Relationship between Biomass Burning Emissions and Deforestation in Amazonia over the Last Two Decades
With deforestation and associated fires ongoing at high rates, and amidst urgent need to preserve Amazonia, improving the understanding of biomass burning emissions drivers is essential. The use of orbital remote sensing data enables the estimate of both biomass burning emissions and deforestation....
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Forests |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/9/1217 |
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| author | Guilherme A. V. Mataveli Gabriel de Oliveira Hugo T. Seixas Gabriel Pereira Scott C. Stark Luciana V. Gatti Luana S. Basso Graciela Tejada Henrique L. G. Cassol Liana O. Anderson Luiz E. O. C. Aragão |
| author_facet | Guilherme A. V. Mataveli Gabriel de Oliveira Hugo T. Seixas Gabriel Pereira Scott C. Stark Luciana V. Gatti Luana S. Basso Graciela Tejada Henrique L. G. Cassol Liana O. Anderson Luiz E. O. C. Aragão |
| author_sort | Guilherme A. V. Mataveli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | With deforestation and associated fires ongoing at high rates, and amidst urgent need to preserve Amazonia, improving the understanding of biomass burning emissions drivers is essential. The use of orbital remote sensing data enables the estimate of both biomass burning emissions and deforestation. In this study, we have estimated emissions of particulate matter with diameter less than 2.5 µm (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) associated with biomass burning, a primary human health risk, using the Brazilian Biomass Burning emission model with Fire Radiative Power (3BEM_FRP), and estimated deforestation based on the MapBiomas dataset. Using these estimates, we have assessed for the first time how deforestation drove biomass burning emissions in Amazonia over the last two decades at three scales of analysis: Amazonia-wide, country/state and pixel. Amazonia accounted for 48% of PM<sub>2.5</sub> emitted from biomass burning in South America and current deforestation rates have reached values on par with those of the early 21st Century. Emissions and deforestation were concentrated in the Eastern and Central-Southern portions of Amazonia. Amazonia-wide deforestation and emissions were linked through time (<i>R</i> = 0.65). Countries/states with the widest spread agriculture were less likely to be correlated at this scale, likely because of the importance of biomass burning in agricultural practices. Concentrated in regions of ongoing deforestation, in 18% of Amazonia grid cells PM<sub>2.5</sub> emissions associated with biomass burning and deforestation were significantly positively correlated. Deforestation is an important driver of emissions in Amazonia but does not explain biomass burning alone. Therefore, future work must link climate and other non-deforestation drivers to completely understand biomass burning emissions in Amazonia. The advance of anthropogenic activities over forested areas, which ultimately leads to more fires and deforestation, is expected to continue, worsening a crisis of dangerous emissions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:40:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-deb23defd08144af8fdc75595ec49107 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:40:05Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-deb23defd08144af8fdc75595ec491072023-11-22T13:07:51ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072021-09-01129121710.3390/f12091217Relationship between Biomass Burning Emissions and Deforestation in Amazonia over the Last Two DecadesGuilherme A. V. Mataveli0Gabriel de Oliveira1Hugo T. Seixas2Gabriel Pereira3Scott C. Stark4Luciana V. Gatti5Luana S. Basso6Graciela Tejada7Henrique L. G. Cassol8Liana O. Anderson9Luiz E. O. C. Aragão10Earth Observation and Geoinformatics Division, National Institute for Space Research, São José dos Campos 12227-010, BrazilDepartment of Earth Sciences, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USACenter for Environmental Studies and Research, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-867, BrazilDepartment of Geosciences, Federal University of São João del-Rei, São João del-Rei 36307-352, BrazilDepartment of Forestry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USAImpacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability Division, National Institute for Space Research, São José dos Campos 12227-010, BrazilImpacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability Division, National Institute for Space Research, São José dos Campos 12227-010, BrazilImpacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability Division, National Institute for Space Research, São José dos Campos 12227-010, BrazilEarth Observation and Geoinformatics Division, National Institute for Space Research, São José dos Campos 12227-010, BrazilNational Center for Monitoring and Early Warning of Natural Disaster, São José dos Campos 12247-016, BrazilEarth Observation and Geoinformatics Division, National Institute for Space Research, São José dos Campos 12227-010, BrazilWith deforestation and associated fires ongoing at high rates, and amidst urgent need to preserve Amazonia, improving the understanding of biomass burning emissions drivers is essential. The use of orbital remote sensing data enables the estimate of both biomass burning emissions and deforestation. In this study, we have estimated emissions of particulate matter with diameter less than 2.5 µm (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) associated with biomass burning, a primary human health risk, using the Brazilian Biomass Burning emission model with Fire Radiative Power (3BEM_FRP), and estimated deforestation based on the MapBiomas dataset. Using these estimates, we have assessed for the first time how deforestation drove biomass burning emissions in Amazonia over the last two decades at three scales of analysis: Amazonia-wide, country/state and pixel. Amazonia accounted for 48% of PM<sub>2.5</sub> emitted from biomass burning in South America and current deforestation rates have reached values on par with those of the early 21st Century. Emissions and deforestation were concentrated in the Eastern and Central-Southern portions of Amazonia. Amazonia-wide deforestation and emissions were linked through time (<i>R</i> = 0.65). Countries/states with the widest spread agriculture were less likely to be correlated at this scale, likely because of the importance of biomass burning in agricultural practices. Concentrated in regions of ongoing deforestation, in 18% of Amazonia grid cells PM<sub>2.5</sub> emissions associated with biomass burning and deforestation were significantly positively correlated. Deforestation is an important driver of emissions in Amazonia but does not explain biomass burning alone. Therefore, future work must link climate and other non-deforestation drivers to completely understand biomass burning emissions in Amazonia. The advance of anthropogenic activities over forested areas, which ultimately leads to more fires and deforestation, is expected to continue, worsening a crisis of dangerous emissions.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/9/1217biomass burningaerosolsdeforestationtropical forestsremote sensing3BEM_FRP |
| spellingShingle | Guilherme A. V. Mataveli Gabriel de Oliveira Hugo T. Seixas Gabriel Pereira Scott C. Stark Luciana V. Gatti Luana S. Basso Graciela Tejada Henrique L. G. Cassol Liana O. Anderson Luiz E. O. C. Aragão Relationship between Biomass Burning Emissions and Deforestation in Amazonia over the Last Two Decades Forests biomass burning aerosols deforestation tropical forests remote sensing 3BEM_FRP |
| title | Relationship between Biomass Burning Emissions and Deforestation in Amazonia over the Last Two Decades |
| title_full | Relationship between Biomass Burning Emissions and Deforestation in Amazonia over the Last Two Decades |
| title_fullStr | Relationship between Biomass Burning Emissions and Deforestation in Amazonia over the Last Two Decades |
| title_full_unstemmed | Relationship between Biomass Burning Emissions and Deforestation in Amazonia over the Last Two Decades |
| title_short | Relationship between Biomass Burning Emissions and Deforestation in Amazonia over the Last Two Decades |
| title_sort | relationship between biomass burning emissions and deforestation in amazonia over the last two decades |
| topic | biomass burning aerosols deforestation tropical forests remote sensing 3BEM_FRP |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/9/1217 |
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