation. Gold mining-based deforestation has decreased by 92% between 2018 (2,200 acres) and 2019 (165 acres), comparing the situation before and after the start of Operation Mercury.

Despite its significant success, the gold mining deforestation in La Pampa has not yet been completely eradicated and continues in numerous remote and isolated areas, as we show in our latest MAAP report. However, the results of the operation are a big win for conservation, as they show that strong government action can help curb illegal deforestation. And when action does take place, we have seen that forests begin to recover and grow back.  

Amazon Conservation will continue to assess the progress of the operation, and work closely with the government to produce fact-based reports that can be turned into action on the ground.

New York Times Op-Ed: Our Co-Founder Enrique Ortiz comments on how to save the Amazon 

Our Co-Founder and Ecologist Enrique Ortiz made the news recently through an opinion piece on what can be done to reverse current trends in deforestation and ensure that economic development in the Amazon is not at odds with conservation.

Although deforestation in the Amazon is on the rise, Ortiz highlights that recent success stories show that policies could be established to reverse the trend, at a relatively low cost compared with other climate change mitigation strategies. Incentives for small- and large-scale producers can promote sustainable agricultural practices when farmers tap into underutilized land and improve efficiencies, and economic incentives could encourage reforestation.

Amazon Conservation is implementing many of these conservation solutions on the ground right now, including training farmers and forest users on how to conserve their land and showing them the economic benefits of conservation. Forest users working with Amazon Conservation have seen significant increases in their income because the forest products they harvest are coming from healthier forests. 

Read the full article at The New York Times.

MAAP #102: Saving The Ecuadorian Chocó

Chocó endemic, Long-wattled Umbrellabird. ©Stephen Davies
Chocó endemic, Long-wattled Umbrellabird. ©Stephen Davies

Chocó endemic, Long-wattled Umbrellabird. ©Stephen Davies

The Ecuadorian Chocó, located on the other (western) side of the Andes Mountains from its Amazonian neighbor, is renowned for its high levels of endemic species (those that live nowhere else on Earth).

It is part of the “Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena” Biodiversity Hotspot, home to numerous endemic plants, mammals, and birds (1,2), such as the Long-wattled Umbrellabird.

It is also one of the most threatened tropical forests in the world (1).

Here, we conduct a deforestation analysis for the northern Ecuadorian Chocó (see Base Map below) to better understand the current conservation scenario. Importantly, we compare the original forest extent (left panel) to the actual forest cover (right panel).

We document the loss of over 60% (1.8 million hectares) of low, mid, and upper elevation forest (compare the three tones of green between panels).

See our other Key Results below.

 

Base Map

Base Map. Ecuadorian Chocó, original forest extent (left panel) vs. actual forest cover (right panel). Data- MAE, Hansen:UMD:Google:USGS:NASA
Base Map. Ecuadorian Chocó, original forest extent (left panel) vs. actual forest cover (right panel). Data- MAE, Hansen:UMD:Google:USGS:NASA

 

Key Results

Our key results include:*

 

Key Results, Ecuadorian Chocó. Data- MAAP, MAE, Hansen:UMD:Google:USGS:NASA
Key Results, Ecuadorian Chocó. Data- MAAP, MAE, Hansen:UMD:Google:USGS:NASA
  • 61% forest loss (1.8 million hectares) across all three elevations.
    • 68% loss (1.2 million ha) of lowland rainforest,
    • 50% loss (611,200 ha) of mid and upper elevation forests.
      .
  • 20% of the forest loss (365,000 ha) occurred after 2000.
    • 4,650 ha lost during most recent 2017-18 period (mostly in lowlands).
  • 39% total forest remaining (1.17 million ha) across all three elevations.
    • Just 32% (569,000 ha) lowland rainforest remaining.
  • 99% of Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve remaining.
  • 61% of Mache-Chindul Ecological Reserve remaining.

*Forest loss data corresponds to the study area indicated in the Base Map. Data sources: pre-2017 from Ecuadorian Environment Ministry; 2017-18 from University of Maryland (Hansen 2013). Elevation definitions: Lowland forest <400 meters (dark green), mid-elevation forest 400-1000 m (olive green), and upper elevation forest >1000 m (bright green).

 

High Resolution Zooms

In the Base Map, we indicate two areas (insets A and B) where we zoom in with high-resolution satellite imagery to see what recent deforestation looks like in the region.

Zoom A shows the deforestation of 380 hectares directly to the north of an oil palm plantation, possibly for an expansion.

Zoom B shows the deforestation of 50 hectares with the Chachi Indigenous Reserve.

Zoom A. Data- Planet, ESA, MAAP
Zoom A. Data- Planet, ESA, MAAP
Zoom B. Data- Planet, MAAP
Zoom B. Data- Planet, MAAP

 

Conservation Opportunity

Efforts are underway to protect a critical stretch of low to mid elevation Chocó forest to the west of Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve.

Chocó Conservation Opportunity. Data- Jocotoco Foundation, MAE, Hansen:UMD:Google:USGS:NASA.
Chocó Conservation Opportunity. Data- Jocotoco Foundation, MAE, Hansen:UMD:Google:USGS:NASA.

It involves the unique opportunity to acquire over 22,000 hectares of forest that would help safeguard connectivity between public and private conservation and indigenous areas. Connecting these areas provides the only opportunity to protect the entire altitudinal gradient from 100-4900 m on the western slope of the tropical Andes. It will also establish an effective buffer zone for governmental reserves and reduce the socio-economic vulnerability of local communities.

To support this effort, please contact the Jocotoco Foundation (Martin.Schaefer@jocotoco.org) or the International Conservation Fund of Canada (carlos@ICFCanada.org).

 

References

1) Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (2005) Ecosystem Profile: Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena. Link: https://www.cepf.net/our-work/biodiversity-hotspots/tumbes-choco-magdalena

2) Mittermeier RA et al (2011) Global Biodiversity Conservation: The Critical Role of Hotspots. Biodiversity Hotspots, 3-22.

 

Acknowledgements

We thank M. Schaefer (Jocotoco), C. Garcia (ICFC), D. Pogliani (ACCA), S. Novoa (ACCA), R. Catpo (ACCA), H. Balbuena (ACCA) y T. Souto (ACA) for helpful comments on earlier versions of this report.

 

Citation

Finer M, Mamani N (2019) Saving the Ecuadorian Chocó. MAAP: 102.

MAAP #101: Deforestation Continues in Columbian Amazon (2019)

Overflight photo of recent deforestation in Chiribiquete National Park. Credit: FCDS/RFN/AAF.

A major deforestation surge continues in the northwest Colombian Amazon (MAAP #97).

In 2018, it resulted in the loss of 199,000 hectares (491,700 acres)*, making it the most concentrated deforestation hotspot in the entire western Amazon (MAAP #100).

Here, we provide a real-time update for 2019 based on early warning GLAD alerts.** The alerts indicate the loss of 56,300 hectares (139,100 acres) in the first five months of 2019 (January to May) in the Colombian Amazon.

The Base Map (see below) shows the deforestation hotspots are again concentrated in the northwest Colombian Amazon.

We focus on Chiribiquete National Park, showing satellite imagery and overflight photos for two sections of the park experiencing recent deforestation.***

We estimate the deforestation of 2,200 hectares (5,400 acres) inside the Park since its expansion in July 2018.

As described below, one of the main deforestation drivers in the region is conversion to pasture for land grabbing or cattle ranching.

 

 

 

 

Conserving Palms to Conserve Tropical Birds

Los Amigos Bird Observatory | Cotingas, manakins, and toucans are among the many fruit-eating birds found in the tropical forest. Unlike the species in temperate zones, tropical bird species have evolved to depend on this resource year-round. However, fruits are a food supply that can be highly patchy in time and space. In areas with pronounced wet and dry seasons, fruit abundance typically peaks during the wet season and is lowest during the dry season. Now, with the end of the rainy season, the abundance is coming to an end. So what will the fruit-eating birds rely on?

Deforestation update: Our analysis of deforestation hotspots in the western Amazon

Through Amazon Conservation’s Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project (MAAP), we identify, analyze, track, and publicize deforestation taking place in the Amazon in real-time using high-tech, satellite imagery. We use this information to make local authorities, policymakers, and the general public aware of what is happening on the ground.

Deforestation update- Our analysis of deforestation hotspots in the western AmazonRecently, we conducted an in-depth analysis of 2018 data on forest cover loss and found that 2.5 million acres were deforested in the western Amazon (Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and western Brazil) last year. An average of 5 acres was lost per minute to deforestation last year. Our additional analysis indicated that, of this total, 1.9 million acres were primary forests, which play a vital role as carbon sinks, mediators of the global water cycle and cradles of biodiversity. 

The combination of forces driving deforestation varies in each country. Land grabbing, unsustainable agricultural activities and expansion, and gold mining were among the key drivers of deforestation that we identified in this region.  

Read more on our 100th MAAP Report.