Research reveals that deforestation threatens the Atlantic Forest

Although the number represents a drop of 7% compared to that detected in 2020-2021 (21.642 hectares), the SOS Mata Atlântica assesses that deforestation is still at a high level. The area deforested last year is the second largest in the last six years and is 76% above the lowest value ever recorded in the historical series, which was 11.399 hectares between 2017 and 2018. 

“There was a small drop of 7%, but we consider that it is a situation of stability, it is a very small variation at a high level, above 20 thousand hectares, which is a very high value for the Atlantic Forest if we understand which is a cumulative process of 500 years of deforestation. It is a very worrying fact. There are 55 hectares lost per day”, said the executive director of the SOS Mata Atlântica Foundation, Luís Fernando Guedes Pinto. 

Data from the entity shows that the biome is home to almost 70% of the population and accounts for around 80% of Brazil's economy, in addition to producing 50% of the food consumed in the country. 

What is the Atlantic Forest?

The Atlantic Forest is a biome that covers around 15% of the Brazilian territory, extending along the country's Atlantic coast. This biome is characterized by its great diversity of fauna and flora species, being considered one of the richest in biodiversity in the world. However, the Atlantic Forest is also one of the most threatened biomes on the planet, with less than 10% of its original coverage still preserved.

Most deforested states 

The survey shows that deforestation is concentrated in five states: Minas Gerais, Bahia, Mato Grosso do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná. In the first three, Guedes reveals that deforestation is the result of the expansion – on a large scale – of agriculture and livestock farming. He highlights that these are agricultural frontier regions that are still opening up. 

Five states accumulate 91% of deforestation: Minas Gerais (7.456 ha), Bahia (5.719 ha), Paraná (2.883 ha), Mato Grosso do Sul (1.115 ha) and Santa Catarina (1.041 ha).

(With Brazil Agency)

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Atlantic Forest has the highest number of threatened species, says research

The Atlantic Forest is the Brazilian biome with the largest number of plant and animal species threatened with extinction in the country. The finding is from the Ecosystem Accounts – Endangered Species in Brazil 2022 survey, released this Wednesday (24) by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). 

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