The dynamics of land-use in Brazilian Amazon

Mário Jorge Mendonça, Paulo Loureiro and Adolfo Sachsida

Ecological Economics, 2012, vol. 84, issue C, 23-36

Abstract: This paper studies the dynamics of land-use in the Brazilian Amazon using a structural vector autoregressive (SVAR) model. A fixed effect panel data specification is used to control for the heterogeneity in the data. Meanwhile, spatial autocorrelation is also diagnosed by a statistical methodology that allows us to split the model in subsamples (clusters) of more homogenous municipalities. The clustering analysis shows that there are three clusters whose land-use patterns are strongly different in an economical point of view. The first cluster identifies municipalities dedicated to logging, natural resources exploitation and slash-and-burn cultures; the second cluster shows a more diversified agriculture; while the third cluster presents very developed intensive agriculture municipalities.

Keywords: Brazilian Amazon; Vector autoregressive; Panel data; Spatial autocorrelation; Impulse response functions; Variance Decomposition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C33 C38 Q24 Q34 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Working Paper: The Dynamics Of Land-Use In Brazilian Amazon (2010)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:84:y:2012:i:c:p:23-36

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2012.08.014

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