Abstract
In the Brazilian Amazon, vast tracts of old-growth forests are being cleared at varying rates in space and time. Differences in land tenure are key for understanding land management strategies affecting deforestation, forest regrowth and re-clearance (i.e.,, forest cover change and hereafter referred to as FCC). However, while extensive research has investigated the association between land tenure and old-growth forest clearing, less is known about how different ownership regimes influence forest regrowth and re-clearing. In this paper, we provide insights about net FCC and associated carbon outcomes across different land tenure regimes, for one of the most dynamic hotspots of forest loss in Southern Brazilian Amazon. We covered nearly three decades (1985-2012) of FCC taking place at the influence area of the BR-163 (Cuiabá-Santarém) highway, in Mato Grosso (MT) and Pará (PA). We accounted for five tenure categories (undesignated public lands, designated public lands, private properties, rural settlements and lands with unknown tenure. Our results indicated different FCC for tenure systems. Old-growth forests stocks were severely depleted between 1985 and 2012, with private properties undergoing the largest absolute losses in both states. Private properties showed a marked reduction in deforestation during the mid-2000s, likely associated with macroeconomic changes as well as mixed public and private anti- deforestation policies. In the state of PA, large expanses of public forests did not display similar decreases in deforestation, suggesting an unresponsiveness of lands with insecure tenure to anti-deforestation policies. Land designation to sustainable uses, combined with law enforcement could help to prevent additional deforestation in these areas. All tenure categories – including designated public forests, largely composed of conservation units – behaved as carbon sources rather than sinks. In none of the tenure categories forest regrowth appears to be associated with a resurge in forest cover but is rather a temporary component of the agricultural productive systems.
