Deforestation in Rondonia, Brazil

This pair of images reveals how dramatically and rapidly the Amazon can be transformed. The images compare deforested areas (tan) to forest (green) in 2000 (top) versus 2006 (bottom). The area, which is in southern Rondônia southwest of the Pacaás Novos National Park, was almost completely cleared during the period. The decreased greenness of the remaining forest in 2006 may be from a variety of causes: drought, degradation from logging or accidental fire, or different angles of observation during the two satellite overpasses.

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NASA maps by Robert Simmon, based on ASTER data.

Published March 31, 2007

Source:

Terra > ASTER