Land Use Change and Its Climatic and Vegetation Impacts in the Brazilian Amazon

Sérvio Túlio Pereira Justino, Richardson Barbosa Gomes da Silva, Rafael Barroca Silva and Danilo Simões ()
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Sérvio Túlio Pereira Justino: Department of Forest Science, Soils and Environment, School of Agriculture, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18610-034, Brazil
Richardson Barbosa Gomes da Silva: Department of Forest Science, Soils and Environment, School of Agriculture, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18610-034, Brazil
Rafael Barroca Silva: Department of Forest Science, Soils and Environment, School of Agriculture, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18610-034, Brazil
Danilo Simões: Department of Forest Science, Soils and Environment, School of Agriculture, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18610-034, Brazil

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-25

Abstract: The Brazilian Amazon is recognized worldwide for its biodiversity and it plays a key role in maintaining the regional and global climate balance. However, it has recently been greatly impacted by changes in land use, such as replacing native forests with agricultural activities. These changes have resulted in serious environmental consequences, including significant alterations to climate and hydrological cycles. This study aims to analyze changes in land use and land covered in the Brazilian Amazon between 2001 and 2023, as well as the resulting effects on precipitation variability, land surface temperature, and evapotranspiration. Data obtained via remote sensing and processed on the Google Earth Engine platform were used, including MODIS, CHIRPS, Hansen products. The results revealed significant changes: forest formation decreased by 8.55%, while agricultural land increased by 575%. Between 2016 and 2023, accumulated deforestation reached 242,689 km 2 . Precipitation decreased, reaching minimums of 772.7 mm in 2015 and 726.4 mm in 2020. Evapotranspiration was concentrated between 941 and 1360 mm in 2020, and surface temperatures ranged between 30 °C and 34 °C in 2015, 2020, and 2023. We conclude that anthropogenic transformations in the Brazilian Amazon directly impact vegetation cover and the regional climate. Therefore, conservation and monitoring measures are essential for mitigating these effects.

Keywords: forest degradation; deforestation; forest fires; rainfall; remote sensing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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