GEO-6 Assessment for Latin America and the Caribbean

GEO-6 Regional Assessment for Latin America and the Caribbean

Hectares (’000)

Table 2.4.3: Forest area in Latin America and the Caribbean by sub-region. Period 1990-2015 (km2 Sub-region

1990 Caribbean

Mesoamerica South America Total

Source: Keenan et al. 2015; FAO 2015c

Forest plantations are growing in the region, mostly in Mesoamerica (Figure 2.4.8). This reforestation is taking place in areas that were previously deforested, or in grassland areas that did not have forest cover such as the Orinoco llanos in Colombia or campos in Uruguay, but is also threatening natural forests. Southern South America is experiencing the conversion of native grasslands to tree plantations.

Grasslands: the example of the Southern Cone

The Patagonian steppes and the Río de la Plata Grasslands (RPG) are one of the most important grassland regions in the world (Figure 2.4.9). In the Río de la Plata grasslands agricultural activities have increased during the past 15–18 years. Baldi and Paruelo (2008) characterized changes in the landscape structure for eight pilot areas distributed across the main regional environmental gradients. The area covered by grassland in the Patagonian steppes and the Rio de la Plata diminished from 151320 to 137817 square kilometres from 1985-2004, a decrease of 8.9 per cent, associated with an increase in the area of annual crops, mainly soybean, sunflower, wheat and maize. The area under agriculture increased from 49 348 to 58 057 km2

, a rise of 17.6 per cent.

In Uruguay, the area covered by grassland decreased from 126 490 to 105 180 km2

, a 16.85 per cent reduction between 1990 and 2011 (MGAP 2014).

In the case of the Brazilian Pampa, data from the Deforestation

Satellite Monitoring Project of Brazilian

Biomes (MMA-Brazil2011) reveals just 36per cent of this biome remained in 2009.

88

The cultivation of exotic trees has received many incentives from both private industries and the government. In Uruguay the area afforested with eucalyptus and pine increased from 1.2 per cent to 6.5 per cent of the country during 1990–2011 (MGAP 2014). Afforestation of some of the most productive native grasslands of the continent was rapid and

Figure 2.4.8: Extent of forest plantation (’000 hectares) 1990–2015.

16 000 14 000 12 000 10 000 8 000 6 000 4 000 2 000 0

50 170 967 550

9 308 140 10 325 860

2000 59 130

913 040 890 8170 9 880 340

2005 63 410 892 760

8 686 110 9 642 280

2010 67 450 875 080

8 521 330 9 463 860

) 2015 71 950

862 900 8 420 110 9 354 960

1990-2015

+21 780 -104 650 -888 030 -970 900

Caribbean

1990 2010

Source: FAO 2015c

Mesoamerica

2000 2015

South America 2005

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