METHODOLOGICAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO EXPLAIN THE DETERMINANTS OF DESTRUCTION OF THE AMAZON RAINFOREST

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to construct econometric models to identify and analyze the variables that define and explain the deforestation cycle in the Amazon. Theoretical framework: The forest is one of the main sources of carbon sequestration and storage on Earth. Thus, deforestation and forest burning contribute to increasing the impact of the greenhouse effect on climate change, due to CO2 emissions. The protection of the Amazon forest is prioritized for its contribution to mitigating the effects of climate change. Results and conclusion: The annual increase in deforested forest area in the Amazon follows a polynomial behavior explained by the exchange relationships between the prices of deforested and occupied areas with crops and pastures and the prices of lands with native forest. It is this exchange relationship that deserves the attention of policymakers for forest preservation through deforestation control. Research implications: This exchange relationship can cause a turnaround in the deforestation cycle based on the knowledge of the value of standing forests, a fact that would reverse the exchange relationship and require the adoption of sustainable practices in agricultural, livestock, mineral, and forestry production systems. Originality/value: This research shows that there is an increase in deforested area in the Amazon forest, with only the rate of this deforestation varying, which can be increasing or decreasing.