DETER Indicates 225 km2 of Amazon Deforested Area

Hello reader!

It follows one communicates published ion the day (17/08) in the website of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) noting that DETER indicates 225 km² of Amazon deforested area in July.

Duda Falcão

DETER Indicates 225 km² of

Amazon Deforested Area in July

Friday, August, 17 2011

An important tool to support Amazon surveillance, DETER - Real Time Deforestation Detection System, of National Institute for Space Research (INPE), Brazil - reveals that 225 km ² of Amazon forest have been clearcut or suffered progressive degradation latest July. The table below shows deforestation record set in July, 2011.

On the map below, yellow dots represents the location of an alert issued by DETER. Pink areas demonstrate places that could not be monitored due clouds coverage.

DETER's report is available here.

The numbers demonstrated by DETER are important indicators for Control and Supervision Organizations. However, to compute an annual rate of forest removal by clearcutting on Amazon, INPE works with PRODES (www.obt.inpe.br/prodes), which uses high resolution images capable of showing small deforestation points.

Even if DETER is important to indicate deforestation trends, its results are not proportional to PRODES. The estimate of forest loss computed by PRODES in August 2010-July 2011 period, is going to be released by INPE at the end of this year.

About DETER

Working since 2004, DETER is an Alert System for Support and Control Deforestation. Although data is released monthly or bimonthly, DETER results are sent to IBAMA - responsible to overseeing warning areas - almost daily.

DETER uses data from MODIS Terra satellite sensor, with a 250-meters space resolution, is possible to detect Deforestation Polygons correspondent an area larger than 25 hectares. Some deforestation areas are not identified by the system due to possible cloud coverage.

The low resolution used by DETER is compensated by the ability of daily observation, which makes the system a perfect tool to quickly inform deforestation to surveillance authorities.

This system records both clearcutting, when satellites detect complete removal of native forest, and areas classified as progressive degradation, that reveal the process of deforestation in the region.

Due to cloud cover variation between two months, also to satellite resolution, INPE does not recommend to compare data from different months or years obtained by DETER.

Jointly every disclosure about DETER alert system, INPE presents a sample evaluation report. Whether reports or data generated by DETER can be found at www.obt.inpe.br/deter

Source: WebSite of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE)