Author :
Publisher :
Page : pages
File Size : 24,49 MB
Release : 2013
Category :
ISBN :
Land cover change is a major challenge for forest conservation in Amazonia. Forest cover loss and anticipated changes in climate are expected to increase fire incidence in Amazonia with detrimental consequences to human health, climate, and natural ecosystems. In this dissertation I developed remote sensing methods to map and quantify land cover changes attributed to oil palm expansion in the Peruvian Amazon between 2001 and 2010. Then I used these results to assess the role of oil palm expansion on achieving dual goals of agricultural production and forest conservation. Finally I developed maps of burned areas and combined them with the land cover data to model the contribution of land cover changes and variations in drought severity to fire occurrence and spread. I found that high yield oil palm expansion can be effective to reduce the use of land for achieving agricultural production but that incentives for expanding plantations outside forests are essential to guarantee forest conservation.