Deforestation in the Legal Amazon: A spatial and temporal, using Agriculture and livestock as a suppression vector

Abstract

The Legal Amazon region faces threats due to deforestation, mainly for the conversion of forests into pastures for cattle raising and grain growing areas. This study analyzed deforestation in this area from 2019 to 2022, caused by agricultural activities, using remote sensing data from Map Biomas Alert. The results revealed that the state of Pará had the highest rate of deforestation in all years, especially in areas that border other regions, such as Altamira and São Félix do Xingu. This record of deforestation can be attributed, in part, to the expansion of highways that facilitate the advancement of soybean agriculture and beef cattle farming in the region. The peculiar activity in the Legal Amazon presents high profitability, but is also associated with serious environmental impacts, mainly in relation to deforestation and the expansion of road networks. Remote sensing plays a fundamental role in understanding and combating deforestation in the Legal Amazon, being a crucial tool for monitoring and evaluating changes in forest cover over time, contributing to decision-making by public bodies.