From Agência Brasil · · 1m
Brazil cuts fragmented forest by 43% in 38 years
Brazil's native forest fragments dropped 43% over 38 years, with smaller patches spreading across biomes.
In brief
Brazil's native forest fragments dropped 43% over 38 years, with smaller patches spreading across biomes. Brazil reduced fragmented native vegetation by 43% since 1986, but fragments grew smaller and more numerous. Originally reported by Agência Brasil.
Fragmented forest decline
Brazil reduced fragmented native vegetation by 43% over 38 years from 287 hectares in 1986 to 163 hectares in 2024.
Fragmentation trends
Fragmented patches increased from 2.35 million in 1986 to 3.41 million in 2024, with smaller average sizes.
Biome impacts
Atlantic forest has 1.38 million fragments, the smallest average size of 25 hectares, while cerrado has 957,000 fragments.
Amazon fragmentation
Amazon fragments grew from 2,700 hectares to 662 hectares, a 76 percent reduction in average size since 1986.
Edge effects
37 million to 102 million hectares of native vegetation face edge effects, with cerrado most affected by vulnerability.
COP17 presentation
MapBiomas presented findings at COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia, highlighting fragmentation's role in biodiversity loss.
The main idea
Brazil reduced fragmented native vegetation by 43% since 1986, but fragments grew smaller and more numerous.
