The Amazon lost in the last 17 years the equivalent rainforest to Ecuador territory
MapBiomas tool monitors the use of soil changes of the Amazon and follows the pressures over the rainforest. This new analysis covers 9 countries of the region, 21 types of soil cover and 6 biomes (Amazon, Cerrado, Marshland, Andes, Chaco-Chiquitano y Bolivian Tucumano).The obtained results point that during 2000 and 2017 period, and despite of conserving 85% of the native forests cover, the region lost 29,5 million hectares, a territory equivalent to Ecuador. On the other hand, during the same period there was a 41% growing of the agriculture and livestock area. This is the first mapping of the region compatible and standardized to every country, which allows to know the vegetation cover state, the tendencies and changes of soil use, like the substitution of forest by crops or pastures.
