Abstract
The diversity of Holdridge Life Zone types in the Brazilian Amazon region is studied to gain perspective on the consequences of deforestation. The study is based on a life zone map of Brazil by J.A. Tosi, Jr. at a scale of 1 : 10 000 000. The Amazon area of the map was digitized with a cell size of 50 km by 50 km. The resulting data base consists of 1789 cells from 17 life zones. Tropical moist forest covers 60% of the area followed by tropical premontane wet forest transition and tropical premontane moist forest transition at about 10% each. Each of the remaining 14 life zone types covers 3% or less of the total area. Loss of forest area in life zone types due to deforestation is simulated by removing cells from the data base. Different spatial patterns of deforestation are tested to assess their impact on life zone diversity. Deforestation along the Trans-Amazon Highway generated the least impact while deforestation along a frontier advancing from the south generated the most impact, in terms of loss life zone diversity. These results show that the relative loss rate of life zone forest types is dependent on where deforestation begins.
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