IBGE puts out Monitoring of Land Use and Cover in Brazil for 2018
March 26, 2020 10h00 AM | Last Updated: March 27, 2020 03h22 PM
The IBGE today publishes the Monitoring of Land Use and Cover in Brazil for 2018, expanding the time series that already accounts for the years 2000, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016. The analysis of the time series allows for the observation of the evolution and patterns of occupation the Brazilian territory. The objective of the work is to follow the dynamics of the territory, its occupation processes and its transformations, through a spatial and quantitative monitoring of the vegetation cover and land use throughout the country. Since 2010, this study has been carried out by the IBGE every two years.
The data are available for dowload on the PInteractive geographic Plataform (PGI) and on the IBGE Portal and can also be consulted on the Interactive Maps and on the Environmental Information Database (BDiA), where it is possible to combine data with other environmental themes studied by the IBGE.
Between 2016 and 2018, about 1% of the Brazilian territory underwent changes in Land use and cover. Broadly speaking, the replacement of natural vegetation areas with anthropic areas goes on; in other words, there is an increase of human action on new areas. Besides, agriculture was found to be more valued than managed pastures.
In 2018, the agricultural areas recorded growth of 3.3% in relation to 2016. Some regions recorded highlights in the increase of agricultural areas, like the northeast portion of Mato Grosso; the region of Santarém (PA), Paragominas (PA) and Imperatriz (MA); the axis between the municipalities of Campo Grande and Cassilândia (MS); and the region of campanha gaúcha (RS).
Between 2000 and 2018, there was an expansion of around 27% in the areas designated to managed pastures, especially in the eastern boundary of the Amazon biome, 45% of which was taken by agricultural area and 70%, by silviculture.
Between 2000 and 2012, around 20% of the new agricultural areas stemmed from the conversion of managed pastures, 53% of native vegetation (forest areas and meadows) and the remaining areas, from the other classifications of Land use and cover. As of 2012, a noticeable dynamic change occurs, with 53% of the new agricultural areas coming from former managed pastures, 26% from native vegetation (forest areas and meadows) and the remaining from other classifications of Land use and cover.
Visual interpretation of satellite images and field campaigns
The Monitoring of Land use and cover aims at spatializing and quantifying the Brazilian Land use and cover, in regular periods, from systematic mapping. The methodology involves visual interpretation of satellite images, field campaigns and additional information sources. The data is released in Statistical Grids which cover the Brazilian territory with cells of 1km² each. As final products, maps, charts and tables of Physical Accounts and Change Matrices of the analyzed periods are available.
| CLASSES | Artificial Surfaces | Cropland | Managed Pastures | Mosaic of Occupation in Forest Areas | Silviculture | Forest Tree Cover | Wetland | Grassland | Mosaic of Occupation in Grassland | Inland Water Bodies | Coastal Water Bodies | Barren Land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INVENTORIES (km2) | ||||||||||||
| Inventory (2000) | 34,567 | 458,975 | 885,186 | 847,721 | 50,543 | 4,017,505 | 34,297 | 1,834,153 | 234,729 | 128,749 | 222,461 | 3,680 |
| Total of addition to inventory | 1,650 | 99,400 | 237,614 | 81,785 | 21,535 | 1.617 | 104 | 1,219 | 18,632 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| Total of reduction in inventory | 0 | 2,143 | 23,769 | 98,645 | 2,234 | 216.404 | 115 | 109,588 | 10,673 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Inventory (2010) | 36,217 | 556,232 | 1,099,031 | 830,861 | 69,844 | 3,802,718 | 34,286 | 1,725,784 | 242,688 | 128,749 | 222,461 | 3,695 |
| Total of addition to inventory | 513 | 28,329 | 36,210 | 24,164 | 8,310 | 722 | 62 | 723 | 10,285 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Total of reduction in inventory | 0 | 793 | 9,135 | 24,367 | 2,083 | 36.610 | 140 | 32,570 | 3,621 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Inventory (2012) | 36,730 | 583,768 | 1,126,106 | 830,658 | 76,071 | 3,766,830 | 34,208 | 1,693,937 | 249,352 | 128,749 | 222,461 | 3,696 |
| Total of addition to inventory | 731 | 42,328 | 22,634 | 15,303 | 6,566 | 1.950 | 206 | 1,447 | 6,092 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Total of reduction in inventory | 0 | 1,464 | 24,916 | 17,943 | 501 | 24.316 | 232 | 24,519 | 3,369 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Inventory (2014) | 37,461 | 624,632 | 1,123,824 | 828,018 | 82,136 | 3,744,464 | 34.182 | 1,670,865 | 252,075 | 128,749 | 222,461 | 3,699 |
| Total of addition to inventory | 312 | 19,764 | 9,016 | 25,164 | 1,775 | 1,022 | 202 | 849 | 4,694 | 0 | 0 | 45 |
| Total of reduction in inventory | 0 | 627 | 13,947 | 9,255 | 265 | 25,685 | 102 | 10,656 | 2,306 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Inventory (2016) | 3,7773 | 643,769 | 1,118,893 | 843,927 | 83,646 | 3,719,801 | 34.282 | 1,661,058 | 254,463 | 128,749 | 222,461 | 3,744 |
| Total of addition to inventory | 550 | 24,239 | 25,994 | 16,797 | 3,065 | 10,959 | 0 | 1,933 | 3,689 | 153 | 0 | 5 |
| Total of reduction in inventory | 29 | 3,224 | 19,693 | 27,558 | 760 | 18,702 | 5 | 13,414 | 3,999 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Inventory (2018) | 38,294 | 664,784 | 1,125,194 | 833,166 | 85,951 | 3,712,058 | 3,277 | 1,649,577 | 254,153 | 128,902 | 222,461 | 3,749 |
In addition to the cartographic data and the explanatory texts, the monitoring produces the Physical Accounts of Land Use and Cover and the Change Matrix, which translates the results into aggregate numerical values. The table of Physical Accounts shows, in km ², the initial inventories, decreases, increases and final inventories for each of the land-use and land-cover classes in each analyzed period. The Change Matrix also presents, in km², all the modifications in the different types of land use and cover, allowing for several analyzes to be done.
