Abstract

ARMENTERAS, Dolors  and  RODRIGUEZ ERASO, Nelly. Forest deforestation dynamics and drivers in Latin America: a review since 1990. Colomb. for. [online]. 2014, vol.17, n.2, pp.233-246. ISSN 0120-0739.  https://doi.org/10.14483/udistrital.jour.colomb.for.2014.2.a06.

Over the past few years there have been a considerable number of studies on deforestation in Latin America. Deforestation rates reported up to the 2000s are generally lower in the region than in other tropical areas. The causes of deforestation in Latin America are similar to those identified in other regions. In general, studies of deforestation are regional or very localized and do not permit comparison of intraregional variability within the American tropics. In this paper we present results obtained from a meta-analysis of 283 articles on deforestation rates for different types of forests in Latin America (Atlantic, Montane , Dry, Lowland and others). Causes of deforestation identified in the literature and published at the national or subnational level since 1990 are also analyzed. There is an overall deforestation rate of -1.54 for the region, but results indicate a high variability of deforestation rates between countries and that there are even cases of forest cover gains, e.g. in El Salvador. The highest deforestation rates are in dry forest followed by montane forests. Most countries identify agricultural and livestock expansion as the main cause of deforestation.

Keywords : Latin America; forest cover; forest loss; change rates; tropica.

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