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This research paper evaluates Land-Atmosphere (L-A) interaction patterns in southeastern South America (SESA) by comparing satellite products (AMSRE-LPRM and MODIS) with climate and land surface models. The study confirms SESA as a significant L-A interaction hotspot, particularly within the Pampas ecoregion, and finds that these interactions are more intense and spatially extensive during dry summers compared to wet summers.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative evaluates the effectiveness of Brazil's ABC Recuperação credit line in recovering degraded pastures, focusing on the Cerrado biome. Using satellite imagery and econometric analysis of operations between 2016 and 2018, the study finds that the credit's impact on pasture recovery is modest, with severe degradation remaining largely unchanged and some pasture being converted to crops rather than recovered. The report highlights the critical role of technical assistance and soil type in achieving results and suggests that the program contributed minimally to the ABC Plan's 2020 recovery targets.

This briefing by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes Bill PL nº 36/2021, which proposes substantial changes to the Brazilian Forest Code. The authors argue that the bill effectively dismantles the current legal framework by extending amnesty for illegal deforestation, suspending environmental fines and embargos, and weakening the validation process of the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR).

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the impacts of rural credit on agricultural production and land use across Brazilian biomes between 2002 and 2018. It finds that increased credit availability generally boosts productivity and can reduce deforestation pressures, particularly in the Amazon and Cerrado, by shifting land use from pasture to crops.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the impact of rural credit on agricultural production and land use across Brazilian biomes from 2002 to 2018. It finds that increased credit supply generally boosts agricultural production and productivity while reducing deforestation pressures, particularly in the Amazon and Cerrado, by shifting land use from pasture to crops.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes land use efficiency in Brazil, arguing that agricultural productivity can be increased and greenhouse gas emissions reduced without further deforestation. It highlights the potential of converting degraded pasturelands into croplands and examines successful historical examples of land use change, such as the soybean revolution and the implementation of the PPCDAm to combat Amazon deforestation. The document identifies key barriers to efficiency, including poor infrastructure, insecure land rights, and the need for better technology dissemination, while emphasizing the importance of enforcing the Brazilian Forest Code on private lands.

This fact sheet describes a research project investigating the bidirectional relationships between climate, land use, and groundwater in the Pampas region, specifically focusing on the northwest portion of the Río Salado basin in Argentina.

The report from the Executive Directorate of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) to the 20th Conference of the Parties (2012) details the outcomes of the second round of Cooperative Research Networks (CRNII) and the Human Dimensions Small Grants Program (SGP-HD). It highlights scientific findings on land-use change in the Plata Basin, the establishment of a Water Security Center of Excellence, and the launch of new NSF-funded grants (SGP-CRA and CRN3). The document also reports significant administrative challenges in Brazil, including severe IT connectivity issues and legal/tax disputes regarding the employment of Brazilian staff.

This report examines the environmental impacts of land use change (LUC) in the La Plata Basin, with a specific focus on the Brazilian Cerrado. It analyzes how the expansion of international commodities, forestry, cattle ranching, and biofuel crops—particularly sugarcane—affects soil carbon stocks and overall soil quality. The document highlights the role of agricultural technology in enabling this expansion and evaluates different management practices, such as no-tillage and the elimination of pre-harvest burning, to mitigate carbon loss and soil degradation.

This report examines the relationship between land use and hydrology in the La Plata Basin. Key findings include the identification of optimal groundwater depths for corn, soybean, and wheat in the Pampas, and evidence that replacing pastures with annual crops increases flooding risks. In the Chaco-Espinal region, agricultural expansion has triggered groundwater salinization and the emergence of new streams. In Paraguay, deforestation of the Atlantic Forest increased water yield from 40% to 70% of rainfall. The report also argues that bioelectricity from fire-prone dry forests is a more carbon-efficient energy source than soybean biodiesel, which carries a significant carbon debt from land-use change.