Fearnside Philip M
National Institute for Research in the Amazon (INPA), Amazonas, Brazil.
Ambio. 2003 Aug;32(5):343-5. doi: 10.1579/0044-7447-32.5.343.
Controlling deforestation in Brazil's Amazon region has long been illusive despite repeated efforts of government authorities to slow the process. From 1997 to 2000, deforestation rates in Brazil's 9-state "Legal Amazon" region continually crept upward. Now, a licensing and enforcement program for clearing by large farmers and ranchers in the state of Mato Grosso appears to be having an effect. The deforestation rate in Mato Grosso was already beginning to slacken before initiation of the program in 1999, but examination of county-level data suggests that deforestation in already heavily cleared areas was falling due to lack of suitable uncleared land, while little-cleared areas were experiencing rapid deforestation. Following initiation of the program, the clearing rates declined in the recent frontiers. Areas with greater enforcement effort also appear to have experienced greater declines. Demonstration of government ability to enforce regulations and influence trends is important to domestic and international debates regarding use of avoided deforestation to mitigate global warming.
长期以来，尽管政府当局多次努力减缓巴西亚马逊地区的森林砍伐进程，但一直难以实现。从1997年到2000年，巴西9个州的“法定亚马逊”地区的森林砍伐率持续攀升。如今，针对马托格罗索州大农场主和牧场主的砍伐许可及执法计划似乎正在产生效果。在1999年该计划启动之前，马托格罗索州的森林砍伐率就已开始放缓，但对县级数据的研究表明，由于缺乏合适的未砍伐土地，已被大量砍伐地区的森林砍伐量正在下降，而几乎未被砍伐的地区则正在经历快速的森林砍伐。该计划启动后，新开发地区的砍伐率有所下降。执法力度更大的地区似乎下降幅度也更大。证明政府执行法规和影响趋势的能力，对于国内和国际上有关利用避免森林砍伐来缓解全球变暖的辩论至关重要。
