Check the data on deforestation and forest degradation in the Amazon in March 2012.
In March 2012, The Deforestation Alert System (SAD) detected 53 square kilometers of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. It represented a 15% increase regarding March 2011 when the deforestation totaled 46 square kilometers. In March 2012, it was possible to monitor with SAD only 26% of the forest area in the Brazilian Amazon.
The deforestation accumulated in the period of August 2011 to March 2012 totaled 760 square kilometers. There was a 22% reduction regarding the same previous period (August 2010 to March 2011) when the deforestation totaled 969 square kilometers.
In March 2012, most part (60%) of the deforestation occurred in Mato Grosso. Following is Pará with 25% and Rondônia with 9%. The rest (6%) occurred in Amazonas, Roraima and Acre. However, it was possible to monitor only 26% of the forest area of the Amazon and, therefore, the deforestation information in this month may be underestimated.
The degraded forests in the Brazilian Amazon totaled 40 square kilometers in March 2012. In relation to March 2011, when the forest degradation totaled 298 square kilometers, there was a reduction of 87%. Most part (67%), occurred in Mato Grosso, followed by Amazonas (15%), Rondônia (10%), and Pará (7%).
The forest degradation accumulated in the period (August 2011 to march 2012) totaled 1.568 square kilometers. There was a 2010 reduction of 62% regarding the same previous period (August 2010 to March 2011) when the deforestation totaled 4.111 square kilometers.
In March 2012, the deforestation detected by SAD compromised 3.6 million tons of equivalent CO2. In the accumulated period (August 2011 – March 2012) the emissions of equivalent CO2 related to the deforestation totaled 51 million tons, which represents a reduction of 13% regarding the previous period (August 2010 to March 2011).
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