Cerrado deforestation threatens regional climate and water availability for agriculture and ecosystems

Deforestation in the Cerrado, one of the world's most biodiverse savannas, has significantly altered regional climate and water availability. A study analyzing land-use transitions (LUTs) from 2006 to 2019 found that clearing forests for cropland or pasture increased land surface temperature (LST) by ~3.5°C and reduced evapotranspiration (ET) by up to 44%. These changes, driven by satellite data and regression analyses, have already caused a 10% reduction in water recycled to the atmosphere and a 0.9°C increase in LST compared to native vegetation. Future scenarios project that continued deforestation could further worsen these effects, while zero-deforestation policies could mitigate them.

Rodrigues, A. A., Macedo, M. N., Silvério, D. V., Maracahipes, L., Coe, M. T., Brando, P. M., Shimbo, J. Z., Rajão, R., Soares‐Filho, B., & Bustamante, M. M. C. (2022). Cerrado deforestation threatens regional climate and water availability for agriculture and ecosystems. Global Change Biology, 28(22), 6807–6822. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16386