26a Kernell_2015a_v1_en (1)

May 28, 2021

Image 26a. Kernel density map for forest loss in the Peruvian Amazon in 2015. Data: Hansen et al 2016 (ERL). According to the GLAD alert data, total estimated forest loss in Peru in 2015 was 158,658 hectares (392,050 acres). If confirmed, that represents the second highest total on record, behind only 2014 (177,500 hectares). To better understand where the GLAD alert data was concentrated in 2015, we conducted kernel density estimation, a type of analysis that calculates the magnitude per unit area of a particular phenomenon (in this case, forest loss). Image 26a shows the kernel density map for forest loss in the Peruvian Amazon in 2015. It reveals that recent deforestation was concentrated in a number of hotspots in the departments of Huánuco, Madre de Dios, and Ucayali. Note that in MAAP #25, we conducted this same type of analysis for 2012 – 2014 forest loss data. Thus, with this latest analysis we can see how deforestation trends shifted in 2015. Insets A and B highlight an area in central Peru (department of Ucayali) where deforestation intensified in 2015. See below for high-resolution images showing the deforestation in these areas. In the coming weeks and months, we will be publishing additional articles highlighting other key 2015 deforestation hotspots.