Most of Atlantic Forest has less than 30% native vegetation
The Atlantic Forest is the biome that has experienced the most significant changes in land cover and use in Brazil between 1985 and 2023. Over 39 years, its territory saw a 91 percent increase in agricultural area but also a recovery of native vegetation in 45 percent of municipalities following the implementation of the Forest Code in the country, according to an analysis by Mapbiomas released on Tuesday (Nov. 26).
With only 31 percent of its vegetation cover preserved and 67 percent of the region occupied by human activities, the Atlantic Forest continues to lose vegetation. Over the analyzed period, it saw a 10 percent reduction, equivalent to 3.7 million hectares.
The study reveals that 60 percent of the municipalities within the Atlantic Forest currently have less than 30 percent of their native vegetation. Over the years, only the states of Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, and São Paulo have managed to recover more vegetation than they lost from their biome.
Where natural areas were lost, forests were the most affected, including savannah and forest formations, mangroves, and restinga trees. In total, 2.7 million hectares of this category were lost between 1985 and 2023.
Grassland formations, while losing the least in absolute size—2.45 million hectares—experienced the highest proportional decrease. Over 39 years, 27 percent of this class was converted, mainly into agricultural and pasture areas.
“The Atlantic Forest simultaneously experiences deforestation and regeneration, but in regions that don't overlap. We continue to lose forests in areas with a significant proportion of remnants, while gains occur in regions devastated decades ago where very little remains,” says Luis Fernando Guedes Pinto, executive director of the SOS Mata Atlântica Foundation.
Although pastureland occupies 26.23 percent of the entire territory originally covered by the Atlantic Forest, agriculture has shown the greatest expansion. Between 1985 and 2023, the agricultural area in the Atlantic Forest region increased from 10.6 million hectares to 20.2 million hectares. The states of Rio Grande do Norte, Mato Grosso do Sul, and São Paulo were proportionally the most affected by this conversion.
Soybeans and sugarcane account for 87 percent of the temporary crops in the biome, which also produces rice, cotton, and other similar crops. During this period, sugarcane cultivation has expanded by more than 4.2 million hectares, and soybeans reached an additional 8.2 million hectares in 2023.
Forestry has also expanded over the last 39 years, with more than 3.6 million hectares planted, representing 50 percent of the practice nationwide. Most of the forestry in the Atlantic Forest (60%) was planted in the states of Santa Catarina, Paraná, and Bahia.
When considering the total area occupied by agriculture, including crops, pastures, land mosaics, and forestry, 71.99 million hectares were converted by 2023.
Deforestation
Despite all the pressure from human activity on the Atlantic Forest, one piece of deforestation data stood out in 2023: a 49 percent reduction in deforestation compared to the year 2000. For Guedes Pinto, these advances point the way forward. “Zero deforestation and large-scale restoration will ensure the future of the biome, contribute to addressing the global climate and biodiversity crises, provide ecosystem services, and prevent local tragedies,” he concludes.
