IBGE releases today, 28/12/2016, the report of changes in Land Cover and Land Use of Brazil 2014, with commentaries, tables and graphs. Also available is the Map of Land Use and Land Cover of Brazil 2014, in two versions: a digital vector shapefile, at the 1:1,000,000 scale (1 cm = 10 km), and a pdf version, at the 1:5,000,000 scale (1 cm = 50 km). This work results from the interpretation of satellite images obtained in 2014, and also field surveys and related information from all over the country. The complete report can be accessed here. here. The free download of the pdf version of the map can be done here and the digital version, here.

4.6% of the national territory had their cover changed between 2012 and 2014

From 2012 to 2014, about 4.6% of the Brazilian territory underwent some kind of change in cover. This rate is slightly higher than that in the previous period (2010 to 2012), which was once 3.5%. In a general way, the expansion of agriculture, of crop management, forestry and artificial areas remains. The same is true for the decrease of forest vegetation and natural pastures (areas with non-tree vegetation, predominantly seen in the cerrado, caatinga and pampa).

The most significant decreases took place in areas of forest vegetation and of natural pastures. Forests recorded a decrease of 1.8% between 2010 and 2012, and of 0.8% in the period 2012-2014, pointing to deceleration in this process. The reduction of natural pastures increased, with a change from 7.8% (2010-2012) to 9.4% (2012-2014). There is a trend to expansion of agricultural areas and of pasture management, mainly on areas of natural pastures.

From 2012 to 2014, forestry areas recorded the highest increase rate: 23.8%, versus only 4.6% in the previous period (2010 to 2012). Forestry areas grew mainly on land for natural pastures or management pastures. Technical improvements in the mapping elaborated by the IBGE accounted for about 50% of this significant increase observed in forestry áreas, since there was improvement in the quality of images obtained in 2014, with reduction of cloud covering in some áreas of Brazil, such as the Northeastern coast on the country.

The expansion of agricultural areas remain and their growth rate is at the same level: 8.6% between 2010 and 2012 and 8.2% between 2012 and 2014. There was significant decrease of pasture management: from 11.1% in the period 2010/2012 to 4.5% on the following day. This deceleration is mainly related to the change of pastures into agricultural areas, and to a lower extent, into forestry areas.