| The effects of deforestation patterns, private nature-reserve extents and agricultural fallow periods on forest conservation were simulated for settlement projects in the Brazilian Amazon that produce a fish-bone pattern of occupation and where slash-and-burn agriculture is predominantly used. Data for simulation was obtained from previous work at the Bragantina region, the oldest agricultural frontier in the Brazilian Amazon. Forest conservation was evaluated using the size of remnant forest fragments, the amount of interior habitat, the connectivity among fragments and the extent of fragmentation. Results showed that the best scenario for forest conservation is the maintenance of 80% of the lot as privatereserve using deforestation pattern that allow to... |
