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How Much Forest is There?
Table 2.1. Deforestation in the Atlantic Rainforest, 1990–95 (km 2 )
Area Area of AF1 Forested area Deforestation
State Area mapped mapped 1990 1995 % 2 Area %
Rio de Janeiro 44,081.11 44,081.11 44,081.11 10,692.30 9,288.58 21.07 1,403.72 13.13
Mato Grosso 357,424.10 47,573.15 18,428.21 437.52 395.55 2.15 41.97 9.59
Goias 340,165.90 39,187.11 30,556.77 71.19 64.71 0.21 6.48 9.1
Minas Gerais 587,172.00 433,391.65 275,397.09 12,140.59 11,251.08 4.09 889.51 7.33
Espirito Santo 46,115.22 46,115.22 46,115.22 4,097.41 3,873.13 8.4 224.28 5.47
Rio Grande 278,946.64 161,286.95 87,585.33 5,352.55 5,064.62 5.78 287.93 5.38
Parana 198,086.03 198,086.03 193,156.64 18,151.37 17,305.28 8.96 846.09 4.66
Santa Catarina 95,716.47 95,716.47 95,716.47 17,291.60 16,662.41 17.41 629.19 3.64
Sao Paulo 241,752.11 241,752.11 195,958.99 18,589.59 17,915.59 9.14 674.00 3.63
TOTAL 2,189,459.58 1,307,189.80 986,995.83 86,824.12 81,820.95 8.29 5,003.17 5.76
1. The Atlantic Forest (AF) domain is defined legally.
2. Percentage of remaining forest area in 1995 relative to the area of AF mapped.
Source: SOS Mata Atlantica, INPE & ISA, 1998; Viana et al. 1998.
Atlantic Forest
Deforestation of the Atlantic Forest has been going on much longer
than it has in the Amazon. The area has continued to lose tree cover into
the 1990s; however, between 1990 and 1995, more than 5,000 km 2 of land
(5.76 percent of the total) was deforested in the nine-state area (table 2.1).
Most deforestation in the Atlantic Forest occurred several decades
ago, with the rate varying among states and following different phases
of agricultural frontier expansion (Dean 1997). Where economic returns
to agriculture were higher, deforestation was more rapid. This
was particularly the case in areas suitable to coffee plantations in Sao
Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Parana. Where economic returns to agriculture
were lower, as in Espirito Santo and Bahia, logging helped finance
agricultural expansion.
Plantations
In addition to vast natural forests, there are 55,000 km 2 under plantation
reforestation in Brazil, primarily comprised of eucalyptus and
pines. Demand from major industries is a major driving force in the
plantation sector in Brazil. The pulp and paper industry, and the iron
and steel industry (which requires large quantities of vegetable charcoal)
have been particularly active in reforestation (table 2.2). In recent
years, the Bank-funded Minas Gerais reforestation program has also
made a major contribution to plantation development.
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