Brazil’s Amazonian deforestation: the role of landholdings in undesignated public lands

Abstract The impact of deforestation in Brazilian Amazonia is a global concern, and land occupation public lands contributes to increased rates. Little known about the spread landholdings undesignated located on cattle-ranching frontiers. We use case Matupi District, hotspot along Transamazon Highway southern portion Brazil’s state Amazonas, where spontaneous squatters grabbers are main actors occupying landholdings. assessed advance spatial distribution relation road categories (e.g., protected areas land). Landholdings up 400 ha were majority numbers (52%) larger (> ha) farther into forest, contributing expanding frontier. By 2018, 80% remaining forest was ha), increasing susceptibility this being cleared coming years. Thus, greater attention should be given these control deforestation. analyzing clearing pattern landholdings, monitoring can focus specific sizes that contribute most current trend facilitating legalization illegal claims lands, such as large medium we studied, implies vast future reversed.