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The 34 per cent decrease recorded between January and June this year in the Amazon comes after a 54 per cent increase from August to December 2022 under the previous government. Photo: Lubasi Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)Photo: Lubasi Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

It’s the Lula effect? Amazon deforestation falls by 34% in six months

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The numbers, which have not been verified by an independent authority, would mark a turnaround for the Amazon after a particularly bad 2022. Fines and bans are increasing. But fires are also on the rise, having never been so extensive since 2007
"Terra preta" ('black soil' in English) is found although in small amounts in the Amazon and is part of the macro category of so-called black soils, known for their fertility. Photo: Holger Casselmann Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)Holger Casselmann Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)

The secret to Amazon regeneration lies in black soil

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According to Brazilian research, the valuable black soil found in parts of the Amazon retains unique characteristics that promote the rapid recovery of deforested land
Carbon captured from the soil of forests, grasslands and pastures is equivalent to about 25% of global emissions Photo: Antonio Jordán (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu) Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)Antonio Jordán (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu) Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)

Subsoil carbon is particularly vulnerable to climate change

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International study shows how, at one meter depth, soil gives up more than one-third of its pyrogenic carbon after experiencing a 4°C temperature rise in less than five years
Thanks to artificial intelligence, deforestation can be prevented by detecting the presence of key variables. Photo: Bruno Kelly/Amazônia Real from Manaus AM, Brasil Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)Bruno Kelly/Amazônia Real from Manaus AM, Brasil Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Artificial intelligence challenges deforestation in Brazil

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The PrevisIA system uses artificial intelligence to rapidly analyze satellite imagery detecting critical variables that can promote deforestation. "Its predictive ability is fantastic," according to its creators
U.S. Geological Survey researchers have developed a new remote sensing system to detect deforestation on large geographic and temporal scales. Photo: Cecilio Ricardo United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service. Public Domain Mark 1.0 No CopyrightCecilio Ricardo United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service. Public Domain Mark 1.0 No Copyright

New developments in deforestation remote sensing in the U.S.

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By combining old deforestation survey methods, U.S. Geological Survey researchers have developed a new large-scale representation which increases efficiency and accuracy. The hope for the future is real-time mapping
Research applied ecoacoustics to assess biodiversity in Greno Woods Forest, UK. Photo: Roger May Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)Roger May Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Based on soil sounds, ecoacoustics helps us protect forests

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A study highlights the potential of ecoacoustics: by listening to ecosystem sounds, it is possible to monitor and restore forest soil health. And better assess the effectiveness of interventions
In the Amazon, in the absence of landowner exemptions, natural vegetation could have retained 2.4 billion tons of carbon. Photo: Rawpixel Public Domain Free CC0 ImageRawpixel Public Domain Free CC0 Image

Landowner amnesty has hampered land restoration in the Amazon

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Since 2012, more than 50 percent of deforestation in the Amazon has occurred in "protected" areas in private hands, a U.S. study has found. Amnesty that excluded managers from restoration obligation was crucial
Mediterranean forests provide a wide range of ecosystem services. Photo: Elina Tzivara Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)Elina Tzivara Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Mediterranean forests face desertification risk

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In the past, forests around the Mediterranean Sea partly turned into steppes within a few decades as precipitation rates changed. Today, a German research explains, this scenario could happen again
In 2019, the Colombian government launched a military offensive against deforestation known as Operation Artemis. Photo: Pixabay Content license Attribution not requiredPixabay Content license Attribution not required

“Colombian government’s fight against deforestation has been a failure,” NGOs say

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Operation Artemis, launched by the Colombian government to combat deforestation, has benefited a minimal share of the affected areas, argue NGOs Mongabay and Cuestión Pública. Abuses to indigenous communities have been reported
Between 2010 and 2018, commitments made by companies to tackle deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon ensured the protection of about 7,000 square kilometers of forest. But it could have been 24,000. Photo: Neil Palmer (CIAT) Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)Neil Palmer (CIAT) Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Cattle-related deforestation in the Amazon could have been halved

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If anti-deforestation agreements had been fully implemented, 24 thousand km2 of land could have been saved in the Amazon compared to the 7 thousand actually protected between 2010 and 2018, according to a study from U.S.