MAAP #134: Agriculture And Deforestation In The Peruvian Amazon

Peru’s first National Agricultural Area Map. Source: MIDAGRI.
Peru’s first National Agricultural Area Map. Source: MIDAGRI.

For the first time, Peru has a detailed National Agricultural Area Map.

This unique map, produced with high-resolution satellite imagery, was published by the Peruvian Ministry of Agrarian Development (MIDAGRI) in January.*

This map reveals that the agricultural area at the national level is 11.6 million hectares, as of 2018.

Here, we analyze this new information in relation to annual forest loss data, generated by the Peruvian Environment Ministry (Geobosques).

The goal is to better understand the critical link between agriculture and deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon.

Specifically, we analyze the agricultural area of 2018 in relation to the preceding forest loss between 2001 and 2017.

Below are two main sections:

First, we present our Base Map that illustrates the major results.

Second, we show a series of zoomed images of select areas to illustrate key results in detail. These areas include major deforestation events related to oil palm, cacao, and other crops.

 

 

Base Map showing our major results. Data: MAAP, MIDAGRI, MINAM/Geobosques. Double click to enlarge.
Base Map showing our major results. Data: MAAP, MIDAGRI, MINAM/Geobosques. Double click to enlarge.

Major Results

  • We found that 43% (4.9 million hectares) of Peru’s total agricultural area in 2018 was located in the Amazon basin.
  • Of these Amazonian agricultural areas, more than 1.1 million hectares (24%) came from forest lost between 2001 and 2017 (indicated in red on the Base Map).
  • Expressed another way, over half (56%) of the forest loss in the Peruvian Amazon between 2001 and 2017 corresponds to an agricultural area in 2018.
  • The Base Map also shows, in brown, the agricultural area that is not linked to recent forest loss. The vast majority is located outside the Amazon basin (western Peru).
  • Finally, the Base Map shows, in black, the recent forest loss not linked to agriculture. Much of this loss corresponds to gold mining (southeastern Peru), logging roads, and natural loss such as landslides.

Zooms of Key Areas

A. United Cacao (Loreto)

Image A shows the large-scale deforestation associated with the company United Cacao between 2013 and 2016, in the Loreto region  (MAAP # 128). The clearing, as the name indicates, was for the installation of Peru’s first and only industrial-style cacao plantation. In total, the deforestation for the plantation reached 2,380 hectares.

Zoom A. United Cacao (Loreto region). Data: MAAP, MIDAGRI, MINAM/Geobosques.
Zoom A. United Cacao (Loreto region). Data: MAAP, MIDAGRI, MINAM/Geobosques.

B. Oil Palm (Shanusi, Loreto)

Image B shows the large-scale deforestation of more than 16,800 hectares associated with oil palm plantations between 2006 and 2015, along the border of the Loreto and San Martin regions (MAAP #116). Of this total, the deforestation of 6,975 hectares was linked to two plantations managed by the company Grupo Palmas company. The remainder occurred in the private areas surrounding the company’s plantations.

Zoom B. Oil palm deforestation around Shanusi (Loreto region). Data: MAAP, MIDAGRI, MINAM/Geobosques.
Zoom B. Oil palm deforestation around Shanusi (Loreto region). Data: MAAP, MIDAGRI, MINAM/Geobosques.

C. Oil Palm (Ucayali)

Image C shows the large-scale deforestation of more than 12,000 hectares for two oil palm plantations between 2011 and 2015, in the Ucayali region (MAAP #41).

Zoom C. Oil palm deforestation (Ucayali region). Data: MAAP, MIDAGRI, MINAM/Geobosques.
Zoom C. Oil palm deforestation (Ucayali region). Data: MAAP, MIDAGRI, MINAM/Geobosques.

D. Iberia (Madre de Dios)

Image D shows the expanding agriculture-related deforestation around the town of Iberia, near the border with Brazil and Bolivia (MAAP #75). The major cause, according to local sources, is the increase in corn, papaya, and cacao plantations. We have documented the deforestation of more than 3,000 hectares in this area since 2014.

Zoom D. Agriculture related deforestation around Iberia (Madre de Dios region). Data: MAAP, MIDAGRI, MINAM/Geobosques.
Zoom D. Agriculture related deforestation around Iberia (Madre de Dios region). Data: MAAP, MIDAGRI, MINAM/Geobosques.

E. Zona Minera (Madre de Dios)

Finally, Image E shows deforestation in the gold mining hotspot known as La Pampa, in the Madre de Dios region. The non-agricultural deforestation in the center is the major illegal gold mining front. Around that area, and along the Interoceanic Highway, there is extensive agriculture-related deforestation.

Zoom E. Mining and agriculture deforestation in southern Peru (Madre de Dios region). Data: MAAP, MIDAGRI, MINAM/Geobosques.
Zoom E. Mining and agriculture deforestation in southern Peru (Madre de Dios region). Data: MAAP, MIDAGRI, MINAM/Geobosques.

*Notes and Methodology

According to MIDAGRI, the National Agricultural Area Map was “generated based on satellite images from RapidEye and later updated with satellite images from Sentinel-2 and the Google Earth platform, which allowed the mapping and precise measurement of the agricultural surface throughout the national territory.”

The data include “agricultural land with cultivation and without cultivation.” We assume that these data include cattle pasture.

The identification and quantification of deforested areas (2001-2017) that correspond to agricultural area in 2018 results from the analysis carried out in GIS by the superposition of both geospatial layers (MINAM and MIDAGRI).

Amazonian agricultural areas that came from forest lost between 2001 and 2017 = 1,185,722 hectares (indicated in red on the Base Map).

Acknowledgments

We thank E. Ortiz (AAF), S. Novoa (ACCA) and G. Palacios for their helpful comments on this report.

Citation

Vale Costa H, Finer M (2021) Agriculture and Deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon. MAAP: 134.

MAAP Synthesis #3: Deforestation in the Andean Amazon (Trends, Hotspots, Drivers)

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Satellite image of the deforestation produced by United Cacao. Source: DigitalGlobe (Nextview)
Satellite image of the deforestation produced by United Cacao. Source: DigitalGlobe (Nextview)

MAAP, an initiative of the organization Amazon Conservation, uses cutting-edge satellite technology to monitor deforestation in near real-time in the megadiverse Andean Amazon (Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia).

The monitoring is based on 5 satellite systems: Landsat (NASA/USGS), Sentinel (European Space Agency), PeruSAT-1, and the companies Planet and DigitalGlobe. For more information about our innovative methodology, see this recent paper in Science Magazine.

Launched in 2015, MAAP has published nearly 100 high-impact reports on the major Amazonian deforestation issues of the day.

Here, we present our third annual synthesis report with the objective to concisely describe the bigger picture: Deforestation trends, patterns, hotspots and drivers across the Andean Amazon.

Our principal findings include:

Trends: Deforestation across the Andean Amazon has reached 4.2 million hectares (10.4 million acres) since 2001. Annual deforestation has been increasing in recent years, with a peak in 2017 (426,000 hectares / 1,052,668 acres). Peru has had the highest annual deforestation, followed by surging Colombia (in fact, Colombia surpassed Peru in 2017). The vast majority of the deforestation events are small-scale (‹5 hectares / 12.35).

Hotspots: We present the first regional-scale deforestation hotspots map for the Andean Amazon, allowing for spatial comparisons between Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador.  We discuss six of the most important hotspots.

Drivers: We present MAAP Interactive, a dynamic map with detailed information on the major deforestation drivers: gold mining, agriculture (oil palm and cacao), cattle ranching, logging, and dams. Agriculture and ranching cause the most widespread impact across the region, while gold mining is most intense southern Peru.

Climate Change. We estimated the loss of 59 million metric tons of carbon in the Peruvian Amazon during the last five years (2013-17) due to forest loss. In contrast, we also show that protected areas and indigenous lands have safeguarded 3.17 billion metric tons of carbon.


I. Deforestation Trends

Image 1 shows forest loss trends in the Andean Amazon between 2001 and 2017.*  The left graph shows data by country, while the right graph shows data by forest loss event size.

Image 1. Annual forest loss by country and size. Data: Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA, UMD/GLAD, Global Forest Watch, MINAM/PNCB, RAISG.
Image 1. Annual forest loss by country and size. Data: Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA, UMD/GLAD, Global Forest Watch, MINAM/PNCB, RAISG.

Trends by Country

Over the past 17 years (2001-2017), deforestation has surpassed 4.2 million hectares (10.4 million acres) in the Andean Amazon (see green line). Of this total, 50% is Peru (2.1 million hectares/5.2 million acres), 41% Colombia (1.7 million hectares/4.27 million acres), and 9% Ecuador (887,000 acres/359,000 hectares). This analysis did not include Bolivia.

Since 2007, there has been an increasing deforestation trend, peaking during the past two years (2016-17). In fact, 2017 has the highest annual forest loss on record with 426,000 hectares (over one million acres), more than double the total forest loss in 2006.

Peru had the highest average annual Amazonian deforestation between 2009 and 2016. The past four years have the highest annual deforestation totals on record in the country, with peaks in 2014 (177,566 hectares/439,000 acres) and 2016 (164,662 hectares/406,888 acres). According to new data from the Peruvian Environment Ministry, there was an important decline in 2017 (155,914 hectares/385,272 acres), but it is still the fourth highest annual total on record.

There has been a surge of deforestation in Colombia during the past two years. Note that in 2017, Colombia surpassed Peru with a record high of 214,700 hectares (530,400 acres) deforested.

Deforestation is also increasing in Ecuador, with highs of 32,000 hectares (79,000 acres) in 2016 and 55,500 hectares (137,000) acres in 2017.

For context, Brazil has had an average deforestation loss rate of 639,403 hectares (1.58 million acres) over the past several years.

* Data: Colombia & Ecuador: Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA; Peru: MINAM/PNCB, UMD/GLAD. While this information includes natural forest loss events, it serves as our best estimate of deforestation resulting from anthropogenic causes.  It is estimated that the non-anthropic loss comprises approximately 3.5% of the total loss. Note that the analysis does not include Bolivia.


Trends by Size

The pattern related to the size of deforestation events in the Andean Amazon remained relatively consistent over the last 17 years. Most noteworthy: the vast majority (74%) of the deforestation events are small-scale (‹5 hectares). Only 2% of deforestation events are large-scale (>100 hectares). The remaining 24% are medium-scale (5-100 hectares).

These results are important for conservation efforts.  Addressing this complex situation – in which most of the deforestation events are small-scale – requires significantly more attention and resources.  In addition, while large-scale deforestation (usually associated with agro-industrial practices) is not that common, it nonetheless represents a serious latent threat, due to the fact that only a small number of agro-industrial projects (for example, oil palm) are able to rapidly destroy thousands of acres of primary forest.


II. Deforestation Hotspots

Image 2: Deforestation hotspots 2015-2017. Data: Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA.
Image 2: Deforestation hotspots 2015-2017. Data: Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA.

We present the first regional-scale deforestation hotspots map across the Andean Amazon (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru).  Image 2 shows the results for the past three, 2015 – 2017.

The most critical zones (“high” deforestation density) are indicated in red. They include:

A. Central Peruvian Amazon: Over the last 10 years, this zone, located in the Ucayali and Huánuco regions, has consistently had one of the largest concentrations of deforestation in Peru (Inset A).  Its principal drivers include oil palm and cattle grazing.

B. Southern Peruvian Amazon: This zone, located in the Madre de Dios region, is impacted by gold mining (Inset B1), and increasingly by small- and medium-scale agriculture along the Interoceanic Highway (Inset B2).

C. Central Peruvian Amazon: A new oil palm plantation located in the San Martín region has been identified as a recent large-scale deforestation event in this zone (Inset C).

D. Southwestern Colombian Amazon: Cattle grazing is the principal deforestation driver documented in this zone, located in the departments of Caquetá and Putumayo (Inset D).

E. Northern Colombian Amazon: There is expanding deforestation along a new road in this zone, located in the department of Guaviare (Inset E).

F. Northern Ecuadoran Amazon: This zone is located in the Orellana province, where small- and medium-scale agriculture, including oil palm, is the principal driver of deforestation (Inset F).

 

 

 

 

 


III. Drivers of Deforestation     

MAAP Interactive (screenshot)
MAAP Interactive (screenshot)

One of the main objectives of MAAP is to improve the availability of precise and up-to-date information regarding the current drivers (causes) of deforestation in the Andean Amazon.  Indeed, one of our most important advances has been the use of high-resolution imagery to identify current deforestation drivers.

In order to improve the analysis and understanding of the identified drivers, we have created an Interactive Map that displays the spatial location of each driver associated with every MAAP report.  An important characteristic of this map is the ability to filter the data by driver, by selecting the boxes of interest.

Image 3 shows a screenshot of the Interactive Map.  Note that it contains detailed information on these principal drivers: gold mining, oil palm, cacao, small-scale agriculture, cattle pasture, logging roads, and dams.  It also includes natural causes such as floods, forest fires, and blowdowns.  In addition, it highlights deforestation events in protected areas.

Below, we discuss the principal drivers of deforestation and degradation in greater detail.


Agriculture  oil palm, cacao, and other crops

Image 4: Interactive Map, agriculture. Data: MAAP.
Image 4: Interactive Map, agriculture. Data: MAAP.

Image 4 shows the results of the interactive map when applying the agriculture-related filters.

Legend:

Oil palm (bright green)

Cacao (brown)

Other crops (dark green)

Agricultural activity is one of the principal causes of deforestation in the Andean Amazon.

The majority of agriculture-related deforestation is caused by small- and medium-scale plantations (‹50 hectares).

Deforestation for large-scale, agro-industrial plantations is much less common, but represents a critical latent threat.

 

 


Large-scale Agriculture

We have documented five major deforestation events produced by large-scale plantations since 2007:  four of these occurred in Peru (three of which are related to oil palm and one to cacao) and one in Bolivia (resulting from sugar cane plantations).

First, between 2007 and 2011, two large-scale oil palm plantations caused the deforestation of 7,000 hectares on the border between Loreto and San Martín (MAAP #16).  Subsequent plantations in the surrounding area caused the additional deforestation of 9,800 hectares.

It is important to note that the Peruvian company Grupo Palmas is now working towards a zero deforestation value chain and has a new sustainability policy (see Case C of MAAP #64).

Next, between 2012 and 2015, two other large-scale oil palm plantations deforested 12,000 hectares in Ucayali  (MAAP #4, MAAP #41).

Between 2013 and 2015, the company United Cacao deforested 2,380 hectares for cacao plantations in Loreto (MAAP #9, MAAP #13, MAAP #27, MAAP #35).

Deforestation from large-scale agriculture decreased in Peru between 2016 and 2017, but there was one notable event: an oil palm plantation of 740 hectares in San Martín (MAAP #78).

Another notable case of deforestation related to large-scale agriculture has been occurring in Bolivia, where a new sugarcane plantation has caused the deforestation of more than 2,500 hectares in the department of La Paz.

Additionally, we found three new zones in Peru characterized by the deforestation pattern produced by the construction of organized access roads which have the potential of becoming large-scale agriculture areas (MAAP #69).


Small and Medium-scale Agriculture

Deforestation caused by small- and medium-scale agriculture is much more widespread, but it is often difficult to identify the driver from satellite imagery.

We have identified some specific cases of oil palm in Huánuco, Ucayali, Loreto, and San Martín (MAAP #48, MAAP #26, MAAP #16).

Cacao and papaya are emerging drivers in Madre de Dios.  We have documented cacao deforestation along the Las Piedras River (MAAP #23, MAAP #40) and papaya along the Interoceanic Highway (MAAP #42).

Corn and rice cultivation appear to be turning the area around the town of Iberia into a deforestation hotspot (MAAP #28).  In other cases, we have documented deforestation resulting from small- and medium-scale agriculture, though it has not been possible to identify the type of crop (MAAP #75, MAAP #78).

Additionally, small-scale agriculture is possibly a determining factor in the forest fires that degrade the Amazon during the dry season (MAAP #45, MAAP #47).

The cultivation of illicit coca is a cause of deforestation in some areas of Peru and Colombia.  For example, in southern Peru, the cultivation of coca is generating deforestation within the Bahuaja Sonene National Park and its surrounding areas.


Cattle Ranching

Image 5: Interactive Map, cattle ranching. Data: MAAP.
Image 5: Interactive Map, cattle ranching. Data: MAAP.

By analyzing high-resolution satellite imagery, we have developed a methodology for identifying areas deforested by cattle ranching.*

Image 5 shows the results of the Interactive Map when applying the “Cattle pasture” filter, indicating the documented examples in Peru and Colombia.

Legend:
Cattle ranching (orange)

Cattle ranching is the principal driver of deforestation in the central Peruvian Amazon (MAAP #26, MAAP #37, MAAP #45, MAAP #78). We also identified recent deforestation from cattle ranching in northeastern Peru (MAAP #78).

In the Colombian Amazon, cattle ranching is one the primary direct drivers in the country’s most intense deforestation hotspots (MAAP #63, MAAP #77).

* Immediately following a major deforestation event, the landscape of felled trees is similar for both agriculture and cattle pasture.  However, by studying an archive of images and going back in time to analyze older deforestation cases, it is possible to distinguish between the drivers.  For example, after one or two years, agriculture and cattle pasture appear very different in the images. The former tends to have organized rows of new plantings, while the latter is mostly grassland.


Gold Mining

Image 6: Interactive Map, gold mining. Data: MAAP.
Image 6: Interactive Map, gold mining. Data: MAAP.

Image 6 shows the results of the Interactive Map when applying the “Gold mining” filter.

Legend:
Gold Mining (yellow)

*With dot indicates within protected area

The area that has been most impacted by gold mining is clearly the southern Peruvian Amazon, where we estimate the total deforestation of more than 63,800 hectares. Of this, at least 7,000 hectares have been lost since 2013.  The two most critical zones are La Pampa and Alto Malinowski in Madre de Dios (MAAP #87, MAAP #75, MAAP #79).  Another critical area exists in Cusco in the buffer zone of the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve, where mining deforestation is now less than one kilometer from the boundary of the protected area (MAAP #71).

It is important to highlight two important cases in which the Peruvian government has taken effective actions to halt illegal mining within protected areas (MAAP #64).  In September 2015, illegal miners invaded Tambopata National Reserve and deforested 550 hectares over the course of a two-year period.  At the end of 2016, the government intensified its interventions and the invasion was halted in 2017. In regards to Amarakaeri Communal Reserve, in June 2015 we revealed the mining invasion deforestation of 11 hectares.  Over the course of the following weeks, SERNANP and ECA Amarakaeri implemented measures and rapidly halted the illegal activity.

Other small gold-mining fronts are emerging in the northern and central Peruvian Amazon (MAAP #45, MAAP #49).

In addition, we have also documented deforestation linked to illegal gold-mining activities in the Puinawai National Park in the Colombian Amazon.

 

 

 

 


Logging

Image 7: Interactive Map, logging roads. Data: MAAP.
Image 7: Interactive Map, logging roads. Data: MAAP.

In MAAP #85 we proposed a new tool to address illegal logging in the Peruvian Amazon: utilize satellite imagery to monitor construction of logging roads in near real-time.

Image 7 shows the results of the Interactive Map when applying the “Logging roads” filter.

Legend:
Logging Road (purple)

We estimate that 2,200 kilometers of forest roads have been constructed in the Peruvian Amazon during the last three years (2015-2017).  The roads are concentrated in southern Loreto, Ucayali, and northwestern Madre de Dios.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Roads

Image 8: Interactive map, roads. Data: MAAP.
Image 8: Interactive map, roads. Data: MAAP.

It has been well-documented that roads are one of the most important drivers of deforestation in the Amazon, particularly due to the fact that they facilitate human access and activities related to agriculture, cattle ranching, mining, and logging.

Image 8 shows the results of the Interactive Map when applying the “Roads” filter.

Legend:
Road (gray)

We have analyzed two controversial proposed roads in Madre de Dios, Peru.

The Nuevo Edén – Boca Manu – Boca Colorado road would traverse the buffer zone of two protected areas: Amarakaeri Communal Reserve and Manu National Park (MAAP #29).

The other, the Puerto Esperanza-Iñapari road, would traverse the Purús National Park and threaten the territory of the indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation who live in this remote area (MAAP #76).

 

 

 

 

 

 


Hydroelectric dams

Image 9 shows the results of the Interactive Map when applying the “Dams” filter.

Legend:
Hydroelectric Dam (light blue)

To date, we have analyzed three hydroelectric dams located in Brazil.  We have documented the loss of 36,100 hectares of forest associated with flooding produced by two dams (San Antonio and Jirau) on the Madeira River near the border with Bolivia (MAAP #34).  We also analyzed the controversial Belo Monte hydroelectrical complex located on the Xingú River, and estimate that 19,880 hectares of land have been flooded. According to the imagery, this land is a combination of forested areas and agricultural areas (MAAP #66).

Additionally, we show a very high-resolution image of the exact location of the proposed Chadín-2 hydroelectric dam on the Marañón River in Peru (MAAP #80).


Hydrocarbon (oil and gas)

Image 10: Interactive map, hidrocarbon. Data: MAAP.
Image 10: Interactive map, hidrocarbon. Data: MAAP.

Image 10 shows the results of the Interactive Map when applying the “Hydrocarbon filter.

Legend:
Hydrocarbon (black)

Our first report on this sector focused on Yasuní National Park in the Ecuadorian Amazon.  We documented the direct and indirect deforestation amounts of 417 hectares (MAAP #82).

We also show the location of recent deforestation in two hydrocarbon block in Peru: Block 67 in the north and Blocks 57 in the south.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Climate Change

Tropical forests, especially the Amazon, sequester huge amounts of carbon, one of the main greenhouse gases driving climate change.

In MAAP #81, we estimated the loss of 59 million metric tons of carbon in the Peruvian Amazon during the last five years (2013-17) due to forest loss, especially deforestation from mining and agricultural activities. This finding reveals that forest loss represents nearly half (47%) of Peru’s annual carbon emissions, including from burning fossil fuels.

In contrast, in MAAP #83 we show that protected areas and indigenous lands have safeguarded 3.17 billion metric tons of carbon, as of 2017. That is the equivalent to 2.5 years of carbon emissions from the United States.

The breakdown of results are:

1.85 billion tons safeguarded in the Peruvian national protected areas system;

1.15 billion tons safeguarded in titled native community lands; and

309.7 million tons safeguarded in Territorial Reserves for indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation.


Citation

Finer M, Mamani N (2018) Deforestation in the Andean Amazon (Trends, Hotspots, Drivers). MAAP Synthesis #3.

MAAP #95: Oil Palm Baseline for The Peruvian Amazon

In previous reports, we have documented that oil palm is one of the deforestation drivers in the Peruvian Amazon (MAAP #41, #48). However, the full extent of this sector’s deforestation impact is not well known.

High-resolution satellite image of oil palm plantation in Peruvian Amazon. Imagery: DigitalGlobe. Click to enlarge.
High-resolution satellite image of oil palm plantation in Peruvian Amazon. Imagery: DigitalGlobe. Click to enlarge.

A newly published study assessed the deforestation impacts and risks posed by oil palm expansion in the Peruvian Amazon. Here, we review some of the key findings.

We first present a Base Map of oil palm in the Peruvian Amazon, highlighting the plantations that have caused recent deforestation. We then show two zooms of the most important oil palm areas, located in the central and northern Peruvian Amazon, respectively.

In summary, we document over 86,600 hectares (214,000 acres) of oil palm, of which we have confirmed the deforestation of at least  31,500 hectares for new plantations (equivalent to nearly 59,000 American football fields).

In other words, yes oil palm does cause Amazon deforestation, but not nearly as much as Asia.

MAAP #92: New Deforestation Threats In The Peruvian Amazon (Part 2: Agriculture Expansion)

In this ongoing series, we describe major new projects that may lead to the rapid deforestation of large areas of primary Amazon forest.

The first report (MAAP #84) described the deforestation associated with the construction of the Yurimaguas – Jeberos road (see Base Map), which crosses extensive primary forest and a priority site for conservation in the Loreto region.

Base Map. Data: SERNANP, MAAP
Base Map. Data: SERNANP, MAAP

The current report describes the deforestation associated with major agricultural expansion in three areas in the northern Peruvian Amazon, referred to here as the “Imiria,” “Orellana“, and “San Martin” cases.

These three cases are important because they present characteristics of large-scale, agro-industrial activities (linear plots organized around an extensive new access road network).

In all three cases, early warning alerts (GLAD/Global Forest Watch) initially detected the deforestation in 2017 (see MAAP #69) and their subsequent expansion in 2018. The total deforestation documented to date in these three cases is 3,600 acres.

Below, we show satellite images of the most recent deforestation due to agricultural expansion in these three areas. In these images, yellow circles indicate 2016-17 deforestation and red circles/arrows indicate the most recent 2018 deforestation.

MAAP #88: Deforestation Hotspots In The Ecuadorian Amazon

Deforestation Hotspots in the Ecuadorian Amazon

Hotspots de deforestación en la Amazonía EcuatorianaHere, we highlight deforestation hotspots, the areas with the highest deforestation densities, in the mega-diverse Ecuadorian Amazon.

We then zoom in and focus on a dynamic area in the north that is located between three important protected areas (Sumaco, Yasuní y Cuyabeno).

We show a series of satellite images that indicate that the primary deforestation drivers (causes) in these hotspots are oil palm and other agricultural activities.

*The Ecuador series is a collaboration between Amazon Conservation, Amazon Conservation Team, and EcoCiencia, funded by the MacArthur Foundation

MAAP #88: Deforestation Hotspots in the Ecuadorian Amazon
https://maaproject.org/ecuador-hotspots/

MAAP #81: Carbon loss from deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon

Base Map. Data: MINAM/PNCB, Asner et al 2014
Base Map. Data: MINAM/PNCB, Asner et al 2014

Download PDF of this article

When tropical forests are cleared, the enormous amount of carbon stored in the trees is released to the atmosphere, making it a major source of global greenhouse gas emissions (CO2) that drive climate change.

In fact, a recent study revealed that deforestation and degradation are turning tropical forests into a new net carbon source for the atmosphere, exacerbating climate change.1

The Amazon is the world’s largest tropical forest, and Peru is a key piece of that. Researchers (led by Greg Asner at the Carnegie Institution for Science) recently published the first high-resolution estimate of aboveground carbon in the Peruvian Amazon, documenting 6.83 billion metric tons.2

Here, we analyze this same dataset to estimate the total carbon emissions from deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon between 2013 and 2017. We estimate the loss of 59 million metric tons of carbon during these last five years, the equivalent of around 4% of annual United States fossil fuel emissions.3

We present a series of zoom images to show how carbon loss happened in several key areas impacted by the major deforestation drivers: gold mining, large-scale oil palm and cacao plantations, and smaller-scale agriculture. The labels A-G correspond to the zooms below.

We also show how protected areas are protecting hundreds of millions of metric tons of carbon in some of the most important areas in the country.

On the positive side, having this detailed information may provide added incentives to slow deforestation and degradation as part of critical climate change strategies.

 

 

 

 


Major Findings

Data: Asner et al 2014
Data: Asner et al 2014

The base map (see above) shows, in shades of green, carbon densities across Peru. It also shows, in red, the forest loss layer from 2013 to 2017.

We calculated the estimated amount of carbon emissions from forest loss during these five years: 59.029 teragrams, or 59 million metric tons.

The regions with the most carbon loss are 1) Loreto (13.4 million metric tons), 2) Ucayali (13.2 million), 3) Huánuco (7.3 million), 4) Madre de Dios (7 million), and 5) San Martin (6.9 million).

These values include some natural forest loss. Overall, however, they should be considered underestimates because they do not include forest degradation (for example, selective logging).

A recent study revealed that degradation may account for 70% of emissions, thus total carbon emissions from forests in the Peruvian Amazon may be closer to 200 million metric tons.

Next, we show a series of zoom images to show how carbon loss happened in several key areas. We also show how protected areas and conservation concessions are protecting the most important carbon reserves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Zoom A: Central Peruvian Amazon

Image A shows the loss of 2.8 million metric tons of carbon in a section of the central Peruvian Amazon (Ucayali region). On the east side of image, note the loss due to two large-scale oil palm plantations (649,000 metric tons); on the west side, note small-scale agriculture penetrating deeper into high carbon density forest.

Image A. Central Peruvian Amazon. Data: Asner et al 2014, MINAM/PNCB
Image A. Central Peruvian Amazon. Data: Asner et al 2014, MINAM/PNCB

Zoom B: Southern Peruvian Amazon (gold mining) 

Image B shows the loss of 756 thousand metric tons of carbon due to gold mining in the southern Peruvian Amazon (Madre de Dios region). On the east side of image is the sector known as La Pampa; west side is Upper Malinowski.

Image B. Gold mining. Data: Asner et al 2014, MINAM/PNCB
Image B. Gold mining. Data: Asner et al 2014, MINAM/PNCB

Zoom C: Southern Peruvian Amazon (agriculture)

Image C shows the loss of 876 thousand metric tons of carbon in the southern Peruvian Amazon around the town of Iberia (Madre de Dios region). Note the expanding carbon loss along both sides of the Interoceanic Highway that crosses the image.

Image C. Iberia. Data: Asner et al 2014, MINAM/PNCB
Image C. Iberia. Data: Asner et al 2014, MINAM/PNCB

Zoom D: United Cacao

Image D shows the loss of 291 thousand metric tons of carbon for a large-scale cacao project (United Cacao) in the northern Peruvian Amazon (Loreto region). Note that nearly all the forest clearing occurred in high carbon density forest. This is another line of evidence that the company cleared primary forest, contrary to their claims that the area was already degraded.

Image D. United Cacao. Data: Asner et al 2014, MINAM/PNCB
Image D. United Cacao. Data: Asner et al 2014, MINAM/PNCB

Zoom E: Yaguas National Park

Image E shows how three protected areas, including the new Yaguas National Park, are effectively safeguarding 202 million metric tons of carbon in the northeastern Peruvian Amazon. This area is home to some of the highest carbon densities in the country.

Image E. Yaguas. Data: Asner et al 2014, MINAM/PNCB
Image E. Yaguas. Data: Asner et al 2014, MINAM/PNCB

Zoom F: Los Amigos Conservation Concession

Image F shows how Los Amigos, the world’s first conservation concession, is effectively safeguarding 15 million metric tons of carbon in the southern Peruvian Amazon. Two surrounding protected areas, Manu National Park and Amarakaeri Communal Reserve, safeguard an additional 194 million metric tons. This area is home to some of the highest carbon densities in the country.

Image F. Los Amigos. Data: Asner et al 2014, MINAM/PNCB
Image F. Los Amigos. Data: Asner et al 2014, MINAM/PNCB

Zoom G: Sierra del Divisor National Park

Image G. Data: Asner et al 2014, MINAM/PNCB
Image G. Data: Asner et al 2014, MINAM/PNCB

Image G shows how three protected areas, including the new Sierra del Divisor National Park, are effectively safeguarding 270 million metric tons of carbon in the eastern Peruvian Amazon.

This area is home to some of the highest carbon densities in the country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Methodology

Para el análisis se utilizó los datos de carbono sobre el suelo  generados por Asner et al 2014, y los datos de pérdida de bosques identificados por el Programa Nacional de Conservación de Bosques (PNBC-MINAM) de los años 2013 al 2016 así como las alertas tempranas del año 2017. Primero uniformizamos los datos de pérdida de bosque 2013-2016 con las alertas tempranas del año 2017 para evitar superposición y tener un solo dato 2013-2017. Posteriormente, extraemos los datos de carbono de las áreas de pérdida de bosque del 2013-2017, este proceso permitió obtener la densidad de carbono (por hectárea) en relación al área de la pérdida de bosque para finalmente estimar el total de stocks de carbono perdido entre el año 2013 al 2017.


References

Baccini A, Walker W, Carvalho L, Farina M, Sulla-Menashe D, Houghton RA (2017) Tropical forests are a net carbon source based on aboveground measurements of gain and loss. Science. 13;358(6360):230-4.

Asner GP et al (2014). The High-Resolution Carbon Geography of Perú. Carnegie Institution for Science.

Boden TA, Andres RJ, Marland G (2017) National CO2 Emissions from Fossil-Fuel Burning, Cement Manufacture, and Gas Flaring: 1751-2014. DOI 10.3334/CDIAC/00001_V2017


Citation

Finer M, Mamani N (2017). Carbon loss from deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon. MAAP: 81.

MAAP #80: Amazon Beauty, in High-Resolution

MAAP tracks the most urgent deforestation cases in the Andean Amazon, thus it can be a bit depressing. However, it is important to remember why we do it: the Amazon is spectacular.

Image 80. Base Map. Data: SERNANP, MAAP
Image 80. Base Map. Data: SERNANP, MAAP

Here, we present a series of high-resolution satellite images to show the incredible beauty of the Peruvian Amazon, and help remind us all why it is so important to protect.

All the images, obtained from DigitalGlobe, are both recent and very high resolution (less than 0.5 meters). Together, they form an art exhibition, starring the forests, rivers, and mountains of the Peruvian Amazon.

The categories of the images are: “Protected Areas” and “Threatened Areas.”

The Protected Areas include National Parks (Yaguas, Sierra del Divisor, and Manu); National Reserve (Tambopata); Communal Reserve (Amarakaeri); and Regional Conservation Area (Choquequirao).

The Threatened Areas include areas at risk due to gold mining, road construction, hydroelectric dams, and new oil palm and cacao plantations.

Click on each image to enlarge. See the base map for the location of each image (A-M).

MAAP #78: Deforestation Hotspots in The Peruvian Amazon, 2017

As we begin a new year, we make an initial assessment of 2017, estimating deforestation hotspots in the Peruvian Amazon based on early warning alert data.*

Base Map (Image 78). Data: PNCB/MINAM, UMD/GLAD, SERNANP
Base Map (Image 78). Data: PNCB/MINAM, UMD/GLAD, SERNANP

We estimate the annual forest loss of 354,410 acres (143,425 hectares) across Peru in 2017. If confirmed, this total represents the lowest in 5 years (average of 394,600 acres since 2012), and a decrease of 13% from last year.**

Deforestation, however, is still widespread. The base map shows the most intense hotspots (areas with highest density of forest loss).

The two main deforestation areas are clearly seen: the central Amazon (Ucayali/Huánuco regions) and the southern Amazon (Madre de Dios). Also, there are several additional hotspots scattered throughout the country.

We present satellite images (slider format) of the most intense hotspots. The images reveal that the main deforestation drivers include gold mining, oil palm, and general agriculture (crops and livestock).

The hotspots detailed below are:

A. Central Amazon (Ucayali/Huánuco)
B. Southern Madre de Dios
C. Iberia (Madre de Dios)
D. Northeast San Martín
E. Nieva (Amazonas)

MAAP Interactive: Deforestation Drivers In The Andean Amazon

Since its launch in April 2015, MAAP has published over 70 reports related to deforestation (and natural forest loss) in the Andean Amazon. We have thus far focused on Peru, with several reports in Colombia and Brazil as well.

These reports are meant to be case studies of the most important and urgent deforestation events. We often use forest loss alerts (known as GLAD) to guide us, and satellite imagery (from Planet and DigitalGlobe) to identify the deforestation driver.

Here we present an interactive map highlighting the drivers identified in all published MAAP reports. These drivers include gold mining, agriculture (e.g. oil palm and cacao), cattle pasture, roads, and dams (see icon legend below map). We also include natural causes such as floods and blowdowns (fire included under agriculture since most human caused). Furthermore, we highlight deforestation events within protected areas. Note that you can filter by driver by checking boxes of interest.

We hope the result is one of the most detailed and up-todate resources on patterns and drivers of deforestation in the Andean Amazon. Over the coming year we will continue to focus on Peru and Colombia, and begin to include Ecuador and Bolivia as well.

To view the interactive map, please visit:

MAAP Interactive: Deforestation Drivers in the Andean Amazon
https://maaproject.org/interactive/

For more information on patterns and drivers of deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon, see our latest News and Resources 

MAAP #64: Good News Deforestation Stories (Peruvian Amazon)

 

We admit that most MAAP stories are about the bad news of Amazon deforestation. But fortunately

 

 there is good news as well.

Here we highlight 5 good news stories from the Peruvian Amazon that show how near real-time monitoring may lead to halting deforestation from emerging threats, such as gold mining and large-scale agriculture (oil palm and cacao plantations).

The detailed cases are:

A) United Cacao (cacao),

B) Plantations of Pucallpa (oil palm),

C) Grupo Romero (oil palm),

D) Amarakaeri Comunal Reserve (gold mining), and

E) Tambopata National Reserve (gold mining).

 

 

 


United Cacao

Image 64a. Data: NASA/USGS

Image 64a. Data: NASA/USGS
Image 64a. Data: NASA/USGS

The rapid deforestation of primary forest for a large-scale cacao plantation in the northern Peruvian Amazon took everyone by surprise in 2013. Civil society led the way in exposing and tracking the deforestation with satellite imagery and the government eventually confirmed the forest loss data. For its part, MAAP published 6 articles (for example MAAP #35 and MAAP #2).

Although total deforestation eventually reached 5,880 acres (2,380 hectares), the company, due to a complicated combination of factors, was suspended from the London Stock Exchange and no new deforestation has been detected in over a year.

Image 64a shows that the cacao project area was covered by intact forest in late 2012, followed by large-scale deforestation of primary forest in 2013. The deforestation slowed, and then stopped, between 2014 and 2017. The yellow circle indicates the cacao plantation area over time.


Plantations of Pucallpa (oil palm)

In a remarkable case, satellite imagery was used to demonstrate that an oil palm company (Plantations of Pucallpa) had breached the Code and Conduct of the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil), a non-profit entity founded to develop and implement global standards for sustainable palm oil.

In 2015, the Native Community of Santa Clara de Uchunya (with the support of the NGO Forest Peoples Programme) presented an official complaint to the RSPO against Plantations of Pucallpa, a member of the roundtable. An important component of the complaint alleged massive deforestation, but the company adamantly denied it. MAAP articles showing the deforestation of 15,970 acres (6,460 hectares) were used as evidence (MAAP #4, MAAP #41), as was independent government analysis.

In April 2017, the RSPO concluded that Plantations of Pucallpa cleared 14,145 acres (5,725 hectares) despite declaring no land-clearing, thus breaching the Code and Conduct. Several months prior this decision, the company divested its oil palm estates and withdrew from the RSPO. We have not detected any new deforestation in the project area in over a year.

Image 64b shows the massive deforestation for two large-scale oil palm plantations in the central Peruvian Amazon (Plantations of Pucallpa is the plantation to the north). The yellow circles indicate the oil palm plantation project areas over time. Note that the project area was a mix of primary and secondary forest in 2011, immediately prior to the deforestation, which began in 2012. The deforestation intensified in 2013 before nearly reaching its maximum extent in 2015. We have not detected any new deforestation since 2016.

Image 64b. Data: NASA/USGS, MAAP
Image 64b. Data: NASA/USGS, MAAP

Grupo Romero (oil palm)

Perhaps the best news of the bunch is about four large-scale oil palm plantations that were stopped before any deforestation occurred. As detailed in a recent report by Environmental Investigation Agency, the Peruvian business conglomerate Grupo Romero conducted environmental impact studies for four new oil palm plantations in the northern Peruvian Amazon. Analysis of these studies revealed that these plantations would cause the massive deforestation of 56,830 acres (23,000 hectares) of primary forest. After strong pushback from civil society, including legal action, a recent report from Chain Reaction Research revealed that Grupo Romero is now working towards a zero-deforestation supply chain and thus found that the four planned plantations are no longer feasible and abandoned the projects.

Image 64c shows how the project area for two of the proposed oil palm plantations (in yellow), Santa Catalina and Tierra Blanca, is largely covered by intact, primary forest.

Image 64c. Data: NASA/USGS, Grupo Palmas (Grupo Romero)
Image 64c. Data: NASA/USGS, Grupo Palmas (Grupo Romero)

Amarakaeri Communal Reserve (gold mining)

In June 2015, we revealed the deforestation of 11 hectares in Amarakaeri Communal Reserve due to an illegal gold mining invasion. The Reserve, located in the southern Peruvian Amazon, is an important protected area that is co-managed by indigenous communities (ECA Amarakaeri) and SERNANP, Peru’s protected areas agency (see MAAP #6). In the following weeks, the Peruvian government, led by SERNANP, cracked down on the illegal mining activities. A year later, we showed that the deforestation had been stopped, with no further expansion into the Reserve (MAAP #44). In fact, we showed that there were signs of recovering vegetation on the recently mined areas.

Image 64d shows the gold mining deforestation approaching (2011-12) and entering (2013-15) Amarakaeri Communal Reserve (yellow circles indicate areas of invasion). However, it also shows how, following action by the government and ECA Amarakaeri, the deforestation was halted and did not expand in 2016-17.

Image 64d. Data: NASA/USGS, Sentinel/ESA, RapidEye/Planet
Image 64d. Data: NASA/USGS, Sentinel/ESA, RapidEye/Planet

Tambopata National Reserve (gold mining)

In September 2015, illegal gold miners started to invade Tambopata National Reserve, an important protected area in the southern Peruvian Amazon with world renowned biodiversity. In a series of MAAP articles, we tracked the invasion as it intensified in 2016, and eventually reached 1,360 acres (550 hectares) by early 2017. However, by late 2016, the Peruvian Government intensified its interventions against the illegal mining activity, and the rate of deforestation quickly and sharply decreased. In the most recent satellite imagery, we have not detected any major new expansion of illegal gold mining within the Reserve.

Image 64e shows the initial invasion of Tambopata National Reserve between September 2015 and January 2016. The deforestation within the Reserve intensifies during 2016, but slows significantly in 2017. The yellow circles indicate areas of invasion.

Image 64e. Data: Planet, SERNANP
Image 64e. Data: Planet, SERNANP

References

Planet Team (2017). Planet Application Program Interface: In Space for Life on Earth. San Francisco, CA. https://api.planet.com.


Citation

Finer M, Novoa S, Olexy T, Scott A (2017) Good News Deforestation Stories (Peruvian Amazon). MAAP: 64.