Growing mining contribution to Colombian deforestation
Tropical deforestation is mainly driven by agricultural expansion, land grabbing, illegal logging, urbanization, cattle ranching as well as mining. However, extraction of minerals and its impacts in high biodiversity regions are still poorly known, particularly in Colombia, a tropical megadiverse ho...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abfcf8 |
| _version_ | 1827870215058227200 |
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| author | Andrés González-González Nicola Clerici Benjamin Quesada |
| author_facet | Andrés González-González Nicola Clerici Benjamin Quesada |
| author_sort | Andrés González-González |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Tropical deforestation is mainly driven by agricultural expansion, land grabbing, illegal logging, urbanization, cattle ranching as well as mining. However, extraction of minerals and its impacts in high biodiversity regions are still poorly known, particularly in Colombia, a tropical megadiverse hotspot. Here, using high-resolution datasets of forest cover changes and detailed geospatial mining data for Colombia, we show a growing contribution of legal mining to national deforestation: 3.4% over the 2001–2018 period, with a peak at 5.6% in 2017. During this period, around 121 819 ha have been deforested inside legal mining concessions, and an estimation of over 400 000 ha deforested by both legal and illegal. Gold and coal are the most important legally-mined materials in Colombia associated to deforestation, particularly in the recent years with 511% and 257% tree cover loss increases respectively (average over 2016–2018 compared to 2001–2015 average of mined material deforestation average). Three Colombian departments summed out ∼70% of the national deforestation occurring in legal concessions: in 2018, up to 23% of deforestation in Antioquia was taking place in legal mines (gold producer). Finally, we found that only 1% (respectively, 3%) of the concessions contribute to 60% (>90%) of the legal mining-related deforestation, mainly driven by large clearings to agriculture. Environmental law enforcement, monitoring activities and engaging the mining industry in effective forest conservation and landscape restoration strategies are urgently needed in Colombia for preserving biodiversity and ecosystem services. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:54:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5584a66cb4124ee09c6ccfcecfc0c7e2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:54:40Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-5584a66cb4124ee09c6ccfcecfc0c7e22023-08-09T14:59:21ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262021-01-0116606404610.1088/1748-9326/abfcf8Growing mining contribution to Colombian deforestationAndrés González-González0Nicola Clerici1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4547-7606Benjamin Quesada2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8827-4801Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Universidad del Rosario , Carrera 26 # 63b-48, Bogota, DC 111221, Colombia; Earth System Science Program, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Interactions Climate-Ecosystems (ICE) Research Group, Universidad del Rosario , Carrera 26 # 63b-48, Bogota, DC 111221, ColombiaDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Universidad del Rosario , Carrera 26 # 63b-48, Bogota, DC 111221, ColombiaEarth System Science Program, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Interactions Climate-Ecosystems (ICE) Research Group, Universidad del Rosario , Carrera 26 # 63b-48, Bogota, DC 111221, ColombiaTropical deforestation is mainly driven by agricultural expansion, land grabbing, illegal logging, urbanization, cattle ranching as well as mining. However, extraction of minerals and its impacts in high biodiversity regions are still poorly known, particularly in Colombia, a tropical megadiverse hotspot. Here, using high-resolution datasets of forest cover changes and detailed geospatial mining data for Colombia, we show a growing contribution of legal mining to national deforestation: 3.4% over the 2001–2018 period, with a peak at 5.6% in 2017. During this period, around 121 819 ha have been deforested inside legal mining concessions, and an estimation of over 400 000 ha deforested by both legal and illegal. Gold and coal are the most important legally-mined materials in Colombia associated to deforestation, particularly in the recent years with 511% and 257% tree cover loss increases respectively (average over 2016–2018 compared to 2001–2015 average of mined material deforestation average). Three Colombian departments summed out ∼70% of the national deforestation occurring in legal concessions: in 2018, up to 23% of deforestation in Antioquia was taking place in legal mines (gold producer). Finally, we found that only 1% (respectively, 3%) of the concessions contribute to 60% (>90%) of the legal mining-related deforestation, mainly driven by large clearings to agriculture. Environmental law enforcement, monitoring activities and engaging the mining industry in effective forest conservation and landscape restoration strategies are urgently needed in Colombia for preserving biodiversity and ecosystem services.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abfcf8miningbiodiversitynatural resources extractionColombiatree lossgold |
| spellingShingle | Andrés González-González Nicola Clerici Benjamin Quesada Growing mining contribution to Colombian deforestation Environmental Research Letters mining biodiversity natural resources extraction Colombia tree loss gold |
| title | Growing mining contribution to Colombian deforestation |
| title_full | Growing mining contribution to Colombian deforestation |
| title_fullStr | Growing mining contribution to Colombian deforestation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Growing mining contribution to Colombian deforestation |
| title_short | Growing mining contribution to Colombian deforestation |
| title_sort | growing mining contribution to colombian deforestation |
| topic | mining biodiversity natural resources extraction Colombia tree loss gold |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abfcf8 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT andresgonzalezgonzalez growingminingcontributiontocolombiandeforestation AT nicolaclerici growingminingcontributiontocolombiandeforestation AT benjaminquesada growingminingcontributiontocolombiandeforestation |