Amazon deforestation in dramatic decline, official figures show

 A deforested area in the Amazonian rainforest. Government figures say deforestation is in dramatic decline

Amazon deforestation in dramatic decline, official figures show

Increased use of satellite data and new tactics to deter loggers have led to drop, says Brazilian environment agency 

By Damian Carrington in Brasilia 
Large-scale deforestation in the Amazon rainforest fell dramatically last year, according to official figures released yesterday.

Data from satellite sensors making fortnightly detections of only larger areas of forest destruction (greater than 25 hectares) was 1,500km2 between August 2009 and May 2010, compared with 3,000km2 in the same period a year earlier.
The Brazilian environment agency, Ibama, which is responsible for protecting the forests against illegal logging, said the drop was due to the increased use of satellite data to spot the felling of trees and new tactics to deter loggers, including ending their ability to hide under cloud cover.
Photograph: Jefferson Ruddy/AFP/Getty Images
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