Developing a quantitative framework for sustainable resource-use planning in the Brazilian Amazon

Extensive-style logging, ranching, and slash-and-burn agriculture are the principal activities associated with the haphazard settlement of the Eastern Amazon. We analyze these settlement activities using economic, social, and ecological criteria and then compare them to more intensive approaches to farming, ranching, and forestry. Throughout we consider the costs and benefits of different land-use options, both from the perspective of individual property holders and the common good. We conclude by considering the economic and legislative tools available to local governments wishing to promote sound resource uses in the Brazilian Amazon.